Bull's Island Recreation Area, NJ with Delaware Canal Towpath, PA

ABOUT THE PARKS:
Bull's Island Recreation Area, NJ - NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, NJ - NJ Department of Environmental Protection
White Oak Trail - Delaware Township, NJ
Delaware Canal State Park, PA - PA DCNR

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.41613, -75.01820

Parking at Zega-Lockatong Preserve on Raven Rock Road

TRAIL MAP:
Bull's Island Recreation Area, NJ - NJ Department of Environmental Protection (shows all of the trails for this hike)
White Oak Trail - Delaware Township, NJ
Delaware Canal State Park, PA - PA DCNR

My GPS went rogue on me - the two tracks at the top right should be one and the same, not far apart like they are.

HIKE DISTANCE:  7.7 miles

THE HIKE:

The hike starts off with a .3 mile road walk on Raven Rock Road.

We would be returning via the footpath straight ahead which is there the White Oak Trail comes out, but for the beginning of this hike, we turned left on Federal Twist Road.

It's .7 mile more of road walking, all downhill.

I had seen a connection on GoogleMaps straight across Route 29 at the end of Federal Twist Road and was concerned it might no longer be there since it wasn't easy to see.

But it is there, a very short path from Route 29 to the D&R Canal Towpath.

Looking from the D&R towpath back across Route 29 at Federal Twist Road.

Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath

After about .5 mile you can see the start of the White Oak Trail across Route 29.  That would be our return route later on.

For now, a short distance ahead to the entrance of Bull's Island Recreation Area where rescue vehicles with boats were entering almost nonstop.  There was no rescuing to be done, more like some sort of water rescue event which turned out to be quite loud and annoying.  I just picked the wrong day.

Heading into Bull's Island Recreation Area.

The canal from the bridge,

Just after the canal bridge, a trail on the left,

It starts out as a wide, smooth woods road along the canal.

It gets rocky after a while.

Between the canal on the left and the Delaware River on the right,

This keeps going between the canal and the river but it is a very steep descent to get there...

... which is not wheelchair-friendly.

Across the Delaware River, a bridge on the PA towpath side where we would be heading next.

Heading back and taking the left fork when the trail splits.

The trail comes out on a paved road which leads to ...

... the boat launch on the left.

A right turn leads to the park road then a left on the park road ...

... to the pedestrian bridge over the Delaware River.

Delaware River looking north.

Delaware River to the south.

After the bridge, a right on River Road for a short distance ...

... then a right over the canal at Lock 12.

We turned right on the path heading south.

Under the pedestrian bridge.

I don't know what kind of training those rescue boats were doing but all they did was go up the river and back, up and back and they were LOUD!

It looks so peaceful and quite but not on this day.

Coming up on that bridge we saw across the river from the natural area trail earlier.

Looking over to where we stood before.

Turning around and heading back north.

Instead of heading back to the pedestrian bridge ...

... we sat at one of the picnic tables and took a break ...

... the continued north for a bit.

That great blue heron apparently does not mind those LOUD and ANNOYING boats.

They are everywhere!

Duck siesta time.

I would think this white one is a domestic escapee given refuge by the wild mallards.  "Make like you are one of us."

Wing Dam

Heading back south.

Could not tell if her wheel was stuck or if she stopped to sniff.  Turned out to be both.

The heron ...

... shaking off water ...

... and taking off.

Back at Lock 12 and ...

... the short River Road road walk.

The pedestrian bridge is much more crowded now than it was earlier.

Crossing back over the canal on the park road.

At Route 29 we turned right to get to the White Oak Trail just a short distance ahead.

There is a wide grassy area so you don't need to walk on the road.

Directly across from the deer sign, the White Oak Trail.

There are a few numbered markers that are referenced on the map but most are missing or overgrown.

The trail is easy enough to follow but it hasn't had any maintenance in a while.

The White Oak Trail comes out on Quarry Road; turn left ...

... then right just after the guardrail.

The White Oak Trail ends at the intersection of Raven Rock Road and Federal Twist Road.  We continued straight on Raven Rock Road.

Back at the parking lot.

Catskill Forest Preserve, NY - Huckleberry Point

ABOUT THE PARK:
Kaaterskill Wild Forest - New York Department of Environmental Conservation

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 42.13383, -74.08197

This was our second hike of the day so by the time we got there, a little after noon, the lot was packed and we had to park along the driveway.

TRAIL MAP:
Northeastern Catskill Trails Map 141 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference

HIKE DISTANCE: 5.25 miles*
* Shawnee and I only hiked about 4 miles
Hiked together with Kaaterskill Rail Trail, about a 9 mile drive away.

THE HIKE:
I had read that this hike was easy with little elevation gain so I figured it would be OK for Shawnee.  It was not.  It was very rugged and had quite a significant amount of elevation gain and after a point I had to wait with Shawnee and let the others finish because it became too much for her.

The trail starts through the gates to the left of the trail register.  There is occasional traffic on this woods road as it leads to residences.

The woods road goes up rather steeply most of the way.

It's very rocky with large pieces of loose rocks.

This would be Hell Hole Brook which would normally be flowing and feeding Devil's Kitchen down below but it was just a stagnant puddle and as we saw on the drive out, the normally raging waterfalls at Devil's Kitchen off of Platte Clove Road were bone dry.

The trail becomes quite rooted after it leaves the rocky woods road.  Not at all dog wheelchair friendly.

We kept thinking that any minute now the trail would become easy.  It only became rockier and more rugged.  So about 2 miles in and about .7 miles from Huckleberry Point, I sent the others on ahead and stayed back with Shawnee.  Her paw had started bleeding because her nails had worn down past the quick from scraping rocks so I sat off the trail with her, cleaned and bandaged her paw and let her nap.  So from this point the camera and GPS were in the hands of Bryan and Caitie.

The trail becomes yet more rugged.  (Photo by Caitie)

(Photo by Caitie)

(Photo by Caitie)

(Photo by Caitie)

(Photo by Caitie)

Huckleberry Point (Photo by Caitie)

Huckleberry Point (Photo by Bryan)

Huckleberry Point (Photo by Caitie)

Huckleberry Point (Photo by Bryan)

Heading back. (Photo by Bryan)

(Photo by Bryan)

(Photo by Bryan)

A little over an hour later and after nice power nap with a bandaged paw, we were all heading back together. (Photo by Bryan)

Bryan kept control of the camera since it was getting in the way every time I had to bend over to help Shawnee, which was just about every step.  (Photo by Bryan)

Caitie was a great help in getting Shawnee through sticky spots and watching that the boot stayed on over her bandage.  (Photo by Bryan)

(Photo by Bryan)

(Photo by Bryan)

(Photo by Bryan)

(Photo by Bryan)

(Photo by Bryan)

That rocky woods road that we thought was challenging for Shawnee in the beginning, piece of cake now! (Photo by Bryan)

Shawnee was able to manage on her own with me just controlling her speed with the leash.  And I was able to take the camera back.

Back at the parking lot, which was now empty since the hike took us so long with Shawnee and everyone else had already finished and left.

It was dark when we returned home with two exhausted dogs.