5.5 miles Route 23 west to Clinton Road North. P7 Lot. NYNJTC Map # 116, Northern New Jersey Highlands Trails Map.
Lot is just past a driveway for a wildlife management group, a second lot with kiosk and you’ve gone too far (altho i believe the trail there meets up with the gas line cut, which will meet with the blue trail.)
NOTE: No facilities, anywhere. There are many parking lots in this area, and not a porta to be found.
There is a rest area marked on the DeLorme NJ Atlas (2001) that marks a full facility stop on RT 23 traveling west – but it is just a picnic area. Best bet is a gas station.
YELLOW – YELLOW DOT – WHITE – BLUE
For detailed hike directions, maps, photos and GPS coordinates, visit our Terrace Pond page.
Trail starts across the road, BLUE and YELLOW blazes joined but split almost immediately. BLUE will take you to the Pond over steep scrambles.
We started out heading right onto YELLOW. Nice forest with a feeling of seclusion except for occasional planes. Follows woods roads for most, with several unmarked ones.
Explored a couple unmarked that were on our trail map and stumbled upon two black bears. One climbed quite high up a tree to check us out, and there was one below.
They seemed on the small side and we were concerned they may be cubs with mom nearby. Since we were off our route anyway, we decided to backtrack to the yellow.
Took YELLOW-DOT at that junction, to the left. Mostly level until some steep scrambles up. Connect with the WHITE, which goes around the pond, and made a right.
Had a snack on the east side of the Pond, then continued for a bit till white hit blue. We took white, left, and headed over some wet sections and up some steep scrambles to where white meets itself from left. We made a right onto BLUE.
Several steep scrambles followed until getting to a gas pipe cut where you head downhill, steeply. Watch for the BLUE marker on left and take that to the car.
(or, i would assume, if you parked at the 2nd lot you would continue down the gas cut)
NOTE The BLUE trail section from parking to pond is actually quite challenging and the scrambling is fun, but I’ve seen this listed as a “popular” hike and “for kids” – but I think some people would be surprised at its difficulty. It’s not usual NJ hiking, which ,while rocky, doesn’t usually involve so much climbing.