Hamburg Mountain Wildlife Management Area, NJ - Silver Lake

ABOUT THE PARK:
Hamburg Mountain WMA Silver Lake Section - Birding and Wildlife Trails

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.121938, -74.536243

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Silver Lake Parking

TRAIL MAP:
North Jersey Trail Map 116 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference
This map does show most of the unmarked woods roads for this hike.  Although it looks like the trail north from Hamburg Lake ends, it runs into another woods road not on the map which allows for a loop hike.  Intersecting woods road are not shown on the map.  Intersections are marked with waypoints and are referenced in the summary at the end.

Hamburg Mountain Wildlife Management Area, NJ - Silver Lake and Mud Pond at EveryTrail

HIKE DISTANCE: 7 miles

THE HIKE:

Silver Lake from the boat ramp off of the parking lot.

Woods road along Silver Lake ...

... to a more defined woods road to ...

... paved Hamburg Pike.

Hamburg Pike follows along Hamburg Lake, which is now a swamp.

Tons of birds around Hamburg Lake but the only ones that will sit still long enough for a picture are the red-winged blackbirds.

A sea of cattails.

In the swamp?

Mr. Red-Winged Blackbird

Mrs. Red-Winged Blackbird.

A few dwellings along Hamburg Pike before ...

it turns to gravel at the WMA sign.  Turn right here before the pond.

This woods road starts out a bit overgrown but soon becomes clear.

This is the woods road on the NYNJTC map that ends on its way north.

Relieved that there was another woods road to take at the end of the one on the map so we did not have to bushwhack.

The woods road crosses over a pretty creek that comes from Mud Pond.

Red Eft

A swamp to the right of the woods road.

A cold front from Canada had come through and it was a perfect crisp, breezy, low-humidity day.

Mud Pond

A residence on the other side of Mud Pond.  The trail became overgrown so we headed back and tried going around Mud Pond the other way.

Crossing that creek again near the outlet of Mud Pond.

A woods road to Mud Pond that became quickly overgrown.

View from standing on a small boulder.

The woods road along the southern end of the pond continues but it's private property so had to turn back again.

On to the woods road that leads to Silver Lake.

Tried to take a trail around Silver Lake but it was flooded out.

I have found a lot of strange things while hiking but this is the first bed.

Silver Lake

Napping while mom's busy taking pictures.

Going around the other side of Silver Lake.

There is a path that supposedly goes all the way around, well, at least to the flooded out part I would guess.

But at this blowdown that we could have gotten through ...

Shawnee turned around and started heading the other way.  Not in the mood for hurdling blowdowns, I suppose.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Facing Silver Lake take the woods road on the left
[  0.15]  At intersection turn left on gravel road
[  0.30]  Keep straight when woods road goes right then a few steps later keep straight on paved road, pass Hamburg Lake (swamp) on the right
[  0.75]  At WMA boundary and just before small pond, turn right on somewhat overgrown woods road
[  0.80]  Keep straight when a woods road comes in from the right (forgot to mark waypoint)
[  1.00]  WAYPOINT 1 - Keep straight when woods road goes left
[  1.10]  WAYPOINT 2 - Veer left when a woods road comes in from the right then rock hop creek
[  1.15]  An ATV path bypasses a blowdown to the left
[  1.20]  WAYPOINT 3 - Keep left at fork
[  1.70]  WAYPOINT 4 - Keep left at fork
[  2.00]  WAYPOINT 5 - Turn right at T-intersection
[  2.50]  WAYPOINT 6 - Rock hop over creek then turn right at T-intersection
[  3.10]  WAYPOINT 7 - Turn left at intersection (right will be return route)
[  3.20]  WAYPOINT 8 - Keep straight when woods road goes right; in a few steps...
             WAYPOINT 9 - Go either left or right here to try to get views of Mud Pond then return
[  4.40]  Back at WAYPOINT 9 turn left then at WAYPOINT 8 turn left
[  4.50]  Turn left at WAYPOINT 7
[  4.60]  WAYPOINT 10 - Rock hop creek then stay on woods road when path marked with white paint splotches goes left
[  6.00]  WAYPOINT 11 - Left at 4-way intersection for views of Silver Lake
[  6.10]  Retrace where trail is flooded out
[  6.20]  Back at WAYPOINT 11 at 4-way intersection turn left; multiple side trails to lake views
[  6.75]  Keep straight when woods road goes right
[  6.85]  Back at parking; continue around lake to dam and path around lake; retrace back to parking
[  7.00]  Back at parking