High Mountain Park Preserve, NJ - Eastern Section

ABOUT THE PARK:
High Mountain Park Preserve - The Nature Conservancy
High Mountain Park Preserve - Township of Wayne
High Mountain Park Preserve Offers Escape Into Nature - NorthJersey.com

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.952038, -74.200523

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Nice hiker lot on College Road across the street from William Patterson University.  (Parking used to be in the university lot.)

TRAIL MAP:
High Mountain Trail Map - Township of Wayne
Jersey Highland Trails Map 125 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference

HIKE DISTANCE:  8 miles

THE HIKE:

The red trail starts at the kiosk in the parking lot.

Intersection with the white trail.

The white trail along the golf course.

A little pond off to the left ...

... with some very angry geese, most likely guarding a nest.

An archway of blowdowns.

This blowdown, with it's entire root ball exposed, is in full bloom.

A lot of blowdowns in the white trail/yellow trail intersection area but they have all been sawed through and the trail is clear.

Continuing on yellow to the western views.

Left at the fork around the huge mound for the views.  (The yellow rail continues right downhill.)

View of Point View Reservoir and mountains to the west.

Retrace back on the yellow trail all the way to a residential street.

Turn right and walk a short distance to about half way around the cul-de-sac, then continue on yellow to the right into the woods.

Approaching the view on High Mountain.

Unfortunately, it was pretty hazy on the horizon so it wasn't the best day the New York City view.

Some more views while descending on the yellow trail.

Heading back on red ...

... to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take the red trail at the kiosk
[  0.70]  Straight on red when yellow starts to the right
[  0.75]  Left on white when red continues to the right
[  1.75]  Short side trail on left to pond
[  2.65]  White curves around section of blowdowns and ends at yellow (no blazes at intersection)
[  3.10]  Left at unmarked fork, yellow blazes resume
[  3.55]  Right at fork to view when yellow turns right downhill;  retrace
[  4.05]  Keep right on yellow when a trail goes left
[  4.55]  Straight on yellow when white goes right at unmarked intersection in blowdowns
[  4.70]  Turn right on residential road to half way around cul-de-sac, turn right into woods on trail
[  5.45]  Keep straight on yellow when red crosses over
[  6.40]  View on High Mountain
[  7.40]  Yellow ends, turn left on red
[  8.00]  Back at parking lot

Parvin State Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Parvin State Park - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.511178, -75.131741

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HUGE parking lot (this is only half of it) directly across the street from the park office.

TRAIL MAP:
Parvin State Park Trail Map - mtbnj.com

HIKE DISTANCE:
5.5 miles
Hiked in together with:
Harold N. Peek Preserve - 3.25 miles
Maurice River Bluffs Nature Preserve - 3.25 miles

THE HIKE:

From the parking lot, cross Almond Road on the crosswalk towards ...

... the park office then just before the building, turn right to ...

... the Parvin Lake Trail.

On the Parvin Lake Trail.

The trail passes by the site of a former CCC camp.

At a paved road, the Parvin Lake Trail turns left but continue straight on ...

... Long Trail.

Some short side trails to the left lead to Muddy Run.

Although there are many, many (too many to count) footbridges over swampy areas ...

... the trail is still flooded out in places ...

... and you really have no choice but to plod on through - sometimes in ankle deep muck and mud.  Actually feels kind of nice on a warm day!  (Be sure to bring extra shoes and socks for the drive home.)

A nice bridge over Muddy Run.

Muddy Run from the bridge.

A red-tailed hawk - he only let me get one shot in before he took off,

Some Sandy casualties.

This post is at an intersection, actually looking at it in the opposite direction.  Turn right at the unmarked intersection after this one to continue on a trail.  If you come out on a paved park road, you missed the turn.

More swampy trail.

The lady in the park office did warn me!

So cute I have to show a few pictures of them. 

Park cabins along the Thundergust Lake Trail.

Thundergust Lake

Parvin Lake

Dam at Parvin Lake

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  From parking lot cross Almond Road, proceed straight to park office, turn right just before office on Parvin Lake Trail
[  0.35]  Cross over tiny stone bridge
[  0.50]  Side trail on left to Muddy Run
[  0.80]  Side trail on left to Muddy Run, CCC interpretive sign on right
[  1.05]  Cross paved road, walk through pavilion and continue straight on Long Trail
[  1.10]  Side trail on left to Muddy Run, boardwalks alternate with swampy areas
[  1.25]  Wet area in depression left by giant root ball of uprooted tree
[  1.45]  Keep left at fork
[  1.90]  Bridge over Muddy Run
[  1.95]  Keep right at fork although left is a more defined trail, red marker on plastic post farther along trail
[  2.30]  Trail crosses over
[  3.10]  Cross woods road
[  3.15]  Unmarked trail to the left
[  3.25]  Unmarked trail to the right
[  3.35]  Post with trail blazes on left when trail comes in from right - watch for next intersection
[  3.45]  Turn right at unmarked intersection
[  4.00]  Cross yellow trail at marked intersection; long swampy section of trail
[  4.20]  Veer right at fork on sandy trail
[  4.25]  End of Long Trail, Black Oak Trail to the right, paved park road on left, continue straight on yellow Thundergust Lake Trail
[  4.35]  Turn left just before bridge over Thundergust Brook; keep right at fork
[  4.90]  Just before road, turn left towards park toll building then left on park entrance road a few steps to the 20 mph sign; turn right just after the 20 mph sign then left along Parvin Lake, cross footbridge and continue along perimeter of Parvin Lake
[  5.50]  Back at park office, turn right and cross Almond Road to parking lot