Chimney Rock Park and Washington Valley Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARKS:
Chimney Rock Park - Bridgewater Township, NJ
Washington Valley Park - Somerset County Parks
Washington Valley Park - JORBA

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates for Chimney Rock Park 40.594427, -74.560607

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Based on the trail map, I parked near the entrance and walked around to the right of the ball fields.  A better way would be to park at the far end and walk along the left side of the ball fields, then turn right for a few steps, then left at the bleachers to the trail into the woods.

TRAIL MAP:
Washington Valley Park Map - Somerset County Parks
Chimney Rock Map - MTBNJ  
Chimney Rock Park and Washington Valley Park, NJ at EveryTrail

HIKE DISTANCE:  6 miles
I did some backtracking thinking two different trails were overgrown and not passable.  When approaching from the other side, overgrown sections were short and all of the trails can be used.

THE HIKE:

Chimney Rock Park Ball Fields

Trail into the woods behind the bleachers at the back of the ball fields near the far end.

Unmarked trail from ball fields.

Planet information signs along the trails.

East Branch Middle Brook

Rock hop over side stream to East Branch Middle Brook just before Gilbride Road,

Just before the guardrail and bridge, the trail to the right is the orange trail but there are no markers until on the trail.

East Branch Middle Brook from the Gilbride Street bridge.

A short distance after crossing the bridge, the trail to the right is the yellow trail but again no markers until on the trail.

Square markers are perimeter trails.

Round markers are interior trails.

Turn right and roceed through the Miller Lane Parking lot when the trail comes out on pavement.  No markers in this area.

Continue through the gate on the paved path.

Combined yellow square/yellow circle on the paved path.

Hawk Watch

View to the left.

Most of the view is the quarry.  It might be quiet on weekends but during the week it's LOUD and STINKY!  The noise and smell does stop after Buttermilk Falls,

Chopping away at Earth

Chimney Rock

Again no markers at the intersection but the yellow square/yellow circle trail leaves the pavement to the left after circling around from Hawk Watch.

Buttermilk Falls at the East Branch Reservoir.

I did not know it until I was on the orange trail on the other side but this can be crossed to connect with orange.  But doing so would cut out one of the prettiest parts of the hike.

Yellow square continues along the reservoir.

The trail becomes quite rugged.

Looking back at the East Branch Reservoir.

On the orange square trail.

On the other side of East Branch Middle Brook.

The other side of the rock hop over East Branch Middle Brook.

Returning to Gilbride Road on the orange trail.  Turn left ...

... then right just after the guardrail in the unmarked trail back to Chimney Rock Park.

Lenape Park to Echo Lake Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Birds of Lenape Park - USGS
Union County Parks - Union County, NJ

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.674338, -74.315034

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If your GPS tells you to turn on County Road then go off road, don't listen to it because you can't get to the parking lot that way.  There is a park entrance with the sign directly off of Kenilworth Boulevard.

TRAIL MAP:
Lenape Park Map - Union County, NJ
The map only shows the paved trails.  There are dirt trails also, one of which is blazed.
Echo Lake Park Map - Union County, NJ

Lenape Park and Echo Lake Park, NJ at EveryTrail
 

HIKE DISTANCE:  4.8 miles

THE HIKE:
Last I knew this was a skeet shooting range and at some point has become a park but there is almost no information online other than the building of the East Coast Greenway section that passes through the other side of the park.  That is where I intended to go but could not find the connection because the map is wrong.   I know how to get there now so that is for another day.

Walk back towards Kenilworth Boulevard from the parking lot then turn right at the kiosk on the paved multi-use trail.

The multi-use trail is elevated and in full sun along the first part.  Swallows use the lower level as their personal highway and they are zooming by constantly/

After about 3/4 of a mile Lenape Pond is on the right. 

Lenape Pond

An egret in Lenape Pond.

After Lenape Pond the trail becomes more shaded.  (That is Kacey who is staying with us while her family is away.)

At Williams Nursery you'll be coming up on Springfield Avenue.  Turn right a short distance ...

...  then left at the crosswalk into Echo Lake Park.

A lower level of the paved trail through Echo Lake Park runs right along the water, which is currently covered with green stuff.

Cross over Park Drive and the trail straight ahead ...

... is a dirt path which appears to end at a chain link fence but it does continue to the right and around the fence back to...

... Park Drive with a parking lot on the right.  Turn left here on the paved path.

The paved path follows between water on the left and ...

... Park Drive on the right before crossing over on the same crosswalk.

Retracing back through Echo Lake Park.

Crossing back over Springfield Avenue where the police stopped traffic just for us.

Turn left just before Williams Nursery back into Lenape Park.

A wildlife garden just before Lenape Pond.

The back side of Lenape Pond where we found ...

... an unmarked trail along the water.

When the unmarked trail fizzled out, I noticed a blue blaze off to the left.  A very short bushwhack brought  us to a blue-blazed trail!

Turn right and went until ...

... we could go no more.   The trail became completely choked due overgrowth.  Will have to explore this again in the winter to see where it comes out.

Heading back towards Lenape Pond on the blue trail there were bridges.

A lot of work was put into building this trail and it looks to be fairly new.  What a shame that it is not being maintained.

Heading back we decided to use the swallow corridor in the shade instead of the paved path up above to the left.