Pequannock Watershed, NJ - Clinton Reservoir Loop

 

ABOUT THE PARK:
Pequannock Watershed - City of Newark
Highlands Trail Guide - NYNJ Trail Conference
PERMIT REQUIRED FOR HIKING IN THE PEQUANNOCK WATERSHED. 
See THIS hike for permit details.

This hike can only be done on Sundays from October 1 - December 31.

DIRECTIONS:  

GPS Coordinates 41.097515, -74.442420

P3 parking lot off of Clinton Road.

 

There is most definitely a permit required to hike here.  At the end of this hike there was another car parked next to mine without a parking permit decal.  He got a big fat ticket on his windshield.  I did not.

TRAIL MAP:  
North Jersey Trails Map 116 - NYNJ Trail Conference

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HIKE DISTANCE:  9.75 miles

THE HIKE: 

With a couple of miles of road walking it is possible to hike a loop around Clinton Reservoir.  I wanted to get the road walking part out of the way early while there was little traffic.  

We walked out of the parking lot and turned right on Clinton Road.

Clinton Reservoir from Clinton Road at 7:30 AM.  It was 32 degrees and there was frost on the ground.

A little detour through boat launch parking ...

... for another view of Clinton Reservoir.

With the beautiful fall colors and very little traffic this early, the road walk wasn't bad at all.

At just under 1 mile, a left at P2 parking to the yellow trail.

A short distance in, right on blue.

Right on red/white.

Left on blue/white.

Where blue/white turns left at Hanks Pond, right on an unmarked woods road.

Hanks Pond

Walking away from Hanks Pond after taking the picture, my legs suddenly would not move.  Turns out I had walked into fishing line.  I untangled myself then traced the line all the way to where it was hung up and freed that and packed the whole wad out.  Shame on whoever left this!

Right on white.

At the end of white, right on Van Orden Road a few steps ...

... then left on Clinton Road.

Clinton Reservoir from the dam.

Balloon #54 of the year.

Back on Clinton Road for a bit.

Balloon #55 of the year.  That makes 16 balloons packed out of the Pequannock Watershed this year.

We would be turning right on Schoolhouse Cove Road but first a few steps farther ...

... to historic Clinton Furnace on the left.  It's posted so you can't go to it but it's visible from the road.

On Schoolhouse Cove Road with Clinton Road down below on the left.

Can't tell who this is.

Lots of Clinton Reservoir views along the way.

Schoolhouse Cove Road

The first of the Dark-eyed Juncos have arrived from Canada to spend the winter here.  This huge flock was well rested from their travels because it was almost impossible to get a picture of one they were darting around so fast.

We turned right at P9 parking ...

... on to the yellow trail.  That paint was still wet and I know this because I passed the trail maintainers who were refreshing the blazes. 

The Highlands Trail joins in from the left.

Just past this huge boulder ...

... is a path to a rock jutting out into the reservoir where we had taken a break when we were here earlier in the summer.

It's a fine break spot.

If this white trail still existed between Clinton Reservoir and Buckabear Pond it would make for a shorter loop but that trail has been defunct for years because it flooded out.  But that's OK because I needed to keep going anyway to capture a mile section of the Highlands Trail that I still had not hiked before.

Buckabear Pond

When the trail crossed a woods road, I decided to take that woods road steeply downhill to Buckabear Pond for a look but ...

... that spot was already occupied by illegal ATV riders.  We immediately turned back to the trail.

At the overlook which was out turnaround point from when we hiked this part previously.  The next mile would be that mile I had not hiked before.

This Dark-eyed Junco must have just arrived from Canada because he looks a little disheveled and sat still for a long time for pictures.

This is supposed to be prime rattlesnake habitat so I kept a close eye out for them but did not see any.

Hermit Thrush

Taking another break in the warm sunshine.

Where yellow leaves to the left, we turned right staying with the Highlands Trail.

I suddenly noticed white had joined in and I had wanted to turn right on white.  I had just passed it so we backtracked a few steps.

This section of white trail has not been maintained in a long time.  It is becoming overgrown and there are several blow downs to navigate.  There are some old Highlands Trial blazes here and there from when the Highlands Trail used to follow this route.  It was relocated after that section flooded out between Clinton Reservoir and Huckabear Pond.

Views of Clinton Reservoir from the white trail.

Left on red.

The red trail descends down to Clinton Reservoir level at the parking lot.