Parvin State Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Parvin State Park - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.511178, -75.131741

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HUGE parking lot (this is only half of it) directly across the street from the park office.

TRAIL MAP:
Parvin State Park Trail Map - mtbnj.com

HIKE DISTANCE:
5.5 miles
Hiked in together with:
Harold N. Peek Preserve - 3.25 miles
Maurice River Bluffs Nature Preserve - 3.25 miles

THE HIKE:

From the parking lot, cross Almond Road on the crosswalk towards ...

... the park office then just before the building, turn right to ...

... the Parvin Lake Trail.

On the Parvin Lake Trail.

The trail passes by the site of a former CCC camp.

At a paved road, the Parvin Lake Trail turns left but continue straight on ...

... Long Trail.

Some short side trails to the left lead to Muddy Run.

Although there are many, many (too many to count) footbridges over swampy areas ...

... the trail is still flooded out in places ...

... and you really have no choice but to plod on through - sometimes in ankle deep muck and mud.  Actually feels kind of nice on a warm day!  (Be sure to bring extra shoes and socks for the drive home.)

A nice bridge over Muddy Run.

Muddy Run from the bridge.

A red-tailed hawk - he only let me get one shot in before he took off,

Some Sandy casualties.

This post is at an intersection, actually looking at it in the opposite direction.  Turn right at the unmarked intersection after this one to continue on a trail.  If you come out on a paved park road, you missed the turn.

More swampy trail.

The lady in the park office did warn me!

So cute I have to show a few pictures of them. 

Park cabins along the Thundergust Lake Trail.

Thundergust Lake

Parvin Lake

Dam at Parvin Lake

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  From parking lot cross Almond Road, proceed straight to park office, turn right just before office on Parvin Lake Trail
[  0.35]  Cross over tiny stone bridge
[  0.50]  Side trail on left to Muddy Run
[  0.80]  Side trail on left to Muddy Run, CCC interpretive sign on right
[  1.05]  Cross paved road, walk through pavilion and continue straight on Long Trail
[  1.10]  Side trail on left to Muddy Run, boardwalks alternate with swampy areas
[  1.25]  Wet area in depression left by giant root ball of uprooted tree
[  1.45]  Keep left at fork
[  1.90]  Bridge over Muddy Run
[  1.95]  Keep right at fork although left is a more defined trail, red marker on plastic post farther along trail
[  2.30]  Trail crosses over
[  3.10]  Cross woods road
[  3.15]  Unmarked trail to the left
[  3.25]  Unmarked trail to the right
[  3.35]  Post with trail blazes on left when trail comes in from right - watch for next intersection
[  3.45]  Turn right at unmarked intersection
[  4.00]  Cross yellow trail at marked intersection; long swampy section of trail
[  4.20]  Veer right at fork on sandy trail
[  4.25]  End of Long Trail, Black Oak Trail to the right, paved park road on left, continue straight on yellow Thundergust Lake Trail
[  4.35]  Turn left just before bridge over Thundergust Brook; keep right at fork
[  4.90]  Just before road, turn left towards park toll building then left on park entrance road a few steps to the 20 mph sign; turn right just after the 20 mph sign then left along Parvin Lake, cross footbridge and continue along perimeter of Parvin Lake
[  5.50]  Back at park office, turn right and cross Almond Road to parking lot

Maurice River Bluffs Nature Preserve, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Maurice River Bluffs Nature Preserve - The Nature Conservancy

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.353412, -75.036428

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Large parking lot a short drive down a slightly rutted gravel road.

TRAIL MAP:
Maurice River Bluffs Trail System - The Nature Conservancy
There is a new orange trail that is not on the map but is shown on the map in the parking lot kiosk.

Many trails are closed (most of white, about half of blue) but a loop hike can still be made out of the rest.  The orange trail consists of 3 joined loops so this is why the directions might sound confusing when orange continues along different trails at the same time at intersections.

HIKE DISTANCE:
3.25 miles
Hiked in together with:
Harold N. Peek Preserve - 3.25 miles
Parvin State Park - 5.5 miles

THE HIKE:

Start here from the parking lot then turn left on blue at the trail signs.

The blue trail.

Well-marked intersection.  Turn left on red.

Lots of ups and downs along the red trail - not at all flat like you would expect.

The small portion of the white trail that is open leads to a steep descent to the banks of the Maurice River.

Looks like ruins of an old pier.

Feels more like being on a beach than the banks of a river.

A lot of these signs around.

Back on the red trail continuing the red loop, some river views.

Nesting opsprey.

The orange trail.

Lots of river and marsh views from the orange trail.

Benches and picnic tables all along the trail.

The bird blind.

Ruins along the orange trail.

Coming up on the picnic table overlooking the floating dock.

The floating dock.

One osprey in the nest, the other below.

View from the blue trail after the floating dock.

Sand road back to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:

[  0.00]  Go through The Nature Conservancy structure to T-intersection, turn left on blue

[  0.10]  Keep left on blue at fork then turn left on red at intersection with blue and alternate blue

[  0.35]  Red trail veers right just before road and crosses footbridge

[  0.75]  Turn left on white at intersection (right on white closed at this time), descend to river bank for views; retrace back to intersection with red

[  1.00]  At intersection go left on red (trail to the right of the closed white trail, no blaze until farther along - had previously come in on red from the right)

[  1.50]  Red trail ends, turn right on blue (blue closed to the left)

[  1.60]  Turn left on alternate blue

[  1.85]  Turn right on orange, keep straight across sand road, picnic table on left

[  2.00]  Turn right on orange when orange also goes straight

[  2.10]  Turn right on orange towards bird blind when orange also goes left across bridge

[  2.30]  Bench at overlook then bird blind shortly beyond the bench

[  2.40]  Turn right on orange when orange also goes left

[  2.55]  At intersection with picnic table turn right towards parking

[  2.60]  Turn right on blue at bat house on right;  building ruins on the right shortly ahead

[  2.70]  Turn left on blue (private property straight ahead)

[  2.75]  Turn right at picnic table and descent to floating dock; retrace

[  2.85]  Back at the picnic table, face the river and turn left to take trail along bluffs (this is blue but no immediate blazes)

[  3.00]  Turn left on blue alternate trail

[  3.10]  Left on orange for a few steps then right on sand road

[  3.25]  Back at parking lot