Pequest Wildlife Management Area, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
The Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center - NJDEP
Pequest Wildlife Management Area Trail - Traillink.com

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.851538, -74.933236

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Parking at the eastern end of the old rail bed in Townsbury - parking is on either side of the road, right at the river.  Head west on the rail bed for this hike.  (This picture is to the east.)

TRAIL MAP:
Trails of the Pequest - NJDEP

This is my VERY rough sketch map of the trails from the Pequest map as they relate to the old rail bed (brown) which is connected by the paved road from Route 41 to the nature center and trout hatchery.

HIKE DISTANCE:
7.5 mile lollipop from the eastern end of the rail bed looping around all of the colored trails and back along the rail bed

THE HIKE:

This isn't a manicured rail trail - there are still old railroad ties everywhere and the surface is rough, but clear to hike through and it's very quiet and peaceful with hardly any other people except for fishermen at the river.

The rail bed parallels the Pequest River for a bit and there are some fishermen access trails down to the river.

More old railroad stuff along the trail.

Some gorgeous flowers (Bloodroot, per NJ Urban Forest) around 2 PM - I'll show them again later as seen on the way back at 6 PM - quite a difference!

One paved road crossing but it appears to be a driveway.

A bridge crossing shortly before the road to the hatchery.

 Crossing the Pequest River on the bridge.

Entrance to the hatchery at Route 41 - turn left here and walk on the paved road ...

... crossing another bridge ...

... over the Pequest River.  Be sure to look up as you approach the hatchery ...

Ospreys EVERYWHERE!

Continuing along the paved road to the hatchery.  This road is currently closed on weekends so no traffic at all.

The nature center and hatchery.

I was not able to find where the marked trails started so I continued out the exit, crossed over Pequest Road and followed a dirt road through fields

with a cool bird house

and that met up with the red trail at the black bear interpretive sign.

Various blazes of the red trail.

Pequest Valley

Pond

On the yellow trail.

Views of the Delaware Water Gap while descending the yellow trail in a power cut.

 

 

A bridge over a creek on the red trail.

Back to the pond having completed the yellow trail loop.

Straight ahead from the pond up and over a very short, steep hill ...

... should lead straight to the blue trail?  Not a blaze in sight until ...

Confirmation we are on the blue trail.

The blue trail arrives at some open views before heading downhill ...

... through a bulldozed area with again not a blue blaze in sight.

Even my trusty trail dog who can always sniff out the trail when it's not that clear was somewhat confused.

Followed the bulldozer tracks ...

... to turn blazes just before Pequest Road.

The trail crosses over old stone farm walls.

The trail comes out at the intersection of Pequest Road and Jane's Chapel Road.  It is unclear where to proceed but turns out the trail continues straight past the Pequest WMA sign as a mowed grass path.

No blazes throughout this area so you have to kind of guess which way to go at forks but I did happen upon blue turn blazes a couple of times so must have been going the right way. 

At this field I followed the field around to the left and ended up back at the hatchery road where there were more ...

Heading back to the rail bed ...

Just a few blowdowns on the rail bed that were easy enough to get over - or under - depending on your preference.

Remember those pretty flowers from earlier?  They were now all folded up, tucked in and ready for bed.

Down at the river via a fisherman's path

HIKE SUMMARY:
coming soon

West Morris Greenway, NJ - Black River Wildlife Management Area to Horseshoe Lake

ABOUT THE PARK:
New Trail Dedicated in Roxbury - Roxbury Register
Patriots' Path - Morris County Parks Commission
Black River Wildlife Management Area - Traillink.com

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.801553,-74.696721

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Parking lot off of Pleasant Hill Road at western end of trail.

TRAIL MAP:
Patriots' Path Section 2 - Morris County Park Commission
(The online version of the map does not show the parking lot but the hard copy does.)

HIKE DISTANCE:
My total for all sections combined:  13.6 miles

• From Pleasant Hill Rd parking lot in Chester to Randolph -  4 miles one way
• From Randolph to Horseshoe Lake - 1.5 miles one way
• Horseshoe Lake Loop - 1.5 miles
• Black River WMA trail along river -  .55 miles one way

THE HIKE:

The trail starts beyond the gate in the parking lot.  This section is blazed blue and is a spur trail of the Patriots' Path.

Mileage posts every quarter of a  mile.

The trail runs along the Black River but you don't see much of the river,

Early in the morning you can see lots of birds over by the river.

Christmas in April?

A trickle of water off to the right.

Surprisingly little evidence of Sandy damage - this was the worst of just a couple of spots.

The Patriots' Path comes in from the right and the trail is now blazed white.

A glimpse of geese in the river.

For the most part there is swamp/wetlands between the trail and the river.

The trail goes on and on and on ...

After the white-blazed Patriots' Path leaves to the right, continue on as the trail is blazed blue and cross a bridge ...

... over a side creek ...

... just before the end of the Black River WMA and a parking area.

The trail continues on through a more residential area ...

... then crosses the road ...

... and enters water authority property.

Continuation of the trail through water authority property all the way to Horseshoe Lake.

At the railroad tracks the trail jogs left then right to ...

... Horseshoe Lake.

A short part of the lake loop is along a busy road.

The trail veers away from the road along the beach.

Some Sandy blowdown art visible on the return route.

Back at the small parking lot entering Black River WMA, a footpath starting between the concrete blocks leads ...

... through the woods ...

... and along the Black River.

After this wide open area, the trail fizzles out so it needs to be an out-and-back to the parking lot to get back on the greenway trail. 

Skunk Cabbage

Heading back on the Patriots' Path spur.

Where early in the morning there were millions of birds along this section, in the early afternoon there were millions of frogs and not a single bird.

Still looking sleepy from that hibernation.

There is one spot along the way where you can get a view of the river...

... and another inhabitant.

Back at the beginning.