Patriot's Path: Speedwell Lake

Patriot's Path: Speedwell Lake West (7/17/2010)

It was in the 90s and humid today in New Jersey. We have discovered that on days like this, the best hikes are level and under the cover of trees, two things usually offered by a good rail trail. So today we did the eastern half of Hike #17 ("Patriot's Path") in the book 24 Great Rail-Trails of New Jersey.

On February 27 of this year we did the 2.1-mile western part of this rail hike (from Mendham Road to Washington Valley Road). On that day we hiked in two feet of freshly fallen snow. Today we did the stretch from Speedwell Lake in Morristown to Washington Valley Road. However, instead of doing an out-and-back, we hiked a lollipop by taking the blue trail at Sussex Turnpike, all the way to where it joins the PP at its Washington Valley Road crossing.

Speedwell Lake was teeming with wonderful water birds, and the grassy fields near Washington Valley Road were filled with beautiful wildflowers, butterflies and dragonflies. Total distance hiked today was 5.6 miles in about 3 hours.

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