Silas Condict Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Silas Condict County Park - Morris County Park Commission

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.003815, -74.384120

TRAIL MAP:
Silas Condict Park Trail Map - Morris County Park Commission (does not show the yellow trail)

Kiosk map showing the yellow trail.

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HIKE DISTANCE:  7 miles

THE HIKE:
Dan and Laura Balogh had hiked here on 7/29/18 and mentioned a new yellow trail that was not there when Shawnee and I hiked the white trail on 1/9/12.  So back we went to hike all of the trails.

The white trail starts to the right of the parking lot entrance and service road.

A view of Canty's Lake.

The yellow trail goes left at a bench and kiosk but I decided to stay with white to the other end of yellow then I could take yellow back to this point and decide if I wanted to go back on white or retrace on yellow.

And right at that intersection, balloon #56 of the year.

Continuing on white.

The Cave Tunnel

It's a little tight in there so we went around.

A white-breasted nuthatch overhead.

Views from the white trail.

We turned left at the other end of yellow.

Where white was very rugged with some up and down scrambles, yellow was more rolling hills.

Uphill to ...

... the end of yellow at the white trail where we were before.  My pinched nerve was really acting up so I decided to retrace on the easier yellow trail rather than take the white trail again. 

Heading back.

Back at the other end of yellow, left to continue on white.

New York City Skyline

At the end of white, we went right a short distance to ...

... the new dam with ...

... a view of Canty's Lake.

Just one mallard duck in Canty's Lake.

Heading back the other way (would have been a left coming off of white) along a cove then ...

... across a ball field to red.

Red is a wide gravel path.

A side trail goes up to ...

... what used to be a view but is no more.

Going back to continue on red.

At the parking lot, left through a picnic area to ...

blue, which is also a wide gravel path.

Overlook at the end of blue.

Heading back on blue.

Straight through the picnic area and parking lot and just a short distance to ...

... the lot where we parked.

Just as we got to the car I heard a siren and "HO HO HO" and turned to see Santa on top of a fire truck!  But I didn't get a very good picture. That Santa is too fast.

Hyde Park Trails, NY: Hackett Hill Park

ABOUT THE PARK:
Hyde Park Trails Healthy Walkabout - Hyde Park, NY
Hyde Park Trails Maps and Info
Hyde Park Walkabout Brochure with Maps

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.787213, -73.924851

TRAIL MAP:
Hackett Hill Park Trail Map - Hyde Park, NY

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HIKE DISTANCE:
Hackett Hill Park - 1.6 miles
     hiked together with
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Sites - 10 miles

THE HIKE:
On November 20, 2015 Shawnee and I hiked 5 of the Hyde Park trails and earned a patch.  On November 20, 2017, Brodie and I hiked two of the Hyde Park Walkabout Trails and needed three more to to complete all 10 trails and earn our second patch.  That was our mission on this day.

For such a small park, the trails are incredibly hard to find.  For lack of anything better, we went up the steps from the parking lot towards the recreation office.  I knew we had to hike the perimeter trails (red and green) but where the heck were they?

Just as we got to the top of the steps a park maintenance man pulled in and he directed us across the disc golf course towards the woods parallel to the road.

And there is the trail, but not at all visible from the parking lot.

The trails are quite hilly and rugged.

There are good directional signs at each intersection.

At the end of red, turning left on the green Woodland Trail.

A short side trip on yellow to ...

... Gorilla Rock.  It does indeed look like the head of a gorilla!

Back on green.

Orange joins in for a bit before ...

... we left green for blue which was a bit longer than finishing on green but it follows Crum Elbow Creek so it was more scenic.

It was that cold out - 19 degrees!

Blue ends at a field with the parking lot across the way.

On the way back to the car I noticed a sign for the trails in the parking lot but that would take you to the center of the park not the perimeter trails that we had hiked.

Now just a couple miles of driving to the next hike.