Stellar Feature
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Hike 3:NORVIN GREEN CREST LOOP NORVIN GREEN CREST LOOP The rugged terrain of the 4,365-acre Norvin Green State Forest creates a scenic preserve within the New Jersey Highlands. Hikers seeking views will pass several vistas on this undulating loop, while flashlight-toting spelunkers can explore deep shafts drilled by iron miners who arrived in the 1700s seeking blue ore. This route stretches 8.3 miles to take in most of Norvin Green’s highlights, but hikers looking to cover less terrain need only look at the trail map to chart a shorter course along the many intersecting paths. From the large parking lot near the Weis Ecology Center, walk 200 feet east along Snake Den Road to where the Mine Trail (yellow circle atop white background) and Wyanokie Circular Trail (red circle on white) jointly head into the forest beside privately owned land. After .2 mile, veer left to follow the yellow blazes of the Mine Trail as it dips up and over low ridges coated in oak and maple then curls back to Mine Falls, a small cascade on Mine Brook. Mine Trail recrosses Wayanokie Circular then rises steeply up the shoulder of 615-foot Ball Mountain to a rocky outcrop offering views of nearby forested peaks. Descending, the trail passes several small pits on its way to Roomy Mine, a large open pit with a horizontal shaft drilled deep into the hillside. Named for surveyor Benjamin Roome, the mine was opened in 1840 and produced iron ore for nearly 17 years. Hikers with flashlights can explore the interior. Outside, orange blazes of the Roomy Mine Trail lead .1 mile to the Wyanokie Circular, a rather pointless shortcut. Follow the Mine Trail back to the valley floor, where Mine reunites with Wyanokie Circular, and both paths follow a woods road south .3 mile to Mine Brook. Before crossing the footbridge, look south to see the entrance to the Blue Mine, discovered around 1765 by Peter Hasenclever and worked off and on until 1905. Cross the brook and follow the aligned trails as they curl west past old tailings and a camp shelter made with stone walls and a metal roof. The aligned trails split a short distance beyond; turn left to stay on the red-blazed Wyanokie Circular, following signs to High Point. The trail crosses a creek and passes a junction with the Lower Trail (white blazes) then begins a gradual .7-mile ascent through thinning trees to Wyanokie High Point, a 968-foot bluff of exposed bedrock offering 360-degree views. Highlights of the vista include the Wanaque Reservoir nestled amid rolling hills carpeted in hardwoods with only the occasional subdivision or highway to interrupt the view. In the far distance rises the Manhattan skyline. Descend back into the trees and in .1 mile veer left at the junction with the Hewitt Butler Trail (blue). Blue and red blazes run jointly for the next .2 mile, here also joined by the teal diamonds of the overlaying Highlands Trail. When the paths split, turn right and follow Wyanokie Circular’s red blazes as they weave amid rolling hilltops alternately covered in lush grasses or dotted with dying trees. After .9 mile, look for the triple orange squares marking the start of the short Outlaw Trail. Turn left and follow the orange blazes .3 mile through blueberry fields to a junction with the Wyanokie Crest Trail (yellow). Veer right onto Wyanokie Crest, which in .2 mile reaches a rocky viewpoint and then descends through a thicket of mountain laurel to an often-dry creekbed and a junction with the Otter Hole Trail (green). Continue straight, heading uphill on a path that again picks up the teal diamonds of the Highlands Trail. The path makes a grueling ascent toward hillside viewpoints along patches of steep, smooth rock that will test hikers’ scrambling skills. Stay with the yellow and teal blazes as the Wyanokie Crest and Highlands Trails veer left (away from a more obvious but unofficial shortcut) toward additional hillside views. When Highlands splits left, stay with the yellow-blazed Wyanokie Crest and begin a steady slog to the 1,290-foot summit of Buck Mountain. Although it is the highest point in Norvin Green State Forest, Buck’s summit is too crowded with trees for good views. Stay on the trail as it heads north on an undulating and occasionally level path, crossing several rock-strewn areas where yellow blazes are the only indication you’re on the right course. Cross a dirt road, and in about .2 mile reach the junction bearing the familiar red blazes of the Wyanokie Circular Trail. Also near the junction are pink blazes marking a rough uphill trail to a viewpoint on Assiniwikam Mountain. Turn right onto Wyanokie Circular to begin the final 1.6 miles that complete the loop. Switchbacks down rocky terrain lead .2 mile to a dirt road that acts as an extension of the Macopin Trail. Turn left onto the road and after a short distance look for white blazes to confirm you’re on the correct route. After .2 mile, turn left again onto the green-blazed Otter Hole Trail. The route leads directly to back to the Weis Ecology Center, although the path toggles between woods road and single-track, and several blazes (not all shown correctly on maps) join the trail at various points. In its final .4 mile, the trail passes a junction with the Mine and Hewitt Butler Trails, joins Snake Den Road, passes a community swimming pool, and crosses a stream before returning to the Weis parking lot. Options Directions No public transportation leads directly to Norvin Green State Forest, although New Jersey Transit provides bus service to Wanaque on routes 196 and 197. For details, contact New Jersey Transit at 800/772-2222, www.njtransit.com. Information and Contact
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