Holmdel Park

Holmdel Park (1/31/2009)

This was supposed to be Trip #28 ("Holmdel Park and Longstreet Park") from the book Nature Walks in New Jersey (2nd edition). However (a) the trails in this park aren't blazed at all, (b) the signs, which appear at just a fraction of the intersections, are confusing, and (c) the trail map is out of date and inaccurate. So it was "sort of" Trip #28. And it was also "sort of" the Hike of the Week from 2/1/2008 which appeared in the Bergen Record (you can no longer access it without paying a fee), and which hasn't yet been posted on the NYNJTC website. So it was sort of a combination of these two, but we're still not sure.

Holmdel Park is adjacent to Longstreet Farm, a living historical farm, though nothing was living there this morning in the sub-freezing temperatures made colder with whipping winds ... except for a couple of cows, sheep and a rooster. Most of the trails were solid frozen ice, where human, deer and coyote tracks were perfectly captured. So Yaktrax were essential. Total distance was about 3 miles, which included lots of meandering and backtracking. We ate lunch inside one of the enclosed picnic pavillions, which had a roaring fire lit. Very nice!

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