Metrotrails: NJ, PA, NY Metropolitan Area Hiking and More!

This next hike in the Wissahickon Watershed will be a 15-16 mile loop out of Fort Washington State Park.
It will be a variation on the previous one we'd done, covering alternative paths than we did the previous time for about 75% of the trip!
After meeting at the long lot across from the bird observatory, we will make a loop to the north through various preserves, sometimes with short road walks connecting them, and then return on the Wissahickon Green Ribbon!
We'll pass along or through Fort Washington State Park, The Highlands Park, Willow Lake Farm, Prophesy Creek Park, Briar Hill Preserve, Cheston Family Preserve, Camp Woods Preserve, Armentrout Preserve, Four Mills Nature Reserve, and more.
Some trails will be creekside, some will be wooded, and some will be in mowed meadows, making for a very diverse trip.
We are only passing by one area with stores in the first five miles, so everyone should have whatever sustenance they require with them beyond that point.
If needed, contact me at 908 343 8374

Join us for this beautiful point to point hike between the Shawangunks and New Paltz NY!
Most of this will be old carriage roads as well as the River to Ridge Trail.
A pleasant walk with some views, scenic waterfall, and old farmsteads.
Because I'll have the stroller of course, we'll keep it mostly easier tarrain, but still cover 15 miles.
After meeting at New Paltz Plaza just west of the NY Thru Way exit, we'll shuttle with as few cars as possible to our start point in Minnewaska.
Entry fee will be covered for whoever is in the vehicles going to the start, if you are doing the entire hike.
We'll head through from Minnewaska on Undercliff Carriageway through Mohonk and then down Ridge to River, and into New Paltz where we mostly follow Empire State Trail route back.
If for some reason Minnewaska is full when we arrive, we have an alternate plan for rail trail and rougher state park to the east for the same mileage.
If needed, contact me at 908 343 8374

Join us for this very diverse and interesting urban and suburban hike that will take us generally in the corridor of the old Greenwood Lake Branch of the Erie Railroad, and visiting parks and historic sites along the way.
The 15 mile hike meets at Fayette Avenue Park in Wayne NJ on a little side road.
After meeting, we will shuttle with as few vehicles as possible to our start point.
This is the third hike in the series to trace the old Greenwood Lake Branch, but the entire duration of this one is still active, which means we must follow parallel roads and such. To keep it interesting, we are going to do other stuff that will certainly make it more fun.
We will pass through small area parks that include the Mills Reservation, Mountainside Park, and Anderson Park.
On this route, we will also visit the Montclair Hawk Watch, which is only open a couple of months of the years! Here as well as in Mills, we will be treated to lovely views facing east from the Watchung Mountains toward New York City.
We'll come back down and pass through Montclair University which is parallel with the tracks for a while.
We'll turn onto some side roads, and the follow the old Caldwell Branch for a bit, which is now West Essex Trail. We'll turn off back to the north, though Little Falls and then to Willowbrook Mall where, depending on time, we may walk through a bit.
From there, we have to cut through some lots, use a pedestrian lane over Passaic River, and then side streets back up to our meeting point.
This sets things up so that the next hike in this series will be almost entirely rail trail on the abandoned branch line.
We'll have a whole lot of interesting stuff to see on this one.
If needed, contact me at 908 343 8374