ABOUT THE PARKS:
Ireland Brook Conservation Area - Middlesex County Parks
Davidson's Mill Pond Park - Middlesex County Parks
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.42131, -74.48314
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| Ireland Brook Conservation Area Parking |
TRAIL MAPS:
Ireland Brook Conservation Area Trail Map - Middlesex County Parks
Farrington Lake Trail Map - Middlesex County Parks
Davidson's Mill Pond Park Trail Map - Middlesex County Parks
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HIKE DISTANCE: 6.4 miles
THE HIKE:
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| From the parking area, continue beyond the gate ... |
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| ... to the kiosk. |
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| We were under time constraints on this hike because rain was moving in for the afternoon although it looked like it was already on the way |
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| A short jog through a gas pipeline cut. |
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| The blue-blazed Forest Brook Trail. |
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| Ireland Brook |
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| Coming up on Riva Avenue ... |
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| ... left over the bridge ... |
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| ... then right just beyond the guardrail on the other side of Riva Avenue to Farrington Lake. That tree straight ahead ... |
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| ... has the orange Farrington Lake Trail end blazes so we turned left to start on the Farrington Lake Trail. |
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| Farrington Lake |
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| American Black Duck |
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| More American Black Ducks |
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| The trail veers left to Riva Avenue where a right comes to ... |
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| ... crossing over Davidson Mill Road. |
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| It's a little bit of a road walk to just about where that car is up ahead ... |
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| ... where the orange trail picks up again to the right. |
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| The trail forks - we kept right and returned left. |
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| At the end of the Farrington Lake Trail cross Riva Avenue ... |
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| ... to Davidson's Mill Pond. |
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| To the left in the grove of evergreens is the park entrance. We worked our way over there ... |
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| ... and turned right on the paved park road. |
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| At the far side of the pond on the left ... |
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| ... left on the yellow Hidden Pond Trail. |
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| This must be Hidden Pond. |
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| Balloon #13 of the year. |
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| Yellow ends at a dirt road which is the white-blazed Farm Road Trail. |
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| We turned left ... |
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| ... went by swamps on the left ... |
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| ... then turned left on the blue-blazed Mill Pond Trail. |
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| A nice spot ... |
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| ... for a break! |
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| At the end of the blue trail ... |
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| ... left on the paved park road almost to the park entrance ... |
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| ... where a Farrington Lake Trail spur starts to the right. |
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| This crosses over Riva Avenue ... |
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| ... and meets up with the upper level of the Farrington Lake Trail. |
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| We merged back on at that fork and now retracing back. |
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| Ring-Necked Ducks |
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| The end of the Farrington Lake Trail. |
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| The short road walk on Riva Avenue ... |
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| ... back to the blue Forest Brook Trail. |
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| Ireland Brook |
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| Just as we were coming up on that kiosk from the beginning of the hike, it started to spritz. |
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| Just as we got in the car ... |
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| ... the real rain arrived much earlier than forecast. We made it just in time. |
