Mountainside Park, Pequannock Township, NJ (10/2/2010) Don't let the word "park" fool you. This is a rough mountainous area. And while the author of the aforementioned hike rates this "Easy" with a distance of 3 miles, neither is true (and yes, we followed the hike description perfectly). This is a moderate hike and in hotter weather would have been moderately strenuous. There is a lot of climbing, and at times the path is incredibly rocky and rough. And the hike is over 4 miles long, not 3. Having said that, we encountered wonderful cascades (it rained hard in this area yesterday) and wonderful views. The only drawback is its nearness to Route 287 for the last mile, but even though the trail skirts civilization quite closely at times, you'll have a feeling of isolation most of the time. This area is a little hidden gem. Oh! And when we returned to our car, someone had left a hardcopy of the previously cited map under our windshield wiper. Now that's service! Total distance hiked today was 4.3 miles in approximately 2.5 hours.
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Trail head |
Route 287 |
Rocky path |
Cascade within 5 minutes |
Rushing after the rains |
Downstream |
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Interesting blazes |
Another waterfall further in |
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Saplings abound |
On Red |
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Bench at intersection of Red and Orange |
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Huge rock [photo by Laura] |
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Fire ring |
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Another Eagle Scout project |
Colorful mushrooms |
Close-up |
Swampy area |
Ferns |
Gas line cut |
Climbing on Red |
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Sturdy bridge |
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Remains of a lean-to |
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Gorgeous stream |
Wildflowers |
Manhole cover! |
Climbing on Yellow |
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Reaching the peak |
View west from peak |
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View south |
View southwest |
Lincoln Park airport |
Kiosk at peak |
Zoom view of Manhattan |
View east |
A bench with a view |
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Enjoying the view |
Another viewpoint off the Blue trail |
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View of Lincoln Park airport |
View east to Manhattan |
Group of mansions |
View north |
Beautiful Northern Flicker! |
On the Blue |
Very rocky |
Very green |
More cascades near Eagle Troop camp |
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Eagle Scout pavillian |
Eagle Scout shelter |
Old engine in the stream |
Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh Web design by Dan Balogh |