Garret Mountain Reservation, NJ and Paterson Great Falls

ABOUT THE PARKS:
Garret Mountain Reservation - Passaic County Parks
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park - National Park Service
Morris Canal Greenway Project - Passaic County Parks

DIRECTIONS:
GPS coordinates for parking at Lambert Castle: 40.900877, -74.173313
My GPS had trouble with the coordinates and took me through the park which is not correct - this parking lot is not accessible from the park.  The New York New Jersey Trail Conference page gives written driving directions.

View Larger Map

Park in the upper lot on the right.  The Morris Canal Greenway Trail starts from the end near the porta-potty.

TRAIL MAP:
Garret Mountain Reservation Map - New York New Jersey Trail Conference (free map)
Morris Canal Greenway - County of Passaic

Great Falls Map - .7 mile street walk from Garret Mountain Reservation

HIKE DISTANCE:
Without Passaic Great Falls - 6.3 miles
With hiking to Passaic Great Falls - 8.2 miles

THE HIKE:

The welcoming committee near the parking lot.

Shawnee doesn't chase wildlife.  Oh, she wants to, but it is not allowed and she respects that.

The Morris Canal Greenway (shown as yellow on map) starts from the parking lot behind Lambert's Castle and ascends to the observation tower.

Going up on old steps.

Looking back at Lambert Castle from higher up.

The observation tower at the top.

The Morris Canal Greenway joins in with the yellow trail.

An unmarked side trail leads...

... to ...

... views of Paterson.

Back on the yellow trail/Morris Canal Greenway, more views at a parking area as the yellow trail leaves to the left and the Morris Canal Greenway begins to follow the white trail.

In a ravine, white leaves to the left when the Morris Canal Greenway continues to the right.  This is not on the map so I followed in hopes it would lead to Patterson Great Falls...

The Morris Canal Greenway ended at this sign on Caldwell Avenue.  Not knowing if I could actually get to Great Falls from this point, I retraced back to the white trail.  It wasn't until I got home and found the Morris Canal Greenway map that I realized I could have turned right on Caldwell Avenue, right on New Street which crosses over I-80, left on Grand for 1 block, right on Hoxey for 1 block, right on Mc Bride.  At intersection where Wayne Avenue goes left and McBride turns right, cross straight over McBride to the pedestrian walk over the Passaic River to the falls.  According to Google Earth, this would be .7 miles from where the Morris Canal Greenway ended at Caldwell Avenue.  Another .5 mile to circle around for full views of the falls then .7 miles back to pick up the Morris Canal Greenway back to the white trail.

Assuming that when I was there I knew how to get to Great Falls, that is what I would have done instead of driving afterwards, so I will insert Great Falls here.

The spray coming off of the falls.

Looking back at the pedestrian bridge with the communication tower at Garret Mountain behind the bridge.

The communication tower on Garret Mountain from Great Falls - yes, that is how close it is!

Crossing the pedestrian bridge.

View from the pedestrian bridge.

Back at Garret Mountain Reservation, meeting back up with the yellow trail...

... that leads to ...

... Barbour's Pond.

The Canada geese were having a blast splashing around in the pond.

A Bufflehead couple.  Looks like Mr. Bufflehead on the left found himself some breakfast?

Mrs. Mallard

Mr. Mallard

Looking back at Barbour's Pond.

Horses on the white trail.

"The Rocks"

The communications tower seen from Great Falls.

Picnic spots with views.

Benson Memorial

Crossing Overlook Meadow.

A Dark-eyed Junco

Coming around behind the stables.

Back to more views after the stables.

Lots of air traffic overhead - no doubt flights to and from all 3 airports!

New York City skyline.

The observation tower.

Back down to Lambert Castle.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  From Lambert Castle parking lot take Morris Canal Greenway trail up to top of mountain
[  0.15]  At the top with the observation tower on the left, turn right on Morris Canal Greenway/yellow trail
[  0.35]  Short side trail on right uphill to views
[  0.55]  Trail turns left, comes out on field, skirts around field to the right
[  0.65]  Turn right on white/Morris Canal Greenway when yellow goes straight
[  1.00]  Right on Morris Canal Greenway when white goes left in ravine
[  1.30]  Morris Canal Greenway ends at Caldwell Avenue - either retrace or...

