ABOUT THE PARK:
Highlands Trail - NYNJ Trail Conference (scroll down to paragraph that begins "in 0.3 mile" - this hike covers that paragraph and the next)
Norvin Green State Forest - NJ DEP
Pequannock Watershed - City of Newark, NJ
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.04578, -74.35045
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| Otter Hole parking in Norvin Green State Forest. |
TRAIL MAPS:
North Jersey Trails Map #115 and #116 - NY/NJ Trail Conference
HIKE DISTANCE:
7.1 miles (one way)
I had intended to hike about 4 miles then turn around at the Pequannock Watershed boundary since I did not have a permit this year but, well, those plans were foiled so instead of an out-and-back, this hike turned into an out-and-Uber. The Uber ride was only $10. Alternatively, you can spot a car at the Echo Lake Recreation Area (41.04639, -74.41024) if that car has a watershed parking permit.
THE HIKE:
It was going to be too hot for Shawnee so I went on my own and did a more difficult hike.
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| Most parks are open dawn to dusk and I am always there at 7AM and forget the sign says 8AM. Oh well. |
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| The trail starts off of the road, not the parking lot, so it's just a few steps of road walk before turning left into the woods. |
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| On the blue trail. |
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| Pretty soon that nice smooth gravel turns into boulders at the Otter Hole. |
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| Waterfalls at the Otter Hole. |
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| A short distance later, the Highland Trail comes in straight ahead and turns left along with the start of the green Otter Hole Trail. |
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| Off to the left, a balloon in a tree. Was it to high to reach? I had to try. |
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| I could barely touch it with my trekking pole but I was able to pull the branch down and untangle the ribbon. |
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| Voila! Balloon #34 of 2017 |
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| A leopard frog, I believe. |
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| Green leaves to the right and the Highlands Trail continues with yellow to the left. |
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| Raspberries |
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| Blueberries |
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| The trail becomes steeper ... |
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| ... as the views open up. |
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| Female Scarlet Tanager |
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| It was a hazy morning so the New York City skyline was hard to see in the distance. |
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| On to the next view. |
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| This indigo bunting was perched ... |
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| ... way up on top with views all around. |
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| Continuing on. |
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| The Highlands Trail turns left leaving yellow. |
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| The Highlands Trail turns right on ... |
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| ... Otter Hole Road. |
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| Gordon Lakes |
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| Left on Crescent. |
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| This is all quiet residential roads where Otter Hole Road was busy with speeding traffic. |
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| At the end of Algonquin Way, the trail enters the woods straight ahead. |
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| At this point I was probably on Pequannock Watershed property where a hiking permit is required but I did not see any signs so figured I'd go to Macopin Road or until I saw a sign, whichever came first. |
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| Macopin Road came first so this was my turn around point. Or so I thought. |
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| Heading back when ... |
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| ... a short distance in I came up on a bend and almost ran smack into a bear on the trail. It was too close to even take a second to snap a picture. The bear stopped and did not take off so I had to back away. There would be no getting back to my car this way. I knew that if I stayed on the Highlands Trail I would reach Echo Lake and the watershed office in about another 3 miles so figured I would continue on and stop in the office to buy the hiking permit and figure out a ride back to my car from there. The alternative was to road walk and they way cars zoom by on these roads that was a very unappealing thought. |
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| So turning right briefly on Macopin Road and crossing over to the continuation of the Highlands Trail. |
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| At Echo Lake the Highlands Trail turns left joining the white Echo Lake East Trail. |
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| Echo Lake |
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| Echo Lake residents. |
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| The Highland Trail turns right on Echo Lake Road at the end of the lake. |
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| Then right to the watershed office parking lot. |
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| There is the office where one would purchase a hiking permit. |
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| If it were open. I tried to do the right thing by going in and buying one since I had hiked on watershed land. |
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| It was 11:30 when I was there and the office was not open. |
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| For penance I picked up litter in the parking lot while waiting for my Uber ride. |
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| Nice young man named Thomas got me back to my car at the Otter Hole parking lot. |
