DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.979776, -75.141934
GPS Coordinates 40.979776, -75.141934
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| Lenape Lake Parking - Note that parking has changed from years past. There is now a one-way entrance and one-way exit and there is no longer ANY parking allowed along the road (thank goodness - that was a hot mess the last time I was here). So if you don't get here early enough to get a place to park in this lot or the smaller second lot, you don't hike. |
TRAIL MAP:
NY/NJ Trail Conference - Kittatinny Trails Map #120
HIKE DISTANCE: 8.1 miles
THE HIKE:
I had hiked the traditional Mt. Minsi loop going up the Appalachian Trail and down the fire road and I had hiked Mountain Road separately so I knew the two could be linked to form a loop so this hike combines those into a quieter loop that avoids the crowds that Mt. Minsi draws. But you still have to get there early enough to nab a parking space.
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| Starting on the Appalachian Trail from the parking lot. |
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| Lake Lenape - The drive in was clear blue skies but the Delaware Water Gap was under a cloud so it was very foggy early on. |
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| The AT goes left, right is the fire road where people usually return but we won't be doing that. |
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| Rhododendron just starting to bloom. |
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| This is an overlook. You'll just have to trust me on that. |
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| This little guy was in the middle of the trail ... |
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| ... so I moved him off to the side. |
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| The sun! Looks like we are coming up out of that cloud. |
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| Brodie, the bigger person, packing out litter. |
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| And yes, up out of that cloud just in time to see ... |
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| ... the view of Mt. Tammany. |
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| Delaware River from the next overlook. |
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| Continuing on the Appalachian Trail as a smooth woods road. |
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| A short trail to the left leads to more views. |
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| I didn't know it at the time since it was a last minute decision at the end of this hike, but we would be walking across that first pedestrian bridge later on. The second bridge is Route 611. |
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| The AT leaves the woods road as a foot path to the left. |
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| Gas pipeline views. |
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| Back into the woods on the AT ... |
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| ... the right on a gravel road when the AT crosses over. |
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| This gravel road leads all the way down ... |
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| ... past the small Tott's Gap Road parking lot. |
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| We continued on Tott's Gap Road past two gated woods roads on the right. A little while after this boundary marker ... |
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| ... right on Mountain Road. |
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| There are lots of puddles full of tadpoles to navigate around. |
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| Honeysuckle |
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| This pond was our break spot. |
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| I sat taking pictures of this Eastern Phoebe ... |
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| ... then this dragonfly skimming the surface of the pond for lunch when all of a sudden that Eastern Phoebe swooped down and that dragonfly became lunch :( |
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| Wood Thrush |
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| After the gate we turned right at a yellow gate ... |
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| ... then left and crossed over on the dam. |
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| Working our way back to the parking lot. |
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| This is the second, smaller lot. |
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| The larger lot where we parked was packed and many cars were circling looking for a spot. This was at noon on a weekday. |
