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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 Submit your own review 
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.
Reviewed by bg on 4/1/2007 This is a terrible hike. The path is barely marked. Some markers are not visible from the previous. There is no trail maintenance which was fine because I am an avid hiker. When I started having problems was at the end of the reservoirs around where the ATV assholes are. They get drunk, light illegal fires, and then CHANGE the markers. After where this begins, there are markers going forwards but not in the reverse direction. This isn’t funny if you ATV assholes are reading this as it could result in death from exposure to the elements since getting lost thanks to you is easy. This was the worst hiking experience of my life, and I have done Mt. Washington, Kathadin, and have explored the Alagash water system in Maine for 10 days straight. 
Reviewed by Mike on 10/30/2006 A few updates on this hike. I lapped it today. The trail condition is horrible now, simply not maintained and since its fall and the trail is not used much by others, I added an hour to the hike in just being lost. Also, I took about 50-75 ticks off my self over the day (yes I am not kidding). Last, they are building McMansions along the trail in one section. Great distance hike but Im not going back. Simply beautiful if your ok with the above.
Reviewed by Kasia on 9/13/2005 Very nice hike but needs a lot of maintenance. Trail markers can be lost easily so it is hard to follow the trail. 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
