Indian Cliffs

Indian Cliffs, Splitrock Reservoir (12/19/2011)

I took today off, a brisk chilly day, to go hiking with my friend Andy. Last time the two of us did a hike, it was one of my own inventions that hit several remote vistas in Ramapo Mountain State Forest. Today we did another of my own invention that hit several remote vistas north of Splitrock Reservoir, including the spectacular view from Indian Cliffs, one of the best views in all of New Jersey.

We parked at the end of Timberbrook Road and headed into Camp Winnebago on the asphalt but only far enough to take the first woods road NE into the forest. We took woods roads NE until finally reaching the Four Birds trail which we then took east. Making a left on blue we headed NE to the first vista noted on the NYNJTC Map (#125) at the southern bank of gorgeous Misty Pond. (In May, Laura and I visited the northern and western banks of this pond.) After admiring the view we continued east on blue until we reached Indian Cliffs, where we enjoyed one of the best views in all of New Jersey (and even most places just over the border in New York). Continuing south on blue, we took the orange blazed trail west (and down) to the bank of Splitrock Reservoir where we enjoyed constant views and settled down for lunch. Skirting the reservoir around its northern tip, and then along its western bank we continued on orange, visiting a fourth vista on the map before turning right on the Four Birds trail once again, heading north. On this trail we enjoyed our fifth (and last) vista as denoted on the map, an overlook with Indian Cliffs directly opposite us. From the Four Birds trail we headed back on woods roads to our car.

Total distance hiked today was about 6.2 miles miles in just under 4 hours.

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