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This is Hike #42 ("Swartswood Spring Lake Trail") in the book
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: New York City (2nd edition).
This hike contains the one described in the Hike of the Week for 6/16/2006
with the addition of an inner loop of just under a mile following the entire green trail as well as the entire blue trail. The latter passes through a lovely hemlock
area and is one of the more beautiful in the forest. Unfortunately, the map provided at the visitor's center is one of the worst I've ever seen from a NJ state
park. Hardly any of the blazed hiking trails are even on the map, so if you're going to do this hike, just follow the instructions in the description and don't bother
getting a park map.
It was cold this morning, barely above freezing, and the leaves were nearly all off the trees. Winter is on its way. As a result, we didn't encounter a single other hiker. Strangely, the two ponds were totally dry, but Spring Lake wasn't. Total distance traveled was 3.6 miles in 2 hours. (Click on the thumbnail to bring up a bigger image in a pop-up window)
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 Trailhead for paved Duck Pond trail |
 On the Bear Claw trail |
 Bare trees |
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 Climbing on Bear Claw |
 One of many boundary walls |
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 Bridge to Nowhere |
 Dry Duck Pond |
 One of several birdhouses |
 Pond bottom exposed |
 Duckless and pondless |
 Climbing on Spring Lake trail |
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 On the Red trail |
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 Deer tracks |
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 On the Red trail |
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 It's a woods road here |
 On the Green trail heading west |
 More boundary walls |
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 On the Blue trail |
 Carpet of leaves |
 Hemlock stretch |
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 Bank of Spring Lake |
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 Clear water |
 On the bank |
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 Interesting stone |
 Spring Lake |
 Back on Red trail |
 That's a shadow |
 Mossy boundary wall |
 Dry Frog Pond |
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 Visitor's Center |
 Smokey |
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Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh Web design by Dan Balogh |