Prospect Point Preserve



Prospect Point Preserve, Lake Hopatcong (12/5/2011)

Prospect Point Preserve is a very rugged preserve that borders Lake Hopatcong on its western bank near its northern tip. The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Jersey Highlands Trail Central North Region Trail Map 126 (1st edition, 2011) shows a smattering of woods roads and unmarked trails that don't seem to follow any pattern or form any large loops. But I have been intrigued by this piece of land since I saw it on this map. So we headed off to visit it today, with iPhone GPS in hand. And I'm sure glad I had my GPS because (as is typical) there are many more woods roads than are on the map, and nothing is blazed.

We parked at a large pull-off (enough to accomodate perhaps eight cars) on the northern shoulder of Prospect Point Road and trekked east into the preserve. We formed a couple of loops and a couple of spurs, using trails both on and not on the map, managing to reach the lovely bank of the lake in a handful of spots. Even Liffy Island was within reach, though we probably would have gotten our feet a bit wet. Perhaps we'll return in winter when getting over to the island will be very easy.

We covered 3.7 miles today in about 2 hours.

(Click on the thumbnail to bring up a bigger image in a pop-up window)


Beginning on Prospect Point Road

Heading east


[Photo by Laura]



Stone fragments

Very wet trail

And still wet

 

Blaze?

Lovely mossy trail

Trail borders swamp

Heading SW
 


Swamp

Climbing after swamp


Maytag?
 


Elaborate hunting blind

View inside

[Photo by Laura]

Laura getting a look
 



Moss


Cloudy sky
 


Beautiful tree root

Leafy carpet

Remaining beech color

Houses on North Lakeside Avenue
 


Mansion on Jerry Drive

Mansion on Jerry Drive

View south from end of Jerry Drive

Mallards in lake
 


View north of ...

... Laura on bank

Hunters boating

View SE
 



View east

View NE

 



Strolling along ...

... the bank

Sign-eating tree
 


Huge rock formations

View north from bank

View of Liffy Island

View east
 


[Photo by Laura]

Rock hopping

Mushrooms

Heading north on woods road
 


Swamp between preserve and Liffy Island


Beech color

Rock walkway to Liffy Island
 


View NE from rock walkway

View north

View south to swamp

View south
 


Laura on rock walkway

Mallards

Liffy Island witin reach

 


Moon over Hopatcong


Climbing back up

Interesting rock formations
 

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