Deer Park Pond



Deer Park Pond, Allamuchy Mountain State Park (1/1/2020)

It's been a long time since we hiked this beautiful area, though the older I get, the less it seems like it. For the first hike of 2020, we returned to hike a circuit of my own design, using some of the same trails we have hiked in the past, and other segments that we haven't.

Using NYNJTC Map 127, we parked at the end of the paved part of Deer Park Road, and headed into the park along the unpaved part of the road. When we reached a small pond near the end of the road, we headed north on an unblazed, unmaintained trail (marked on the map with red dashes). It wasn't difficult finding the way since it follows an old telephone line with telephone poles marking the way. When we reached the white-blazed Deer Path, we headed east, then north, reaching Deer Park Pond where the views were beautiful, but the wind made it feel like it was 15 F! We continued north on the blue-blazed Lake View trail, skirting the eastern bank of the lake. Next we headed west on the red-blazed Barberry trail, viewing a huge beaver lodge and a smaller one further north. When we reached the white-blazed Deer Path, we turned left and headed south all the way back to the car.

Total distance hiked today was 5.4 miles in just under three hours. You can see our track here.

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