Black Rock Forest - Black Rock Forest Consortium
NOTE: Every year Black Rock Forest closes for hunting (in 2021 from 11/20 - 12/12) other than that no hunting is allowed.
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.402277, -74.047528
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| Mine Hill Road Parking - Room for about 5 cars, no parking along the road. |
TRAIL MAP:
Black Rock Forest Trail Map - Black Rock Forest Consortium
West Hudson Trails Map 113 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference
I highly recommend the trail conference map above on the Avenza app for this hike.
HIKE DISTANCE: 11.2 miles
THE HIKE:
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| Leaving the parking lot turn right and the trail head is a few steps ahead on the left. |
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| I haven't seen too many of these red efts this year but there were two early on during this hike. |
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| We turned right on the Sackett Trail and would be returning from the left. |
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| A rickety crossing on the Arthur Trail through a swamp. |
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| At the Scenic Trail we turned left and would be staying on that mostly for a while except ... |
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| ... to divert to the right to Eagle Cliff ... |
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| ... for views. |
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| The blue Eagle Cliff Trail continues as a red trail. |
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| Left on yellow ... |
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| ... back to right on white. |
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| White will turn on to a gravel road ... |
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| ... then leave to the left as a footpath to ... |
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| ... views at Rattlesnake Hill. |
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| Right on Carpenter Road when white crosses over to ... |
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| ... right on Go Down Road. |
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| We soon came upon a tangle of blow downs but were able to get through. |
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| I could see more obstructions ahead and almost turned back but kept going. |
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| Beyond the blow downs the trail is clear again. |
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| The old road bed becomes very eroded going downhill. |
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| It does smooth out again. |
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| A left here would loop back around the way we came we turned right. |
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| From this point forward the old road is very well defined and completely clear. |
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| We continued on the woods road passing where white crosses over, then right on Meadow Road to left on ... |
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| ... another white-blazed trail, not the Scenic Trail rather the White Oak Trail. |
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| The trail turns right steeply downhill just before a dam ... |
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| .... then crosses the spillway. |
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| Arthurs Pond |
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| We stayed right on Continental Road when white went left. |
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| White Oak Tree |
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| Continental Road |
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| Passing by the Stillman Trail ... |
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| ... then left on the Sackett Trail. |
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| I had wanted to hike the newer loops off of the Sackett Trail but I was already at almost 11 miles and it would have added another 2 miles with more elevation changes than I had energy remaining for so decided to save that for another time. |
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| Right on Mine Hill Trail to retrace to the parking lot. |
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| Mine Hill Road down below ... |
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| ... with a now packed parking lot and cars parked illegally along the road. |
