Shenandoah River State Park, VA - Base Camp

ABOUT THE PARK AND CABINS:  Raymond R. "Andy" Guest Jr. Shenandoah River State Park

DIRECTIONS:
GPS coordinates to cabins: 38.848503, -78.318693

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HIKES:  
Michaux State Forest, PA: Rocky Knob and Long Pine Run Reservoir - 7.5 miles
Shenandoah National Park, VA: Hogback Mountain - 7 miles
Shenandoah National Park, VA: Rose River - 4.2 miles
Shenandoah River State Park, VA:  Bluebell Loop - 4.3 miles
Shenandoah River State Park, VA:  Allen's Mountain to Wildcat Ledge - 7.5 miles
Shenandoah National Park, VA:  Corbin Cabin - 4.6 miles

BASE CAMP:
I may be an avid hiker and love being in the woods but when it comes to accommodations, this is my idea of camping!  I stayed in this exact same cabin, exactly 3 years ago, also the last week of October.  The cabins were only a few months old at the time.  Now 3 years later, they still look brand new.  As an added bonus for me, Virginia State Park cabins are pet-friendly so my best ever hiking partner, my dog Shawnee, is welcome there.

Our arrival in Front Royal, Virginia.

I sometimes get to the trails in Shenandoah National Park before the booths are open so since there was a very short line and it's right on the way to the park I stopped to buy my pass for the week.

$15 pass allows for unlimited access for 6 days.

Since it was still light out, we took a spin on Skyline Drive.

A view from Skyline Drive to the east.  The sun was setting in the west so it was blinding on that side.

We arrived at Shenandoah River State Park just in time to stop at Culler's Overlook to watch the sun set behind Massanutten Mountain.

And here is our cabin, cabin #6, with a trail head just to the right.  We could literally walk out the door and start hiking.

Up the steps the door on the left leads to ...

the living room and kitchen.

The bathroom with a shower on the right.

The master bedroom.

The second bedroom.

And our favorite spot, the deck.

It's a great place for relaxing after a day of hiking.

If you sit very quietly reading or napping, you just never know who might drop in ...

I want to add, also, that when this happened to the almost new car...

 

I stopped in at the Visitor Center to ask if I could borrow a phone book to see if there was a Subaru dealership in Front Royal.  (No cell service or Internet in the cabins.)  The nice lady behind the desk chuckled, meaning no Subaru dealership, but she had me on the phone with her mechanic in seconds and while I was talking to him she had written down the address, phone number, everything I needed to get there and I was on my way.   I have always found state park staff to be very friendly and helpful and this was no exception.  (The car was a quart low on oil and Suburu says this is normal - in a new car ?!?!?!?!)

Swartswood State Park, NJ - Duck Pond Multi-Use Trail Area

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

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.072747, -74.819451

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TRAIL MAP:

There are some maps that look like this one and they are not accurate.  The Spring Lake Trail description on the web site is not accurate either.

I colored in the trails on a picture of the kiosk map to  make it more clear.  It's a better map and makes more sense with colors.  Black is the paved Duck Pond Trail.

My track won't make much sense because I did some looping around trying to figure out the trails and make sense of them.
Swartswood State Park, NJ at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  6 miles

Hiked together with Swartswood State Park - Grist Mill Trail

THE HIKE:

The yellow-blazed trail starts to the right of the paved Duck Pond Trail.

The yellow trail ends at the other end of the paved Duck Pond Trail.  Cross straight over to the start of the white-blazed trail.

A bridge over nothing to nowhere.

A crow in waterless Duck Pond.

A VERY confused dog wondering where the water is.

Bone dry Duck Pond.

Standing in Duck Pond.

The white trail ends at a T-intersection where the red trail goes either way.  Left goes to the campground, right goes to Spring Lake.

Some water in Spring Lake!

Spring Lake

Frog Pond, a grassy area sometimes with water.

An old trail marker.

Back at the bridge over nothing to nowhere.

Returning on the Duck Pond Trail.

Meeting some other hikers in the parking lot.

Swartswood State Park, NJ - Grist Mill Trail

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

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.059261, -74.853346

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TRAIL MAP:

Picture of map in kiosk.  About half of the trail is blazed with painted yellow rectangles, the other half with metal rectangles with a yellow circle.

Swartswood State Park, NJ - Grist Mill Trail at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  1.3 miles

Hiked together with Swartswood State Park - Duck Pond Multi-Use Trail Area

THE HIKE:

Keen's Mill

Cross the bridge over Mill Brook...

at the dam and Mill Pond.

Keep left on the yellow-blazed Grist Mill Trail.

The trail starts out blazed with yellow painted rectangles.

Out for an early Sunday morning stroll.

Lots of old stone walls along the way.

Partial views of Swartswood Lake

The trail follows along Swartswood Lake for a bit then veers away from the lake...

... then comes to this confusing sign.  (Note the look of confusion on Shawnee's face.)  This makes it appear as though you are at a T-intersection and can go either way and most people probably think that since there is a path to the left but it fizzles out and there are no blazes.  So what the sign actually means is the left arrow is the trail you just arrived on (although it does not point that way) and you need to turn right here.

At this point the trail markers are metal rectangles with a yellow circle.

Fresh bear scat but no bear to be seen.

After the trail descends down a couple of dilapidated wooden beam steps, turn left (no turn blazes) then at this fork, keep right and descend down to ...

Mill Brook.

Arriving back at the grist mill and Mill Pond.

Mill Pond