Princeton Battlefield State Park and Institute Woods (Blog Hike #1077)

Trails: Trolley Track, Founders' Walk, River's Edge, and Far Trails
Hike Location: Princeton Battlefield State Park and Institute Woods
Geographic Location: Princeton, NJ (40.32944, -74.67631)
Length: 2.5 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: September 2025
Overview: A flat lollipop loop starting at a Revolutionary War battlefield.
Park Information: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/princetonbattlefieldstatepark.html
Hike Route Map: 

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming April 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: Northeast of Trenton, take I-295 to US 1 (exit 67B).  Exit and go north on US 1.  Drive US 1 north 1 mile to Quakerbridge Road.  Exit and go north on Quakerbridge Rd.  Drive Quakerbridge Rd. 2.8 miles to Mercer Road and take a soft right on Mercer Rd.  The signed park entrance is 0.2 miles ahead on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, and park in the only blacktop lot.

The hike: The first few months after the Americans declared independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776 did not go well for the American Patriots.  Patriot victories were almost nonexistent, and American General George Washington was forced to conduct a fighting retreat from east to west across New Jersey.  Washington only managed to save Pennsylvania and the American capital at Philadelphia by a brilliant stroke of strategy: after crossing the Delaware River with his army, he ordered all boats moved to the west side of the river.  Thus, the British were unable to get their army across the river until later in the winter when it would freeze solid enough for safe ice crossing.

            Knowing that the British were temporarily stymied and that many of his soldiers' enlistments were about to expire, in late December Washington embarked on a bold and risky counterattack that historians would come to label the Ten Crucial Days.  The first day was the night of December 25, 1776 when Washington and his men famously crossed the icy Delaware River during a winter storm.  That crossing led to a surprise Patriot attack and victory at Trenton the next day.

            The subsequent maneuvers and skirmishes came to a head on January 2, 1777 with the Second Battle of Trenton, another Patriot victory.  The Patriots withdrew to Princeton, where they faced a combination of British and Hessian forces the next day in a snow-covered field.  Against long odds the Patriots were victorious for a third time, and that battle at the conclusion of the Ten Crucial Days came to be known as the Battle of Princeton.  Although these victories would be short-lived, they kept the revolution going when it was on the brink of falling apart.

            The field in which the third battle occurred is today preserved as Princeton Battlefield State Park.  The park was established in 1946, and at only 40 acres it protects the battlefield but not much else.  Fortunately, the Institute of Advanced Studies, an academic research institution loosely affiliated with Princeton University, owns and maintains an adjacent 588-acre tract of woods known as the Institute Woods.  While visitors are not allowed at the Institute, they are allowed to hike the trails in the Institute Woods.  This hike starts at the battlefield and forms a lollipop loop through the Institute Woods, thus getting the most hiking possible out of this historic park.

Mercer Oak at Princeton Battlefield

            Before hitting the trail, walk over to the northeast side of the parking lot to view the battlefield.  Interpretive signs point out the famous Clarke House and the famous Mercer Oak.  The Clarke House dates to 1772 and was owned by Quaker farmer Thomas Clarke.  The Mercer Oak marks where Patriot Brigadier General Hugh Mercer watched his men fight the battle; Mercer refused to leave his men even after he was severely wounded by a British bayonet.  Mercer was transported to the Clarke House after the battle, where he died 9 days later.

Trail entering the Institute Woods

            When you are ready to begin the hike, head to the southwest corner of the parking lot and pick up the gravel trail that heads across the mowed-grass field and into the woods.  Trails in the Institute Woods are mostly laid out in a row and column configuration.  The trails are wide and easy to follow, but not all of them are well-marked.  Thus, the picture I took of the trail map at the information board came in handy several times during my hike.

Princeton Friends Meeting House

            At 0.2 miles, you pass the rear of the Princeton Friends Meeting House, an historic Quaker building.  The Quaker religion requires a vow of pacifism, and during the Revolutionary War both the British and the Americans became disgusted with the Quakers because they refused to fight for their side.  As the war drug on, many Quakers decided that the revolution's righteous cause was more important than their vow of pacifism, and many Quakers joined the Patriots.