This is how you would incorporate Paterson Great Falls adding about 1.9 miles:  Turn right on Caldwell Avenue, right on New Street which crosses over I-80, left on Grand for 1 block, right on Hoxey for 1 block, right on Mc Bride.  At intersection where Wayne Avenue goes left and McBride turns right, cross straight over McBride to the pedestrian walk over the Passaic River to the falls.  According to Google Earth, this would be .7 miles from where the Morris Canal Greenway ends at Caldwell Avenue.  Another .5 mile to circle around for full views of the falls then .7 miles back to pick up the Morris Canal Greenway at Caldwell Avenue back to the white trail.

[  1.60]  Back at the ravine, turn right on white when Morris Canal Greenway goes left
[  1.75]  Turn right on yellow when white goes straight and yellow comes in from the left
[  2.00]  Cross paved park road, veer right to break in guardrail with yellow blaze
[  2.10]  Barbour's Pond
[  2.40]  Keep left on yellow at fork
[  2.55]  Yellow leaves paved path to the left behind shelter
[  2.75]  Abandoned picnic areas on left
[  2.90]  Cross paved road on gravel path then keep straight on white when yellow turns right
[  3.50]  At T-intersection when white goes left, turn right on unmarked to The Rocks
[  3.60]  Turn left on unmarked at intersection, The Rock on the left
[  3.70]  Turn left on unmarked at intersection, The Rock on the left (straight ends in Overlook Meadow, will be returning that way)
[  3.75]  Keep straight on white when white comes in from the left
[  3.90]  Cross paved park road
[  4.00]  Turn right on yellow when white goes straight
[  4.30]  Cross parking lot at communications tower
[  4.40]  At Benson Memorial (tank) turn right and cross paved park road, continue across Overlook Meadow with picnic shelter on left
[  4.55]  Continue on woods road at the other side of Overlook Meadow
[  4.60]  Back at the intersection at The Rocks, keep straight on unmarked
[  4.70]  Turn left at T-Intersection on unmarked
[  4.80]  With observation tower straight ahead, turn right on paved path and continue right along parking lot; continue on unmarked path parallel to park road
[  5.30]  Turn left on yellow, cross paved park road, continue on yellow around stables
[  6.00]  Observation tower
[  6.15]  Turn right on Morris Canal Greenway and descend to parking lot
[  6.30]  Back at parking lot

Green Lane Park, PA - Hill Road Day Use to Knight Road

ABOUT THE PARK:
Green Lane Park - Montgomery County, PA

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.348672, -75.490844

View Larger Map

Parking Lot at the Hill Road Day Use Area Boat Launch

TRAIL MAP:
Green Lane Park Brochure - Montgomery County, PA (not all of the trails hiked are shown on the map)

HIKE DISTANCE:  10.2 miles

THE HIKE:

With your back to the reservoir, head to the far right corner of the parking lot to pick up the white-blazed trail.

The blue-blazed trail joins in, then...

... white leaves to the right just before a bridge and loops around to blue on the other side of the bridge.

The white loop crosses Helen's Ravine...

... and Hillside Ravine.

Back on the blue trail, a Great Blue Heron watches some mallards swim by on the other side of the reservoir.

Well, Sandy can't take full blame for this one.

Winter Wren

There are a lot of rock hops over creeks that flow into the reservoir.

I truly hate balloons mostly because I find so many of them in the woods.  I would have packed these out (popped, of course) but is was too steep to reach them.

The bridge crossing coming up later in the hike.

Not a very clear picture but maybe a red-tailed hawk?

Coming up on the bridge over the reservoir.

There is a dedicated multi use lane separated from the road by a fence.

Borneman Family Cemetery at end of the bridge.  This link has the information from the sign transcribed.

The red-blazed trail winds around the opposite side of the reservoir.

The red-tailed hawk from earlier?  Would be about the right place.

A crow.

At a the large white building (a park maintenance building) turn left...

... and follow paved Knight Road very briefly...

... then cross at the crosswalk by the parking lot at the end of the bridge for a whole network of trails on the other side that aren't on the map.

There is a named trail...

... and numbered intersections but no map.

The Dogwood Trail was very interesting.

Two Common Loons seen while crossing back over the bridge.

