Taking a Hike

Hiking at the Beach: Island Beach State Park, NJ

I have two great outdoor passions; the beach and hiking. What a great way to combine them - taking a hike at NJ's Island Beach State Park. I recommend that you take this hike off-season, since it will get very crowded on good beach weather days after Memorial Day.

Unlike most of the Jersey shore, this is a protected environmental area with large dunes and forest-like entrances to beautiful white sand beaches. The last beach is dominated by 4WD vehicles and shore fishing. And a magnificent view of Old Barney, the lighthouse on Barnegat Bay. On this journey, we did not locate any of the local inhabitants, which include turtles and foxes. However the dune vegetation was interesting and picturesque.

There was no blazed trails, simply wander down the beach and wander in and out of the various entry paths. The final beach is limited to 4WD's with permits (I was  tempted to take the Jeep Grand Cherokee out on the sand - but decided not to... next time perhaps) and is a good vigorous 1.7 miles to the end. Conditions can be chilly do to offshore winds and a chance to work on your tan as well.

View my pictures from this hike at Island Beach State Park.

Jenny Jump State Forest (NJ)

Jenny jumped to her death from the cliffs in this park to escape Indians, so the legend goes. Jenny Jump State Forest is located near the small town of Hope, NJ. Just so you know, this was not one of my favorite hikes. A few highlights, but overall a disappointment.

Starting on the Summit Trail, there are two beautiful vistas, and not much else. The "yellow" blaze trail was well marked and relatively easy for novice hikers. I then ventured onto the Ghost Lake (blue) trail, which was a total disaster.

I didn't make it very far on this trail, when the blazes became difficult to locate. Very frustrating! I am spending more time looking for the next blaze... moving along the trail and once again... lost.

Eventually I had to double back, abandoning this trail to Ghost Lake. On my return, there were more lost blazes -I felt some relief being back at the Summit Trail marker.

My day hiking plan was to return via the Swamp Trail (Red Blaze). To get there from the end of the Summit Trail requires a short walk on East Road. Alas, I never found the Swamp Trail and followed the road back to my car.

Next up - driving a short distance to the Jenny Jump trail (blue dot), which was another blaze disaster. After a few Blue-Dot blazes, i found myself on the white blaze Orchard trail, which doesn't appear on the map in this location. All was not lost, as I witnessed a moderate size (300 lbs) black bear crossing my path. What a sight! The bear watching me, me watching the bear. He ambled up the rock wall and walked off. I kept an eye on him while crossing his path and after a quick nod and wave (ok kidding) made my way back to the car. No Jenny Jump Scenic VIew this time. I recall this being a steep cliff when I was a boy scout...  maybe next year.

Finally, I drove to Ghost Lake - since I failed to get there on foot. Ghost Lake is off Hope Road (611) turning onto "Shades of Death" road -I kid you not!  Ghost Lake is quite spectacular, especially as the sun sets.This section is worth a revisit.

Overall, I rate this trail system a 2 our of 5. The views were nice but not breath-taking, and the blazes on the Ghost Lake and Jenny Jump trails were sub-par. Please view my pictures of my Jenny Jump State Forest hike.

Hedden Park (NJ); my interest in hiking begins

I live next to Hedden Park (Morris County NJ Park System) and have enjoyed their basic trails for many years. Walking through the park and more recently using it's trails as part of my morning run/exercise, I have a deep appreciation for this park. If you live close enough pto exlore this park, I highly recommend doing so. The tails are simple and beautiful with small falls (Indian Falls), along with a lake and child's playground. So it is perfect for children - with my daughters enjoying the park frequently. 

It is within this park that I learned how to navigate the blazes and began to take nature photographs and caught the hiking bug. I look forward to many more trails as I begin my hiking journey - taking a hike.