Hiking the entrance trail, Institute Woods

            0.3 miles into the hike, you reach a major trail intersection that forms the loop portion of this hike.  Many trail intersections in the Institute Woods are signed, but the signs are small and therefore hard to find and read.  I turned left to head northeast on the Trolley Track Trail, thus hiking the loop clockwise.

Hiking the Trolley Track Trail

            The wide, nearly straight, and nearly flat Trolley Track Trail heads through beautiful forest that features some large maple and tulip trees.  I saw quite a few birds here including a grey catbird, and the hiking is very pleasant.  Ignore trails that exit right or left until you intersect the Founders' Walk at 0.8 miles.  Turn right to begin the Founders' Walk.

Yellow F marking the Founders' Walk

            The Founders' Walk is the only blazed trail in the Institute Woods: yellow F's painted on trees mark the way.  The trail descends gradually, but the Institute Woods occupies very flat land: the difference between maximum and minimum elevation on this hike is less than 60 feet.  Overall, the going remains easy, and the hiking remains pleasant.

Swinging bridge over Stony Brook

            At 1.3 miles, you reach the most popular destination in the Institute Woods: the swinging bridge over Stony Brook.  The thin metal cables and thin wood deck make the bridge look intimidating, but the concrete abutments provide some assurance.  This bridge leads to the old Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath, so many people enter the Institute Woods via this bridge.  Because this hike started at Princeton Battlefield, the bridge represents the furthest point on our loop.

Stony Brook

            To begin your return route, turn right and begin hiking the River's Edge Trail with Stony Brook through the trees on your left.  The dark waters of Stony Brook come into view several times, and the stream seems poorly named: the watercourse is more muddy and grassy than stony at this point.  Ignore the Middle Trail as it exits right, but when you get to the southwest corner of the Institute Woods turn right to begin the Far Trail; the River's Edge Trail dead-ends in just a few feet.

Hiking the Far Trail

            The Far Trail heads northwest through more of the same beautiful forest you hiked through earlier.  Just past 1.9 miles, you reach an intersection with the Pipeline Trail.  You could go straight or left here, but the shortest route back to the trailhead turns left on the Pipeline Trail.  The Pipeline Trail follows a sewer line corridor, and therefore it does not make for the most inspiring hiking.  At 2.3 miles, you close the loop.  Continue straight to hike back past the Princeton Friends Meeting House and return to the battlefield to complete the hike.

Monmouth Battlefield State Park: Hedgerow, Old Parsonage, and Red Trails (Blog Hike #1076)

Trails: Hedgerow, Old Parsonage, and Red Trails
Hike Location: Monmouth Battlefield State Park
Geographic Location: west of Freehold, NJ (40.26369, -74.32036)
Length: 3.6 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: September 2025
Overview: A loop hike through a major Revolutionary War battlefield.
Park Information: https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/monmouthbattlefieldstatepark.html
Hike Route Map: 

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of US 9 and SR 33 BUS in Freehold, take SR 33 BUS west 1.6 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, and park in the large parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: The first 2 years of the Revolutionary War did not go well for the American Patriots.  Victories were almost nonexistent, the British captured the American capital at Philadelphia in September 1777, and the American Continental Army nearly starved and froze to death at their Valley Forge camp during the winter of 1777-78.  But on February 6, 1778, a major ray of hope shined through the gloom: France signed a treaty of alliance with the United States, and several weeks later both France and Spain declared war on the British.  For the first time, the upstart American patriots had some official European help.

            Worried they would be trapped inland by the new alliance, the British abandoned Philadelphia on June 18, 1778 and marched their troops to the safety of their navy in New York City.  Although he was outnumbered nearly 2 to 1, Patriot General George Washington knew the British would be exposed during their march.  Thus, he chose to ambush the British at Monmouth, NJ, which features some of the highest hills between Philadelphia and New York.

