Rancocas State Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Rancocas State Park Trail Guide - Burlington County Parks
NOTE:  There is the Rancocas Nature Center on the northern side of North Branch Rancocas Creek that does not connect to this hike and does not allow dogs.  The trails on this side of Rancocas Creek allows dogs.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.99224, -74.83433

This is the parking lot at the end of Deacon Road but saplings, posts and blow downs and heavy leaf drop make it difficult to figure out exactly where to park without blocking the gate and without getting hung up on something.

I parked off of the side of the road near the park sign instead.

TRAIL MAP:
Rancocas State Park Trail Guide - Burlington County Parks

HIKE DISTANCE: 6 miles

THE HIKE:

We went left at the blue blaze to follow the 3.2 mile blue loop with some detours.

I couldn't figure out why these markers started with .25 mile but it soon became obvious.

In .25 mile a parking area that is not on the map ...

... the blue trail trail head when you come out on to the park service road ...

... and a kiosk.  So to reach this you would drive to the end of Rancocas Avenue.

And the mile marker on the gravel service road would be the end.

Continuing on the gravel service road.

The blue trail leaves the service road at the gate,

We then turned left on orange to do the orange loop.

South Branch Rancocas Creek

Back on blue after finishing the orange loop.

South Branch Rancocas Creek

At another parking lot which would be at the end of the gravel access road, had for the barrier with the faded blue blaze so continue.

Cabin ruins.

This part of the blue trail is very pretty as it follows along Rancocas Creek.

These sign posts indicate unmarked connector trails.  So this one means the unmarked trail takes you to the yellow trail.

New Jersey Turnpike across the way.

There is a lot of traffic noise from the turnpike.

On the red trail.

Red Oak                                                      Black Oak                                                White Oak

Another helium balloon.  I swear I find one on almost every hike.  I could reach this one so I packed it out.

The defaced a tree and what do you want to bet they aren't even together any more?

From red we took green, which turned out to be an interesting trail.

Shawnee even took the lead for a while which she doesn't do often any more.

Back on blue I found a dog collar with a phone number and called to let them know I found the collar.  Their dog had lost its collar but fortunately the dog was not lost.

Back at the car ...

... I put the collar at the agreed upon spot for the owner to pick it up, which she did and then Kally sent me a thank you text :)

Schick Reserve, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Schick Reserve - Hunterdon County Parks

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.5998, -75.07085

Huge parking lot on Little York-Mt. Pleasant Road to accommodate horse trailers.

TRAIL MAP:
Schick Reserve Trail Map - Hunterdon County Parks

HIKE DISTANCE:  5.9 miles

THE HIKE:

There really aren't any trails or defined paths in the field area.

You just continue along the perimeter of the fields.

It's kind of tough going this time of year with cut off stalks sticking up everywhere, even along the sides.  That is frost on the field.  It was 30 degrees at 7 AM.

Sometimes there is a softer grassy area.

Crossing Schiff Road.

Turn left and follow the edge of the field parallel to the road.

This little downy woodpecker landed right above my head and sat there nicely while I took pictures.

Frozen Fields

In order to make a loop and not keep going in endless circles around fields, we cut through the hedgerows as others apparently had before us.

Hawks everywhere on this hike.

Shawnee has been more stiff lately and tiring faster so she started acupuncture.  It seems to agree with her.  She was feeling particularly good on this hike.

The first creek crossing.  Don't trust the rocks that look like stepping stones.  They are not stable at all and thank goodness I wore my waterproof hiking shoes.

When the trail (yes, it is sort of a trail) goes into the woods, a marker.  Just one marker.

After that, especially with the heavy leaf drop, follow the old ribbons.

Coming out on to the next field.

Crossing Schick Road to the second parking lot.

A short grassy woods road from the barn to the next field.

Entering the woods at the second trail marker.

This trail through the woods is easier to follow since it is a woods road.

Second creek crossing.

Entering the fields from the woods road.

A horse farm straight ahead.

There was a path into a field shown on the map without a trail line so we took that...

... to Schick Road and turned left for a short road walk.

Schick Farms

From Shick Road a left back to the fields.  This is more along the lines of what I had been expecting for a trail along the fields.

Happy not to be stepping on those cut off stalks.

The parking lot across the field.

A short walk parallel to the road back to the car just in front of that red building.

Just across the road from the parking lot, fresh eggs!  I don't eat them but Shawnee does and I am always looking for people with chickens selling eggs like this since I won't buy factory farmed eggs in the store.