Kittatinny Valley State Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Kittatinny Valley State Park - NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Although this park allows hunting, hunting is not permitted between Goodale and Limecrest Roads (everything in green on the trail map which includes more than half of the park and most of the hiking trails) making this a good choice for hiking during hunting season.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates for Sussex Trail parking off Route 206: 40.999665, -74.747051

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I like parking at the Sussex Branch Trail off Route 206 at the very southern tip of the park because it cuts a few miles off of the drive and allows me to do a loop hike without passing by my car.  This parking lot is not shown on the map.

TRAIL MAP:
Kittatinny Valley State Park Map - NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Kittatinny Valley State Park, NJ at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE: 6.1 miles

THE HIKE:

Start on the Sussex Branch Trail at the parking lot.

Turn right at the second trail which is blazed orange but not shown as an orange trail on the map.

White's Pond

Yellow-blazed park road.

Coming up on Lake Aeroflex and Aeroflex Airport

We hiked here in the summer about 5 or 6 years ago and sat on the bench watching airplanes take off and land.  No air traffic today and too cold to sit.

Turn left towards Lake Aeroflex ...

... to the post with the white blaze - this is where the white trail along the lake begins.

Lake Aeroflex and the "But why can't I go in the water?" look.

She is sizing up that wall and has already decided she is not attempting that jump.  No worries, a trail goes around to the left.

Looking back at the dock.

On the white-on-black trail.

Somebody wants a snack.

Meeting back up with the white trail which now runs parallel to Goodale Road from higher up.

Coming up on one of the parking lots just off of Goodale Road.

For as many cars as there were, everyone was walking on the park roads.  I did not run into another person on the trails during the entire hike.

Cross the parking field, turn left at the woods, then right on the ...

... red trail.

This red-bellied woodpecker was hamming it up for the camera.  This is only about half of the shots of got of him.

The tufted titmouse allowed me one shot and this was it.

Back on the blue trail but not the same part we did before.

Then to a different red trail.

The Sussex Branch Trail ...

... back to the parking lot.

Way across a field, a turkey vulture sunning himself.

Here is Shawnee in motion, about 3 months shy of turning 14 with slow spreading cancer, a partial cruciate ligament tear/arthritis in her right knee, arthritis in her spine, 5 weeks after being completely incapacitated with vestibular disease, and at the end of a 6-mile hike.   Pretty darned good for an old girl!

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Sussex Branch Trail north to second right on orange; keep right on unmarked at intersection
[  0.50]  Right on blue at White's Pond
[  1.00]  Right on yellow-blazed park road; continue on gravel then paved road towards lake/airport
[  1.35]  Left across grass before lake towards beginning of white trail (white blaze on post before bench)
[  2.70]  Left on unmarked at letters C and A on yellow/red markers with arrows on tree
[  2.75]  Right on white on black
[  3.25]  Left on white
[  3.80]  Cross parking lot and park entrance road veering to the right, cross parking field towards "Authorized Vehicles Only" sign; continue straight
[  3.90]  At the woods turn left on woods road briefly, then right on red-blazed foot path into woods
[  4.60]  Right on blue
[  5.00]  Left on yellow-blazed park road briefly then right on red
[  5.95]  Left on orange
[  6.00]  Left on Sussex Branch Trail
[  6.10]  Back at parking

Watchung Reservation, NJ - Yellow/Orange/Red Trails

ABOUT THE PARK:
Watchung Reservation - Union County, NJ

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates  40.683070, -74.372946

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TRAIL MAP:  
Watchung Reservation Trail Map - County of Union, NJ
Watchung Reservation - Yellow/Orange/Red Trails at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE: 3.75 miles

THE HIKE:
It was 62 degrees today on December 1 so of course, we had to hike again.  After yesterday's successful hike of 1.9 miles, we cranked it up to 3.75 miles and Shawnee handled that beautifully, too.  She is getting an adjustment at the chiropractor tomorrow so hopefully that will fix her occasional wobble and stiff-legged Frankenstein gait that happens every so often.  Other than that, she kept up fine and could have kept going.  She can go more the next time.

From the parking lot look for the white blazes of the Sierra Trail, follow them to the right along New Providence Road for a short distance, then turn left on to the trails.

It seems to always be muddy in this area but with snow melt, it was a soupy mess.

She just can't get enough sniffing.

At one point Shawnee was sniffing and she started acting differently like she wanted me to come look.  She was trying to show me this injured mouse.  I think we probably startled a fox that was in the process of procuring breakfast.  As much as I wanted to snatch the mouse up, take him with me and make him better, he was too severely injured so I felt the best thing was be to leave him there. 

Still catching up on reading her pee-mail.

This hike was actually long enough to stop for a drink.

Nearing Surprise Lake there was a section of nasty, muddy construction.

Coming up on Surprise Lake which looks surprisingly empty.

This Great Blue Heron stood crooked like this for a very long time.

He may have been watching that construction.  Looks like the old dam is being torn down.

Drained Surprise Lake

Up ahead on the trail along Surprise Lake, blue jays and a cardinal were bathing in a mud puddle.

The blue jays took off and a few other birds joined in.

Leaving Lake Surprise on an unmarked trail with old, dry pavement.

Looks like an old light fixture.  This was probably a paved, lit trail in the olden days.

The Loop

The red-blazed Hill Top Swamp Trail was the driest trail we were on!