            The ambush happened on June 28.  When British General Sir Henry Clinton realized a large number of American troops were in the area, he counter-attacked aggressively, hoping to destroy the American Continental Army once and for all.  At first the British advanced westward rapidly, and the Americans traded ground for time.  But eventually the British ended up in a field where they came under attack from 2 directions: General Washington to the west and General Nathanael Greene to the south.  At 11pm, the British withdrew to continue their march to New York, and the Americans had won a battle against British regular troops for the first time.

            Since 1961 the battlefield at Monmouth has been protected as Monmouth Battlefield State Park.  An impressive Visitor Center sits atop Coombs Hill where General Greene was stationed, and it features many exhibits and an interpretive video that ends with a live view of the battlefield.  The park also features 13 trails that total nearly 18 miles.  This hike tours the main battlefield, but it also explores the wooded areas around Coombs Hill, thus allowing you to experience both the human history and natural scenery this park has to offer.

Trailhead at back of Visitor Center

            From the 2 interpretive signs at the back (north side) of the Visitor Center, notice the footbridge downhill and to the left; that bridge will be our return route.  Angle right and start heading downhill to the north to find a second eastern footbridge that is not visible from the Visitor Center.  A very informative interpretive guide is available in the Visitor Center for the first part of this hike, and numbered posts correspond to points of historical interest in the guide.

Eastern bridge over wetlands

            As you cross the eastern bridge, notice the wetlands that make these bridges necessary.  These wetlands were critical to the battle's outcome: they prevented the British in front of you from charging General Greene's artillery position atop Coombs Hill behind you, thereby eliminating one of the Americans' 2 angles of attack.  After crossing the bridge, turn right at the next 2 intersections to begin a gradual climb into an apple orchard.  While hiking through an apple orchard may seem unusual and uninspiring, this land was being farmed at the time of the battle.  Thus, the orchard gives the correct historical ambiance.

The Hedgerow

            At 0.5 miles, you come to an area known as The Hedgerow.  The Hedgerow was the center of the battlefield, and it changed hands several times with the British charging from the right and the Americans retreating to the left.  A reconstructed wooden fence stands here today, and the next segment of the hike takes you north along this fence.  The Hedgerow is stops #3 and #4 in the interpretive guide, and the guide gives detailed information about the fighting that happened here.

North end of the Hedgerow

            Where the dirt orchard access road turns right, continue straight to keep heading north on mowed-grass trail.  The trails through the historic battlefield are unmarked, so the interpretive guide helps keep you on course.  At 0.8 miles, you reach the north end of The Hedgerow; railroad tracks and a road can be seen just ahead.  Do not cross the railroad tracks or road, but turn left to walk west, still on unmarked mowed-grass trail.

Interpretive sign marking The Parsonage

            Turn left again just past 1 mile, and reach the former site of The Parsonage at 1.1 miles.  The Parsonage was the turning point in the battle, and it marks the furthest advance of the British: retreating Patriots used the parsonage's shelter and good sight lines to hold their ground.  Nothing of The Parsonage remains today, but interpretive signs describe the action here.

Western bridge over wetland

            The trail curves right and then left as it goes up and over a low ridge before descending gradually.  At 1.6 miles, you cross the western bridge over the wetland, and the Visitor Center comes in sight uphill directly ahead.  If you are getting tired, running out of daylight, or only want to tour the battlefield, you could head directly to the Visitor Center and conclude your hike now.  To also see this park's natural areas, angle right as you head uphill to find the start of the Red Trail.

Start of the Red Trail

            Natural area hiking trails at this park are marked with brown carsonite posts bearing color-coded stickers, and no less than 4 different colors appear on the first post.  The White, Green, and Yellow Trails are all shorter versions of the Red Trail, and I followed the Red Trail for its entire distance.  All 4 trails head west on a wide dirt/grass path with Spotswood South Brook close on the right.  The forest is young and brushy, making the scenery less than attractive.

Hiking near Spotswood South Brook

            First the Yellow and then the Green Trails exit left.  At 2.2 miles, the Red Trail angles left to head away from the brook and enter the nicest forest on this hike.  Large old trees live here.  A brief steep climb brings you to the uplands.  Where the White Trail continues straight, turn right to stay on the Red Trail.

Old Coombs Farm field

            The southern arm of the Red Trail takes you through the grassy former fields of the old Coombs Farm.  Highway noise from SR 33 filters in from the right.  At 3.2 miles, turn right to stay on the Red Trail.  A final segment through a sunny field brings you to the park entrance road, where a left turn and short road walk return you to the parking lot to complete the hike.

Cheesequake State Park: Yellow, Blue, and Green Trails (Blog Hike #1075)

Trails: Yellow, Blue, and Green Trails
Hike Location: Cheesequake State Park
Geographic Location: Matawan, NJ (40.43661, -74.26502)
Length: 4 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: September 2025
Overview: A loop hike across ridges and saltwater marshes.
Park Information: https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/cheesequakestatepark.html
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming July 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: In northeast New Jersey, take the Garden State Parkway to Matawan Road (exit 120).  Exit and go south on Matawan Rd.  Drive Matawan Rd. 0.3 miles to Morristown Road and turn right on Morristown Rd.  Drive Morristown Rd. 0.3 miles to Gordon Road and turn right on Gordon Rd.  Gordon Rd. deadends at the park in 0.7 miles.  Stop at the park office to pick up a trail map, then drive another 0.2 miles to the main trailhead parking area on the left, where this hike begins.  If this parking lot is full, you can also start this hike at the park's swimming area at the end of the park road.

The hike: Consisting of 1610 acres on the southern edge of the New York City metro area, Cheesequake State Park protects an interesting mix of tidal creeks, salt marshes, freshwater ponds, streamside habitats, and low steep ridges.  The park was established with the purchase of a Civil War-era farm owned by the Favier brothers in 1938, and the depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped develop the property.  The park opened in 1940.  The park's unusual name comes from a Lenape word that means "upland," "upland village," or "at the land that has been cleared."  A creek passed on this hike has the same name.

            Today Cheesequake State Park remains one of the best state parks in the New York City metro area.  The park features a cozy 53-site campground, several large group camping sites, fishing and swimming on Hooks Creek Lake, several picnic areas, a nature center, and 5 hiking trails totaling over 8 miles.  The hike described here combines several trails to form a loop around the main part of the park, and it passes through all of the park's many habitats.

Main Trailhead

            From the main trailhead, walk through the wooden portal marked "trailhead," then angle right to begin the Yellow Trail.  The trails at this park are well-marked with brown carsonite posts bearing colored stickers that correspond to the trail's name.  The Yellow Trail curves right to hold a level contour around the ridge as it heads generally northwest through nice forest dominated by maple and oak trees.

Hooks Creek Lake

            At 0.25 miles, the trail curves left to descend the ridge via some wooden stairs.  Some unmarked and unofficial trails exist in this area, so watch for the yellow trail markers.  At the bottom of the stairs, turn right to come alongside Hooks Creek Lake.  Hooks Creek Lake is this park's main body of water, and the swimming beach is visible across the lake ahead and to the right.

Cheesequake Creek boardwalk

            0.6 miles into the hike, you reach the west end of the Yellow Trail where it intersects the Blue Trail.  Turn left to begin the Blue Trail.  If you had to park at the swimming area because the main trailhead parking lot was full, you would start this hike here.  Less than 500 feet later, you reach this hike's first major point of interest: the boardwalk over Cheesequake Creek and salt marsh.

Saltwater marsh

            Cheesequake Creek is a tidal creek, meaning it can flow either direction depending on the tide.  This boardwalk is a major destination for saltwater crabbing, and I passed several people working their crab nets when I hiked here on a pleasant morning in early September.  Views extending across the grassy marsh in either direction include some open water, and I saw some Canada geese and an osprey here.  Take some time to sit on the benches and see what you see.

Cheesequake Creek

            Across the tidal creek, the Blue Trail picks up an old dirt road labeled on some maps as Perrine Road as it climbs very gradually through forest that features many pine trees.  At 1.1 miles, you reach a major trail intersection with blue trail markers going several ways.  Turn right to leave the old road and begin single-track dirt trail.  A few hundred feet later, you reach a bird blind along Perrine Pond.  The pond was very calm on my visit, but I saw a red fox and 2 deer in the woods near here.

Perrine Pond

            The Blue Trail traces the east side of the pond before curving left and climbing back toward the ridge.  Upon re-intersecting the old road, turn right to continue southeast on the old dirt road.  At 1.6 miles, you reach another major trail intersection with several colors of markers.  The Red Trail going left is the shortest route back to the main trailhead, while the Blue Trail continues straight to follow the old road.  Our hike turns sharply right to begin the Green Trail, which is this park's longest trail.

Starting the Green Trail

            The Green Trail alternates between dry sandy-soiled ridgetops and marshy creekside areas for its entire distance.  Short but steep climbs and drops get you from the wetland to the ridgetop and vice-versa.  You start on the ridgetop, and the first drop takes you to the first of several long boardwalks over wooded wetlands.  Be thankful for these boardwalks: this would be a very wet and muddy hike without them.

Long boardwalk on Green Trail

            At 2.1 miles, the trail drops to cross Museum Road, a gravel park maintenance road that passes through the southern part of the park.  Next comes the steepest climb to the park's highest elevation; some wooden stairs aid the ascent.  The undulations continue as the trail heads northeast roughly parallel to the park's southeastern boundary.  The going is somewhat challenging but heavily wooded and scenic.

Hiking the Green Trail

            At 3.4 miles, you pass through the final ravine and come out at the park's group campground.  Turn left and then right, following the green trail markers, to trace the perimeter of the campground.  At 3.8 miles, you intersect a gravel park road near the park's Nature Center.  Turning right and hiking 0.2 miles along the gravel road returns you to the main trailhead and completes the hike.

Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park: Five-Mile Lock to Bound Brook South Battlefield (Blog Hike #1074)

Trail: Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath
Hike Location: Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park
Geographic Location: Somerset, NJ (40.54010, -74.51367)
Length: 3.2 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: September 2025
Overview: An out-and-back from an old canal lock to a Revolutionary War battlefield.
Park Information: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/drcanalstatepark.html
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming September 4, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: The parking lot for the Five-Mile Lock trail access is located on the east side of Easton Avenue just north of I-287, exit 10.  You must be going northbound on Easton Ave. to enter this parking lot.

The hike: Built in the 1830's, the Delaware and Raritan Canal traces a rainbow-shaped arc across central New Jersey as it connects its two namesake rivers.  In the early 1800's, waterways formed the country's main highways, and the canal's construction not only shortened the water route between Philadelphia and New York City by 100 miles but also eliminated the need to take boats into the exposed waters of the Atlantic Ocean.  The canal saw heavy traffic for over 40 years, and it became a primary means to get Pennsylvania coal to New York City.  In fact, the canal continued to operate until 1932, long after most canals had been supplanted by the railroad.

            Today most of the canal still retains water, and since 1974 the canal's towpath has been owned and maintained by the State of New Jersey as Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park.  The linear park extends for 70 miles, and the wide natural-surface path is popular for jogging, biking, and of course hiking.  The trail can be accessed at many points.  The segment described here not only gives a good taste of the canal and riverside areas but also passes a couple points of historical interest.  Thus, this segment makes a better than average hike for a wide, flat, and straight canal towpath.

Five-Mile Lock

            From the parking lot, walk down to the old canal and cross the canal on a metal grate walkway where water enters the old Five-Mile Lock.  The water entering the old lock makes for a scenic and noisy man-made waterfall even with the concrete lock as a backdrop.  Directly across the canal sits the towpath; turn left to begin heading upstream with the canal on your left.  There were quite a few people around the lock when I came here on a warm and humid Saturday morning in early September, but the traffic thinned as I got further upstream.

