Stockton University Trails, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Stockton Completes Community Trail Project (from 2009) - Stockton.edu
Ecological Campus Trail Guide (from 2009) - Stockton.edu

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.48618, -73.55715

Parking lot off of Pomona Road.

TRAIL MAP:
Stockton University Mountain Bike Trails - Trailforks (this map is not all that useful but...)
Most definitely download the free Trailforks app and NJ region to your phone.  It's the same map, link above, but you can set your phone to record your track so it's easy to get from section to section where no trail is shown on the map and to know which way to go at intersections as the trails are not marked and there are trails other than those on the map.

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HIKE DISTANCE:  8.8 miles

THE HIKE:

We started through the break in the fence between the trash cans ...

... and across the field to the left corner ...

... where a trail crosses over.  We turned left.  Our return route would be from the right.

When the trail came out at an athletic field, the post indicated to turn right so we walked the perimeter of the field to the other side.

A good place to hike during hunting season.

Going behind tennis courts.

Through campus housing....

... to a trail ...

... coming up on the east side of Lake Fred.

Lake Fred

At this trail post, left ...

... over the bridge.

Then right keeping to the perimeter of the lake.

Coming up on a beach area.

Brodie found our first balloon of the year.  The sun was in my eyes and I would not have seen it had I not looked to see what he was sniffing.

The path comes out on a concrete walk where we turned right.

Crossing over the dam.

This side of Lake Fred is frozen.

At the gazebo we turned left ...

... then right on the college entrance drive a short distance, then left.

Things were pretty icky  here but a little farther along ...

... a path to the right ...

... to Lake Pam.

Going around the perimeter of Lake Pam, just before the Garden State Parkway, a path to the left ...

... with nice views of Lake Pam from atop a bluff.

At the other side of Lake Pan at the Garden State Parkway, a right ...

... in the power cut running along the parkway.

Being this close to the parkway wasn't so bad since traffic was very light.

Balloon #2 of the year.  I found this one.

Leaving the power cut to the right at the fork.

We left the main trail to the right at these concrete barriers.

We were on The Path to Nowhere.

Brodie seems to have a knack for finding pieces of clothing.  He had picked this up in his mouth but I yelled thinking it was something dead at first and he dropped it then I realized it was just a hat. 

Brodie used to not know what to do at blow downs.  Now he vaults on over like a pro.

At the main college drive, we crossed over and followed a path running parallel to the road.

Right into the arboretum.

I wanted the green squiggly trail, not the purple, wider straight trail but needed the app to find it because it wasn't easily visible.

But it was there and became easier to follow.

The paths start getting wider.

And balloon number 3 for the year.

Just before arriving back at the car I started seeing all kinds of posts but I never saw enough of them to make complete 5, 6 and 8K loops so if they existed at one time, there must be a lot missing now.

Back at that field by the parking lot coming in from the opposite side.

Cheesequake State Park, NJ - Yellow and Blue Short Loop

ABOUT THE PARK:
Cheesequake State Park - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
This park charges an entrance fee between Memorial Day and Labor Day

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.436661, -74.265326

The parking lot almost empty at noon - unheard of!  Not too many people braved the cold.

 
TRAIL MAP:
Cheesequake State Park Trail Map - NJ Department of Environmental Protection

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HIKE DISTANCE:  2.6 miles

THE HIKE:
This was the third weekend in a row of single-digit feel like temperatures but Brodie and I could take it no more so we bundled up and headed to the state park closest to us for a short hike. Plus I had been breaking in a new pair of winter hiking boots that are supposed to keep your toes warm. That is the one thing that drives me nuts hiking in this awful cold - frozen toes.

Starting at the trail head.

I always hand a right on yellow at the fork and return from the left.

If people were more responsible with their dogs this would not happen and I always see irresponsible people letting their dogs run amok.  So frustrating.

At the bottom of these steps ...

... I leeve the yellow trail and take an unmarked path around the perimeter of the lake.

A patch of snow that survived the 60 degree weather on Friday before the arctic cold front come back.

Northern Flicker

Cutting through along the beach over to ...

... the Crabbing Bridge.

It was darned cold out here in the open.

It was, literally, as cold as this looks.

Some more unmarked trail to the left after Crabbing Bridge.

This unmarked trail, pretty easy to follow, leads right into the blue trail where we turned left.

This was all knocked out from Hurricane Sandy and I could never continue on since the boardwalk was destroyed.  But it's been a few years since I was here and it's all fixed and passable now.

Sometimes Brodie is a lot like Shawnee - forget those steps if we can.

Merging in with red and green before the interpretive center.

Bird houses at the interpretive center.

A little bit of an unfrozen cascade.  How is that possible in this cold?

And the final picture, almost at the end, before the battery in the camera completely died.  This was a spur of the moment hike so nothing had been charged up.

As far as these new winter hiking boots - and I know you are all wondering because who likes frozen toes?  I could not believe how warm my feet stayed in these boots and they were comfortable, too.  They were a little bulky and I tripped on roots a few times so had to be conscious of that.

I ordered them from Cabela's since they were $99.88 and the rest of the world sells them for $149.99.  I am not a big fan of Merrell but I have to say, these boots are great.  No more frozen toes.  I had read in reviews to order a half size up to accommodate thicker winter socks, which I did and which was definitely the right thing to do. 

2017 Review

The Hikes of 2017:

A total of 48 balloons packed out of the woods: