ABOUT THE PARKS:
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.75375, -74.44288
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| Parking Lot off Loantaka Way |
TRAIL MAPS:
DISTANCES:
19 mile bike with 1.2 mile hike at Drew Forest
THE BIKE:
I last hiked here in February 2013. Loantaka Brook Reservation gets insanely busy. At 6 AM it was very nice with just a few other bikers and joggers. At 10 AM it was very crowded and often challenging to maneuver through on a bike.
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| While there was very little traffic at 6 AM I started out by turning right on Loantaka Way ... |
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| ... then left at the crosswalk on to ... |
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| .. the 1.5 mile section of trail at the southern end of the reservation. |
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| The trail ends at the post office on Green Village road where you can turn around but there is no trail parking. |
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| Heading back. |
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| Crossing Loantaka Way at the crosswalk and continuing straight. |
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| Straight through the first intersection ... |
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| ... across Woodland Avenue to the Giralda Farm trails. |
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| These trails are gravel, sometimes crushed, sometimes chunky, sometimes loose and hard to pedal through. |
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| I had thought I could hop over to Dodge Drive from the trails to get to Drew University but that was not doable as it is all fenced and gated off. |
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| So back out the entrance and a left on the bike path along Woodland Ave to see if I could access Dodge Drive that way but nope, it's gated. Little did I know the bike path not only continued straight but would turn left along Loantaka Way and I could have gone that way. But not knowing that at the time, I turned around and went the other way on Woodland Ave. |
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| When the separate bike path ends, it continues on Woodland Ave. |
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| The first right turn on Treadwell Avenue ... |
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| ... is a residential street apparently used for walkers to form a loop with that bike path. |
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| At Route 124 the separate bike path resumes to the right. |
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| The bike path passes along the gated front of Giralda Farms then turns right on Loantaka Way - the way I could have gone. |
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| At Loantaka Way I had to stay on Route 124/Madison Avenue on the on road bike lane just a but farther to... |
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| ... a right into the main entrance of Drew University. |
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| To get to the trails, it's straight ahead then a right just past the athletic fields. |
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| This leads to Hepburn Woods on the left and Zuck Arboretum on the right. |
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| First, left into Hepburn Woods where there was a bench next to the kiosk to lock my bike to. |
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| There was absolutely nobody around so it was very peaceful. |
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| The trail forms a loop through the woods. |
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| Back at the beginning, crossing over to Zuck Arboretum. |
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| This trail passes by two ponds. Nothing going on at the first pond. |
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| But at the second pond, a green heron ... |
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| ... and a Great Blue Heron. |
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| Continuing around the ponds.... |
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| ... back to the beginning. |
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| Biking back out of Drew University. |
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| At the main entrance, crossing over Madison Avenue at the crosswalk and continuing one block ... |
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| ...to a left on Page Street, one block to a left on Redmond Drive, then right on Morris Place... |
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| ... all the way to the end to a right on Danforth Road. |
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| Just over the bridge ... |
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| ... left at the crosswalk ... |
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| ... to the access point for the Traction Line Recreation Trail. |
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| This is a straight paved path for 3 miles. |
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| Passing Convent Station where I would be getting off when heading back. |
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| The trail ends at Morris Avenue directly across from Washington's Headquarters. |
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| Heading back. |
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| Just past Convent Station, right on Convent Road. |
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| Continue straight across Madison Avenue then left on Fox Hollow Road through a quiet residential area. |
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| At Woodland Avenue a bit to the left is the bike path back into Loantaka Reservation. |
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| It was incredibly mosquito-free and that would be thanks to dragonflies and damselflies, the mortal enemies of the mosquito. I wish they lived in my yard. |
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| Loantaka Brook |
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| Coming out at the main parking lot and looping around to head back. |
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| Kitchell Pond |
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| Back at the parking lot on Loantaka Way. |