Hiking the canal towpath

            The wide gravel towpath makes for flat, easy hiking.  Some walls and other old canal remnants passed as you hike add some historical interest.  Numbered concrete obelisks mark each mile, and soon you pass mile marker #37.

Mile marker #37

            Throughout the hike the canal's calm, still waters remain to your left.  The Raritan River lies to your right, but it never comes in sight on this hike due to dense forest featuring many black walnut trees.  1 mile into the hike, the trail angles right to briefly leave the canal bank.  I saw several deer in this area, and a flock of Canada geese greeted me with honking further upstream.

Deer beside the trail

            Ignore a wooden bridge that exits left at 1.4 miles; it leads to Canal Crossing Condominiums.  At 1.6 miles, you reach the small parking lot at the Main Street road crossing in the Borough of Bound Brook.  Several interpretive signs at this crossing describe the Revolutionary War Battle of Bound Brook, which took place here on April 13, 1777.

South Battlefield, Battle of Bound Brook

            The Battle of Bound Brook started as a fight for the stone bridge over Bound Brook, which empties into the Raritan River just north of here.  The battle turned into a rout when 1000 Hessian soldiers fighting for the British marched north on present-day Easton Avenue and dislodged the Patriots from their positions.  This battle exemplifies the frustrations and defeats the Patriots suffered during the early days of the Revolutionary War.

Returning downstream

            The Main Street access and Bound Brook South Battlefield mark a good place to turn around.  Benches for resting and rehydrating are available near the road intersection to the south.  Walk downstream along the towpath to return to Five-Mile Lock and complete the hike.

Morristown National Historical Park: Blue Trail (Blog Hike #774)

Trail: Blue Trail

Hike Location: Morristown National Historical Park

Geographic Location: southwest of Morristown, NJ (40.77231, -74.52797)

Length: 2.7 miles

Difficulty: 4/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Date Hiked: August 2019

Overview: A loop hike through a Revolutionary War campground with a distant view of Manhattan.

Park Information: https://www.nps.gov/morr/index.htm

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=769581

Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: In northern New Jersey, take I-287 to Harter Road (exit 33).  Exit and go west on Harter Rd.  Drive Harter Rd. west 0.9 miles to US 202 and turn left on US 202.  Drive US 202 south 2.2 miles to Tempe Wick Road and turn right on Tempe Wick Rd.  (Note: if you are coming from the south, you can also reach Tempe Wick Rd. by taking the Maple Avenue exit from I-287 and driving US 202 north 1.8 miles.)  Drive Tempe Wick Rd. west 1.4 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, then drive the park’s Tour Road to the New York Brigade parking area, where this hike begins.

The hike: The date was December 1779 when Patriot General George Washington led his struggling Continental Army into Jockey Hollow near Morristown, New Jersey.  In that era armies rarely fought during the winter due to difficulty of movement and scarcity of supplies.  Washington chose Jockey Hollow as his winter campsite that year because it was close enough to British positions in New York City to keep an eye on the enemy but far enough away to discourage a direct confrontation.

In a matter of weeks thousands of acres of trees in Jockey Hollow were felled, and more than 1000 log huts rose in their place.  Each hut housed 12 soldiers, and each hut had to be built to precise specifications.  Any hut failing to meet the specifications was torn down and had to be rebuilt.

            The winter that ensued was one of the harshest and coldest on record; at least 20 snowstorms fell on Morristown.  After more than three years of war, the Continental Congress could not fund the army, and even necessities such as food and clothing were in short supply.  Washington later wrote that the help his army received from local people at Morristown “saved the army from dissolution, or starving.”  In May 1780 word came that France would help the Patriots, and in June the Jockey Hollow camp was dispersed when Washington’s army went off to fight for another summer.  While the American Revolution was not won at Morristown, the salient fact is that it was not lost there either.