Back on the other side of the bridge, one flock after another of birds flying over.

Back on the blue trail along the reservoir.

What a find in mid-December!

Almost at the end in one of the coves, this little female Belted Kingfisher sat perfectly still while I circled the cove and got pictures from all sides.

 

Green Lane Reservoir

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  With your back to the lake, turn right and go to the far right corner of the parking lot at the information board to pick up the white trail (shown as blue on map but it is white leaving the parking lot)
[  0.05]  Blue joins in from the left - now on white/blue
[  0.10]  Keep straight on white/blue when unmarked goes left
[  0.20]  Cross small split rail bridge
[  0.30]  Turn left on white Whitetail Trail as it leaves blue just before the second split rail bridge
[  0.50]  Cross Helen's Ravine to the right when a blue trail (not on map) goes left; #15 on post
[  0.65]  Trail turns right at arrow then left to cross Hillside Ravine
[  0.80]  Turn left on blue when white ends at the other side of the split rail bridge
[  1.20]  Rock hop creek
[  1.30]  Blue turns left on woods road at posts with bolts briefly, watch for trail to leave to the right downhill (not marked) to rock hop creek
[  1.50]  Two rock hops over creeks close together in cove
[  1.55]  At 1.0 marker on right, turn left on unmarked trail when blue continues straight
[  1.60]  Possibly Rock Falls on left at T-intersection (mentioned in "60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Philadelphia" but not on map)?  Turn right following horse trail sign
[  1.75]  Trail veers right onto wider woods road briefly before narrowing and entering pine forest
[  1.90]  At Y-intersection, keep left
[  2.00]  Turn left back on original blue-blazed trail and rock hop creek
[  2.30]  Blue trail turns left on wider gravel road along cove; keep right on blue at fork
[  2.45]  Keep right on blue when unmarked goes left
[  3.20]  Turn right at parking lot to cross bridge; blue ends, red-blazed trail begins
[  3.60]  End of bridge, Borneman memorial, coming up on parking lot
[  3.70]  Continue through parking lot and turn right on red trail (note pedestrian crossing over Knight Road which is where the loop will return to for trails on other side of road)
[  4.75]  Turn left at white park maintenance building when red turns right and walk along paved Knight Road
[  4.85]  Turn right at crosswalk seen earlier from parking lot, cross road and continue uphill on unmarked trail
[  5.05]  Turn right at top of hill, then keep right at intersection with woods road
[  5.10]  Trail post with #25 on left
[  5.20]  Turn left on Dogwood Trail at post #41
[  5.30]  Stay on Dogwood Trail as it crosses one woods road then veers right on the second woods road
[  5.35]  Keep left at woods road intersection
[  5.45]  Right after horse hurdle the Dogwood Trail veers left leaving woods road and reentering woods
[  5.65]  Turn right at T-intersection
[  5.75]  Continue past double woods road
[  6.00]  Keep straight at post #28
[  6.10]  Keep straight at posts #29 and #30, turn right at post #38
[  6.30]  Keep straight at double woods roads
[  6.35]  Turn right on Dogwood Trail (more interesting to repeat than keeping straight on woods road)
[  6.45]  Stay on Dogwood Trail as it crosses one woods road then veers right on the second woods road
[  6.50]  Keep left at woods road intersection
[  6.55]  Right after horse hurdle the Dogwood Trail veers left leaving woods road and reentering woods
[  6.75]  Turn left at T-intersection (had turned right her previously); short distance ahead short side trail downhill to right to overlook of reservoir
[  6.80]  Keep right at fork
[  6.95]  Cross road at pedestrian crossing, turn right into parking lot, continue back across bridge
[  7.40]  Red ends, blue-blazed trail begins; sharp left turn in parking lot
[  8.15]  Keep left on blue at intersection when unmarked goes right
[  8.20]  Keep straight on blue when dark blue trail goes right
[  8.65]  At top of steep climb, keep left on blue when unmarked goes right
[  9.05]  Keep straight on blue when unmarked goes right
[  9.35]  Rock hop creek, trail joins woods road briefly at posts with bolts
[  9.90]  Continue across split rail bridge when white comes in from both sides of bridge; now on white/blue
[10.15]  Blue leaves to the right, keep straight on white
[10.20]  Back at parking lot