Horseshoe Bend Park, NJ - North

ABOUT THE PARK:
Horseshoe Bend Park - Kingwood Township
Horseshoe Bend Preserve - Hunterdon Land Trust

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.497133, -75.043580

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TRAIL MAPS:
Overview Map of Horseshoe Bend Park and Surrounding Area - Kingwood Township (this map shows the entire trail that is under construction)
Horseshoe Bend Park Trail Map - Kingwood Township
Horseshoe Bend Park, NJ at AllTrails

HIKE DISTANCE:  5.8 miles

THE HIKE:

After the winter snow melt with heavy rain over the weekend, it was sometimes hard to tell the difference  between the creek and the trail.

The creek is quite pretty.

The marked white trail with mile markers every tenth of a mile.

Burke's Run

Burke's Run needs to be crossed here and with the snow melt and rain, it was over ankle deep.

Don't use these plastic boot covers much but they sure do come in handy when they are needed!

A red fox has just darted away to the upper left but I wasn't fast enough to get his picture.

Coming up on hilltop fields.

The orange trail goes around the fields but other than some posts with orange tape, there are no markers in the field area.

The neighbor's horse.

At the far corner is an off-leash dog park where all of the people and dogs are standing a distance away.  We'd rather hike - Shawnee will take a hike over a dog park any day.  This is the only place we saw people during the hike.

The orange trail (still umarked) leaves the field downhill to a steam where the orange markers will start.

Crossing the creek before climbing back up to some nice countryside views.

Coming back down to Burke's Run.

And another ford where the boot covers were needed.

Burke's Run

The map shows a trail under construction so we made an attempt to see how far we could follow it.

Once the cleared blowdowns come to an end, pink ribbons mark the way.

Up above Burke's Run.

The pink ribbons continue all the way to the top but the blowdowns become ticker and harder to get through or around.

Once things clear out again, the pink ribbons abruptly end....

... near an orchard.  No choice but to retrace back to the orange trail ...

... through the tangle of thorns and blowdowns - the two things Shawnee hates most but her harness came in handy to assist her up and over when she started getting tired.

It will be a really nice, long trail once the clearing is done.

Back on the orange trail where the going is much easier.

It was in the 60's so of course a cooling down was called for.

The other end of the trail under construction.  Would have loved to have followed the pink ribbons from this side to see how far I could get to connect to where I lost them before but we had already had enough bushwhacking fun for one day.

In case you have made it this far without getting muddy, no need to worry here!

Old farm fence and older farm fence.

Coming up on the park entrance road.

Turn right on the park road then left at the kiosk.

Some huge white trail markers!  Orange leaves to the right of this white trail ...

... along a pretty creek.

This orange/white trail is a new trail not on the map.  Orange has been changed to continue straight but if you don't get off here, you'll just keep going around on orange.

After orange/white, an unmarked trail.

Abbott Marshlands, NJ - Bordentown Bluffs (part of Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park)

ABOUT THE PARK:

Although Bordentown Bluffs is part of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park it is not mentioned on their site.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.161122, -74.703328

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Stanton Avenue dead ends at a utility building and it is plenty wide for on-street parking.

TRAIL MAPS:
Abbott Marshlands - Bordentown Bluffs - NJ Trails Association
Abbott Marshlands - Bordentown Bluffs, NJ at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  
2.2 miles with some exploring at the northern end.
This was hiked in conjunction with Roebling Memorial Park, a short drive away.

THE HIKE:

Start of the trail on Stanton Avenue.

Blazes are spray painted - there is a red trail and a yellow trail.

At this T-intersection red goes left to the tidal beach (return route) and also to the right towards Orchard Avenue.

Where red ends and yellow starts.

You don't expect to see mountain laurel and rhododendron in these parts!

Some yellow with green blazes at the overlook.

The trail follows very closely along the edge of the bluff.

Crosswicks Creek

Approaching the overlook from a different direction, a climb up some tree roots to the top.

Heading back south.  The yellow-blazed trail goes farther into the woods where unmarked trails continue along the bluff.

Where the red trail ends ...

... a trail does continue for a while before you have to retrace to back to the sign.

The tidal beach,

Returning to Stanton Avenue on the woods road from the tidal beach around the utility buildings.