Goal Met: 10 (or more) Outdoor Hikes

I’ve always liked being in the woods – as a child I would explore the scrub pine forest that was our backyard growing up. We’d wander around the white sands looking for cool stuff and just enjoying the primal feeling of being in nature, smelling the strong scent of pine and the earthy petrichor of the streams that dotted the forest. We found all kinds of things wandering the woods – beaver dams, fishing spots, fox dens, a weird amphitheater cut into the woods with a podium made of stone in the middle (OK so we never went back there because that shit was creepy). The serenity of the woods is ingrained in me and I always long to just go back. My dream vacation would be a cabin in the woods on a lake where I could just explore the forest with my family then come back to have a fire and make dinner then enjoy a scotch while relaxing and breathing in the cool night air.

All that being said – I never get to go on hikes much anymore. I just have a lot on my plate and so many activities to balance so I decided to make it a goal this year to get out at least 10 times. I picked 10 because that seems like something that would balance against all the other demands on my time and is often enough that I feel it would benefit me.

I usually go on hikes with the kids but there is one weekend a year where I go up on longer and more challenging hikes. I like do to them solo because it lets me stop at my leisure in picaresque spots to sit and just be present. Also – asking anyone else to climb a mile long 40 degree rock strewn trail to the summit just seems mean.

Lets take a look at the trails we hit in 2024:

Clayton Park Green Loop / Blue Pond Trail (1.8 miles) – This is the home park one that we frequent often because they have a nice mix of short scenic trails and a few longer loop trails. We took the green loop to the blue so we could visit the pond. It was early in the spring so not much to see but it was still a nice way to spend a morning.

Abbot Marshlands Spring Lake Trail (1.5 miles) – I found this by googling ‘hiking trails near me’ it was a short loop through the marshlands. It was mid spring and there was a prolonged period of rain before we went so it was lush and green and smelled like spring. It was a really flat trail so not that challenging

Sourland Mountain Devil’s 1/2 acre loop (3.15 miles) – this is a fun trail it starts off with a gradual climb over a pretty rocky trail then sharply rises to a boulder scramble which the kids did their best mountain goat impressions while also giving me anxiety attacks. We manged to get to the top without incident and took our lunch amidst the boulder field the finished off the loop on the gradually descending trail

Mount Vesuvius – The River of Lava (1.5 miles) – Nice winding trail starting from a higher elevation and sloping down through through a wooded area until it opens up to a giant scar in the woods where the eruption in the 1940’s burned its way through in a path of destruction. A short climb and you are standing right on the path of that lava flow and all around you is black lava rock but interestingly enough there’s also fields of wildflowers and so many butterflies showing how nature is slowly overtaking the destruction. A short climb up the slope and you can get a really clear view of the bay of Naples

Watershed Institute: Creek side Trail (2.3) – Another local favorite this trail starts off with a nice clean boardwalks that winds through the watershed with fields of flowers and bird habitats. You step off the boardwalk onto the creek side trail and that loops around a with a lot if interesting spots (including a special ‘hobbit tree’ – a giant tree in a clearing) relatively flat trail with lots of muddy spots (it is a watershed after all)

Crystal Springs Nature Trail (3 miles) – We were staying at Crystal Springs for a little weekend getaway and one morning we decided to check out this nature trail that winded through the woods and across the golf course a few times. It had lots of informational posters on the trail talking about wildlife and nature in general which was in clear dissonance with the fact they built a giant golf course in the middle of the mountains. It was a nice day for a walk but it didn’t ‘feel’ like we were in the woods due to the noise from the resort.

Plainsboro Preserve Yellow Loop / White Trail (2.7 miles) – The Audubon society preserve is a haven for birdwatchers and on our hike we saw plenty of them! Herons, hawks, blue birds, jays, swallows, finches, ducks and of course the ever present Canada goose. This loop takes out you into the middle of the lake on a small peninsula where you get a great view of the lake and the surrounding area. Pretty flat trails but a variety of environments – from thickly canopied woods to bright and airy scrub trees.

Mount Tammany Red/Blue/Sunfish pond loop (11 miles) – One of the longer hikes it started with a very steep climb to the overlook via the red trail. I mean very steep – I had to stop a few times to just catch a breath as parts of it are more climbing than walking. The view from the top is great however and worth the climb and once I rested a bit I opted to do the sunfish loop adding almost 5 miles to the day. I thought I was done climbing so it wouldn’t be so bad – however I was gravely mistaken as the glacial pond was another 1000 feet of elevation at a steep incline. Once I got to the top it was a nice place to rest my aching legs and psych myself up for the last 5 miles down to the parking lot. The trail down wasn’t too bad – there were some spots where I had to use the hiking poles to keep my balance but overall it wasn’t too bad. Lots of water elements – however due to a prolonged drought they were mostly dry or brackish. I’d like to come back to see if during a normal rainy season.

Pyramid Mountain Yellow/Red/Yellow loop (5 miles) – This hike was an interesting adventure. Firstly my legs are toast from the 11 miles of climbing the day before and I was physically spent so I thought this short 5 miler should be pretty straightforward. It was not – I too the wrong trail marker and started at the end of the trail. Why does this matter because of the famous ‘100 stairs’ trail. It is what it says it is – 100 stairs cut into the mountain so you could get to the top quicker. It was also unseasonably warm that day and each ‘stair’ was a slab of stone so it took a while to scramble to the top (and I’m sure there were more than 100.. it was an arduous climb) once you get to the top though the rest of the rail is open, on flat ground and slowly descending so it was a pleasant walk to enjoy the fall foliage. The highly touted waterfall on this trail was bone dry due to the drought so it felt like a big letdown.. I was hoping for at least some water features but the land was parched.

Mercer County Park Red Loop (1 mile) – this is a beginner trail – completely flat and with little to no challenge. I was on it as part of my son’s cub scout troop’s hiking program. It was a fun hike led by the scoutmaster who showed them how to build a fire and what to put in a survival kit. It was so easy I considered not including it but a hike is a hike!

[no photo due for privacy reasons]

I still plan on doing a few more hikes as we get into the colder months and hopefully a snow hike at some point (if it ever snows here in the winter again) but for now these 10 were a lot of fun and I plan on keeping this goal going forward.

Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt – John Muir