            In 1933, Jockey Hollow was preserved as part of Morristown National Historical Park, which was America’s first national historical park.  The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked here during the 1930’s to build many of the trails and structures we use today.  The Wick House located near the Visitor Center preserves the farm of Henry Wick, one of the hollow’s few permanent residents during the Revolutionary War era, and the park offers a loop road that passes many of the hollow’s historic sites.

The Wick House

            For hikers, the park offers an extensive system of color-coded trails, and several good dayhikes present themselves.  The 6.5 mile White Trail forms a grand loop around the hollow, while the 2.25 mile Yellow Trail stays close to the loop road and focuses on the hollow’s historic sites.  This blog entry describes the Blue Trail, which forms a 2.7 mile loop around the northeast corner of Jockey Hollow and passes a scenic east-facing overlook.  Be warned that bugs are fairly bad here during the warmer months, so be sure to wear bug spray in season.

Trailhead for Blue Trail

            The trailhead for the Blue Trail is located behind the restroom building at the New York Brigade parking area.  Marked with rectangular blue paint blazes, the trail descends gradually first through sunny young forest and then through more mature forest with some large oak and tulip poplar trees.  At 0.3 miles, the White Trail joins from the right just before you reach Cat Swamp Pond.  A bench beside the pond makes a nice place to sit and do some wildlife viewing provided the bugs are not too bad.

Cat Swamp Pond

            The White and Blue Trails run conjointly for a few hundred feet until the White Trail exits left.  The Blue Trail continues on an eastward course as it climbs the north side of Mount Kemble, which rises to your right.  The difference between maximum and minimum elevations on this hike is only about 200 vertical feet, so none of the climbs on this hike are too strenuous.  Ignore trails that exit right or left to stay on the outer loop of the Blue Trail.

Hiking through mature forest

            At 0.8 miles, you reach the top of the hill and intersect a gravel road, where the blue blazes tell you to turn right.  Private property comes close on the left as the wide trail heads south following the contour line of Mount Kemble.  Near 1 mile into the hike, you reach a stone and mortar monument to Stark’s Brigade encampment site, a reminder of the soldiers who spent the winter of 1779-1780 here.

Stark's Brigade encampment site

Across from the monument sits the east-facing overlook that marks the scenic highlight of this hike.  Forested ridges make up the majority of the view, but on a clear day you can see Manhattan some 30 miles to the east.  When I came here on a hot and hazy afternoon in early August, I could just barely make out Manhattan’s skyscrapers although they are not discernible in the photo below.  Noisy US 202 below you provides another reminder of your proximity to New York City.  A bench here makes a nice place to sit, rest, and enjoy the view.

East-facing overlook

Past the overlook, the wide dirt trail continues to follow Mount Kemble’s contour line as it circles the south side of the mountain.  As the trail curves right, ignore a side trail that exits left as you begin to descend.  At 1.6 miles, the Blue Trail’s Inner Loop enters from the right as the Outer Loop descends a pair of mild switchbacks to begin following the Old Camp Road.  An interpretive sign tells you that this road was built by the Continental Army to connect two other roads.  Imagine being a soldier slogging through knee-deep snow while walking on this road.

Hiking the old road

The Old Camp Road crosses the outflow of Cat Swamp Pond on a wide wooden footbridge that marks the lowest elevation of this hike.  The White Trail crosses your route before you begin a gradual climb.  At 2.35 miles, the Old Camp Road ends at a gated intersection with the paved park loop road.  To continue the Blue Trail, walk around the vehicle gate, cross the paved road, reenter the forest on the other side of the road, and then turn right where the Orange Trail exits left.

The last 0.3 miles are a gradual to moderate climb with the park loop road close on the right, and this section is by far the least scenic part of the hike.  Soon the restroom building for the New York Brigade parking area comes into view across the road, thus signaling the end of the hike.  Be sure to check out the film and exhibits in the Visitor Center and the adjacent Wick House before you leave if you have not already done so.