Rancocas State Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Rancocas State Park Trail Guide - Burlington County Parks
NOTE:  There is the Rancocas Nature Center on the northern side of North Branch Rancocas Creek that does not connect to this hike and does not allow dogs.  The trails on this side of Rancocas Creek allows dogs.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.99224, -74.83433

This is the parking lot at the end of Deacon Road but saplings, posts and blow downs and heavy leaf drop make it difficult to figure out exactly where to park without blocking the gate and without getting hung up on something.

I parked off of the side of the road near the park sign instead.

TRAIL MAP:
Rancocas State Park Trail Guide - Burlington County Parks

HIKE DISTANCE: 6 miles

THE HIKE:

We went left at the blue blaze to follow the 3.2 mile blue loop with some detours.

I couldn't figure out why these markers started with .25 mile but it soon became obvious.

In .25 mile a parking area that is not on the map ...

... the blue trail trail head when you come out on to the park service road ...

... and a kiosk.  So to reach this you would drive to the end of Rancocas Avenue.

And the mile marker on the gravel service road would be the end.

Continuing on the gravel service road.

The blue trail leaves the service road at the gate,

We then turned left on orange to do the orange loop.

South Branch Rancocas Creek

Back on blue after finishing the orange loop.

South Branch Rancocas Creek

At another parking lot which would be at the end of the gravel access road, had for the barrier with the faded blue blaze so continue.

Cabin ruins.

This part of the blue trail is very pretty as it follows along Rancocas Creek.

These sign posts indicate unmarked connector trails.  So this one means the unmarked trail takes you to the yellow trail.

New Jersey Turnpike across the way.

There is a lot of traffic noise from the turnpike.

On the red trail.

Red Oak                                                      Black Oak                                                White Oak

Another helium balloon.  I swear I find one on almost every hike.  I could reach this one so I packed it out.

The defaced a tree and what do you want to bet they aren't even together any more?

From red we took green, which turned out to be an interesting trail.

Shawnee even took the lead for a while which she doesn't do often any more.

Back on blue I found a dog collar with a phone number and called to let them know I found the collar.  Their dog had lost its collar but fortunately the dog was not lost.

Back at the car ...

... I put the collar at the agreed upon spot for the owner to pick it up, which she did and then Kally sent me a thank you text :)

Rancocas Nature Center and Rancocas State Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Rancocas Nature Center
Rancocas State Park - New Jersey State Parks
The way I understood it when researching this park is that the Rancocas Nature Center (no dogs allowed) is north of Rancocas Creek and Rancocas State Park (dogs allowed) is south of Rancocas Creek.  This is true but where Rancacos Nature Center only has a couple of miles of trails, there are also state park trails on the northern side of Rancocas Creek which allow for a much longer hike.  These trails are not shown on the state park map but were on a map by the bridge, picture below.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.003201, -74.821251

View Larger Map

Parking at Rancocas Nature Center

TRAIL MAPS:
Rancocas Nature Center Trail Map

This map was at the bridge crossing the creek into the part of Rancocas State Park that is north of Rancocas Creek.  The state park trails are to the left of the bridge and the nature center trails are to the right of the bridge.

Rancocas Nature Center, NJ at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE: 3 miles

THE HIKE:
Where we had been heading south to hike, recent snow storms to the south have made the terrain too treacherous for Shawnee (not to mention single digit temps) so we haven't hiked in a couple of weeks.  Today I had to be in Mt. Laurel in the morning so I decided to swing by Rancocas Nature Center for a short no dogs allowed hike before heading home.  Snow had partially melted and refrozen and it made for tough going even with microspikes.  Sometimes I was walking on top of frozen snow, other times crashing through into inches of icy snow or twisting my ankles in frozen footprints if I was not paying attention to where I was stepping.  I'll go back with Shawnee to do the southern part where dogs are allowed.  If the snow and ice ever melt.

Starting on the blue trail (no blazes here) between the kiosk and the barn.  It was very rough going on these ankle-breaking frozen footprints.

A short distance in, a left on red where no man had gone before. Relatively smooth sailing here on top of frozen snow with microspikes.

When there were prints they were only small wildlife prints.

The trail skirts the edge of the conifer plantation.

Conifer Plantation

A left on blue continues through the conifer plantation to ...

... a left on orange.

Again, no footprints on orange and it was a very pretty trail through holly trees.

Rancocas Creek

It was terribly loud walking on frozen snow and ice so birds generally did not hang around when they could hear me coming from a mile away.

It was in the low 20's but it was a beautiful, clear day with the moon still visible in the afternoon.

Orange ends after a stretch along the creek - heading back.

Left on blue but not quite as many frozen footprints here so it was easy to avoid them.

The bridge over a small side creek to the state park trails.  The map above is at the other side of this bridge.

The yellow-blazed trail into the state park.

Animal tracks perfectly following the yellow trail.

Tufted Titmouse

Rancocas Creek from the yellow trail.

Back to the side creek then the bridge.

Instead of crossing the bridge I went a short distance on the brown trail along the side creek until it met up with white.  This would have made another nice loop but was running short on time so had to turn around back to the bridge.

After crossing the bridge, turned left on yellow.  I believe this part is still state park - it is obvious when you are back on the Nature Center part because the blazes on the trees end and you have to follow the numbered posts that have yellow on them.

Yellow ends at the Nature Center back at the parking lot.