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.