ABOUT THE PARK:
Jefferson Glen Bike Path - Byram Township Trails
Mansfield Bike Path - Byram Township Trails
Mansfield Woods Trail - Byram Township Trails
Sussex Branch Trail - Byram Township Trails
Cat Swamp Connector - Byram Township Trails
Allamuchy Mountain State Park - NJ Division of Environmental Protection
Lubbers Run Preserve - New Jersey Natural Lands Trust
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.92134, -74.73860
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| Parking for the Sussex Branch Trail in Allamuchy Mountain State Park. |
TRAIL MAP:
Jersey Highlands Trail Map 126 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference
Byram Township Trails - Byram Township
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| Trails hiked on the Byram trails map in yellow. |
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HIKE DISTANCE: 11.3 miles
THE HIKE:
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| Shawnee's ashes are back and the key chain urn I ordered arrived so she now has a permanent place on my backpack. |
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| Starting on the Sussex Branch Trail. |
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| A short distance in, first trail on the right ... |
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| ... the Jefferson-Glen Bike Path. |
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| A great blue heron at Jefferson Lake. |
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| After the gate ... |
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| ... the trail continues on a narrow paved road. |
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| Mom, dad and teenagers getting ready to start their day. I'd be seeing them again at the end of the hike. |
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| On the left ... |
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| ... a boat launch ... |
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| ... with views of Jefferson Lake. |
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| This is still the trail continuing along Jefferson Lake. |
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| The trail follows the bike route sign ... |
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| ... leaving the paved road to the right just before the Jeff Lake Camp sign. |
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| Wetlands |
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| The Highlands Trail comes in from the left and will now run together with the Byram Township trails. |
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| Beyond the barrier the Highlands Trail follows a residential road to ... |
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| ... Route 206 across from Shop Rite. |
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| A right on the sidewalk on Route 206 for 1/10th of a mile to the intersection. |
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| Left over the crosswalk then ... |
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| ... about .65 mile of road walk on fairly busy Lackawanna Drive. |
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| Pass Wild West City on the right. |
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| A right turn on to quiet Mansfield Drive that has a sidewalk! Could have used that on Lackawanna Drive. |
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| Neil Gyling Memorial Park on the left, Byram Township Municipal Building on the right ... |
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| ... continue on the bridge over Lubbers Run ... |
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| ... then a left into ... |
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| ... Lubbers Run Preserve. The entire out-and-back on this trail is about 1.3 miles. |
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| It's a very pretty and easy to follow unmarked trail. |
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| At the end where the trail makes a loop before retracing, a balloon in the swamp. I did not think I would be able to get to it but ... |
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| ... I remembered those boot covers I keep tucked away. Balloon confiscated. |
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| Ten steps back towards the trail and there's another. |
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| Heading back there are white arrows painted everywhere. They were not visible going in the other direction. |
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| Before the end, a short trail on the right to Lubbers Run. |
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| Continuing on Mansfield Drive to the left. |
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| Mansfield Drive ends at the elementary and middle schools but on the left ... |
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| ... the Highlands Trail continues on the Mansfield Bike Path. |
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| Just after the bench on the left ... |
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| ... the Mansfield Woods Trail which is blazed. |
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| The trail is really hard to follow around Cowboy Creek. There is no identifiable trail, just the markers. |
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| Heading back I took an unmarked side trail which went straight to ... |
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| ... the bike path at a bridge. |
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| After the next bridge, the trail becomes paved. |
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| Not good for dog paws. |
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| Those arrows again. There are probably woods roads that connect over to Lubbers Run Preserve. |
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| The paved path continues through a power cut ... |
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| ... watched over by a red-tailed hawk. |
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| The trail becomes gravel again ... |
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| ... to my turn around point at Route 605. |
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| Heading back. |
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| Mansfield Drive to left on Lackawanna Drive. |
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| Crossing Route 206 ... |
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| ... left on Higlen Drive ... |
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| ... through the residential neighborhood back to right on the path. |
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| When the bike path leaves to the left, right on the Highlands Trail. |
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| I decided to check out the Cat Swamp Connector Trail and was glad I did as it goes through a pretty area. |
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| Do you see it? This was a distance from the trail. I have no idea how I hone in on these like I do. |
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| Balloon #3 for the day which brings my year to date total to 37. |
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| This connector trail ends behind the Salt Gastro Pub where it is apparently OK to park. |
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| Park here and stop in for a bite to eat afterwards. I saw a tofu burger on their menu for those of us who are so inclined. |
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| Heading back and continuing right on the Highland Trail. |
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| This is a pretty rugged trail and I would probably have been better off starting with this part. |
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| Shortly after crossing over the bridge ... |
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| ... left on the Sussex Branch Trail. |
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| The Highland Trail leaves to the right but I stayed on the Sussex Branch Trail... |
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| ... past Jefferson Lake ... |
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| ... with that swam family from the beginning of the hike ... |
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| ... past where I had started on the bike path ... |
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| ... and back to the parking lot. |
