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 Reporter |
Summary: If you are looking for a challenge this is it. The trail will take you along the reservoir, over ledges, on mountain tops. through deep hardwood forests, as well as swamps. The only road crossing throughout the entire loop is Splitrock Rd. Which is a dirt rd anyway. While I was hiking this loop I felt like I was in a wilderness. The only way I new I was not was the development going on in the Northern part of the Splitrock. That section is short and then you are back in solitude. You will get to climb on Indian Rock as well as pass by the big boulder. Wildlife abounds in the area, especially song birds. This loop has a lot of Variety to it. Even though the loop takes you around the reservoir you are not along the shores the entire time. The trails weave all over the area. In fact there is only 2 sections that take you along the shores. the rest is high on Mountain tops or in the valleys. Trailhead: From Sussex boro take rt 23 south. Go past Canister rd. Make a right onto Greenpond Rd. Follow Greenpond Rd to Hebernia rd. Make left onto Hebernia rd. Take to Splitrock rd. Make a left onto Splitrock rd. Take Splitrock Rd (Dirt) over dam. Just past dam there is a DEP lot. Park here and then walk up the rd just past power lines and trail will cross Splitrock Rd. (Lat:40.5838 Lon:-74.2637) Trail Guides for Splitrock Loop, NJ: Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Ranger Contact: New York/New Jersey Trail Conference Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Shawn Viggiano, who has posted 44 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 2 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Brenna on 1/30/2012 This is a great hike, challenging at times with a lot of variation. Plan to spend the day - it took us and our dog about 7 hours to finish it. Some people are confused by the markers about half way in... for start - check here, http://www.njhiking.com/nj-challenging-hikes-splitrock-reservoir-loop.php There is a great list of directions that helps a lot. Essentially, you stay on white until you pass the obvious red blazes. Then, there is a light blue trail to the right, follow that the rest of the way (and consult those directions!). Gorgeous views and a good workout. 
Reviewed by justin K on 9/11/2011 This was the only hike I ever got lost on !! We started out by the dirt road near the bridge by the lake right next to power lines. We saw the new homes built along the beginning part of the hike, which I read about on this site. Let me tell you that this was absolutely beautiful about 2 hours into the trail, but the markers were def switched up. We ended up hiking all thru the back country...swamps, lakes, valleys..for a total of ten hours! We ended up on an unmarked trail, heard traffic from a highway...literally crossed a river, scaled a retaining wall to get closer to the road, followed traintracks and ended up at a water treatment center after at night and had to have the cops drive us back to the car...which was 25 minutes away! 
Reviewed by Leib on 3/31/2010 This hike is very easy i happen to be a professional hiker but thies you might not believe but this hike really took me less than an hour s i wrote this may take 8 hours but this is like a nature walk
Reviewed by Todd on 6/3/2009 I am a long distance trail runner. I picked this trail up across from my house on Green Pond Rd. The trail could use some maintenance, but that is part of the fun. Ran the loop in just under 3 hours. It is easy to lose the trail in spots, just hope you know land navigation!!! I did run into one of the McMansions...really ruins it. But on the whole, a good technical run, keeps your mind on your running. I will use this trail as part of my training for ultramarathons.
Reviewed by Michelle on 6/2/2008 Great hike! We started off on the blue trail side. When the blue trail turns into the white trail the markings on the trees are orange instead of white for quite a while. We intentionally went off the marked loop several times to explore and always managed to find our way back onto the trail. The trail was very easy to follow with the exception of a section or two of the white trail. We picked several ticks off us, came across 9 snakes, several frogs and a baby deer bedding down so camoflauged that we nearly stepped on it. You'll get a good workout on this hike. It took us 8 hours with several stops, lunch and exploring. We will definitely do this one again.
Reviewed by MapQuest Warng on 12/9/2007 MAPQUEST WARNING: Latitude / longitude coordinates (Lat:40.5838 Lon:-74.2637) might be off, since clicking on MAPQUEST button takes you far away to Middlesex County NJ instead of Boonton, Morris County, NJ.
Reviewed by Judy on 7/28/2007 We did the portion of the loop that is north of Splitrock Road only. It was exhausting, but fun. The trails at the north are confusing. At the under construction mega mansion squared on the east side, we hiked down to the woods road, took a left onto the woods road that was blazed with three yellow circles, found the pink trail, and took that until it met up with the wile (4 Birds) trail. I think we missed some good parts of the blue trail.
Reviewed by John L on 6/4/2007 This is an amazing with beautiful scenery along the way. Saw a momma bear and 2 cubs. Nice views from several vantage points. Trail can use better blazing and maintenance in some sections and ATVers have torn up the northern section somewhat, but that doesn't detract at all from what is a gorgeous area. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: New Jersey Hiking, New Jersey Trails, New Jersey Hikes, Morris County Hiking, Morris County Trails, Morris County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
