AT at Mashipacong

Appalachian Trail at Mashipacong (8/7/2010)

This is a hike of my own invention, covering a part of the AT that we have never hiked before: parts just east and west of Route 650 in Montague Township, NJ, near the southwestern boundary of High Point State Park.

It's a figure 8 which begins in the parking area off Route 650 just where the AT crosses the road (in fact, the AT traverses through the parking area). We headed north on the AT from the parking area (towards Maine) until we reached the red-dot Iris trail the second time. There we made a left onto the Iris trail. After crossing the gas line cut we were planning to follow an "unmaintained trail" heading west clearly marked on the NYNJTC map (Kittattiny Trails May 123, 2009 edition). The map specifies both "Stone Wall Ruins" and "Ruins" on this trail as points of interest. However, the trail was filled with overgrown prickly plants so after visiting the stone wall ruins we headed back to the Iris trail (perhaps we'll go back in the winter). Back on the Iris we took it to Route 650, crossed the road, and headed on an unmarked woods road to the Mashipacong AT shelter before making a right turn on the AT and heading back to the car.

Total distance hiked was 4.8 miles in less than 3 hours.

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