Horse Pond Mountain via Burnt Meadow Loop (Long Pond Ironworks State Park)
Hike Type: Loop
Distance: 2.86 miles
Elevation: 584 feet
My Time: 1 hour, 14 minutes
Book Time: 1 hour, 43 minutes moving
Parking: Roadside pull-off parking for 2-4 cars along Burnt Meadow Road (572-702 Burnt Meadow Rd, Hewitt, NJ 07421 on Google Maps, just south of the "Green Trail Crossing" label).
Hiking Challenges: Ringwood-Ramapo Hiking Challenge
Hiking Challenges: Ringwood-Ramapo Hiking Challenge
The Hike
Hike #2 would be a loop along the Burnt Meadow Loop, going over Horse Pond Mountain. I had a nice
drive from the Cooper Union Trail, and the trailhead for this hike was just a bit further down the road than Google Maps showed. There was a pull-off for 2-4 cars along the road. My intended route was to go right up Horse Pond Mountain first and then do the rest of the Burnt Meadow Loop, but I opted to reverse course to (hopefully) save the best views for last.
I re-suited up, crossed the road, and started my hike on the green-blazed Burnt Meadow Loop! A trailhead kiosk read:
"The 8,000 acres of Long Pond Ironworks State Park are located just east of Greenwood Lake and incorporate the former Wanaque Wildlife Managemnt Area.
The 175-acre Long Pond Ironworks Historic District is an example of the ironworks plantations established in the American Colonies prior to independence. The village and furnaces at Long Pond produced iron for the Continental Army, for the American forces in the War of 1812, and for the Union Army during the Civil War. Long Pond Ironworks is listed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
The historical value of Long Pond Ironworks is paralleled only by its natural beauty. The forests that were once cut to make charcoal for the furnaces have returned, and the river that was once diverted into the hydropower systems again cascades over ancient rock formations."
There was an abundant mix of paint and metal blazes, and a nearly endless supply of mushrooms in these woods. A blue-blazed trail joined briefly at an old road in a sea of ferns, and I hiked over a small pile of bear poop, too! The trail was grassier than I wanted, but in fairness, it is July. I caught some webs as I crossed over a murky stream, then another old road, a few rocky drainages, and then I began to climb up to the ridge.
At an open slab with obstructed views, the blue trail joined again and I could just barely see what I assume was Horse Pond Mountain. From here, I continued back into the woods, drenched in sweat, but just because of humidity. The canopy above was pretty open and the trail was grassy until I got further into the woods on what seemed like a relocated stretch of trail.
I spooked a couple of deer (and lamented that I was not fast enough to get a photo - same with the Coyote from the last hike!) as a propeller plane zoomed above. There were actually a lot of planes overhead - I feel like there's a small airport in Greenwood Lake, so that would make sense. The trail descended for a bit, eventually nearing a power cut and coming to a junction with a woods road where the blue trail terminates and the Burnt Meadow Trail crosses a stream and follows another woods road through the power cut.
I could hear machinery from nearby homes/businesses (and saw someone's boat?) as I crossed the road (same road my car was parked on) and continued back into the woods. A sign mentioned that this area has been closed to bear hunting since 2018, and another saying that "hunting stands or blinds are required to be conscpicuously marked with the owner's Conservation Identification Number (CIN) and other contact information; stands may remain in place until fourteen (14) days after the closing date of the hunting season," with a hunting stand high in a tree just after.
I followed ATV tracks along this trail through pretty woods before the Burnt Meadow Trail joined the teal-blazed Highlands Trail to cross the Horse Pond Mountain ridge. First, I turned left on the Highlands Trail to see a potential view from the power cut, which was... nice!
I then hiked up the spine of the mountain with terrain similar to the Kittatinny Ridge. I could begin to hear a pitter-patter of rain, but I wasn't feeling anything. I caught a little view towards the Monksville Reservoir that has a good number of kayak and paddle boarders.
The trail neared some private property on the right, which was just barely in eyesight. I started to feel the little pitter-patter on my skin, which actually felt lovely. A gentle incline led to a junction with a green-dot-blazed trail, I put my new shower cap over my camera, and naturally the mist and pitter-patter turned into a full-blown rain the second I got to the main viewpoint!
The view with the rain was actually delightfully spooky, and it was until a second viewpoint where the rain really started to pick up. I took a couple of photos and kept on moving, feeling bad (but also a little bit of schadenfreude) for the folks down in the reservoir. I climbed up some slippery slabs after the second viewpoint toward the summit (I believe) and then turned for a pretty, albeit wet ramble before turning off of the Highlands Trail and starting a steeper descent. My shower cap was working perfectly, and I saw some baby blueberries!
Back in the land of old woods roads, a big fly flew directly into my cornea (like a perfect bullseye) as the trail grade flattened and got back to a nice meander. I turned on and off of a few woods roads, eventually crossing a stream, turning onto a relocation, and before I knew it, I was back at my car!
I thought about calling it a day here, but I brought enough dry clothes to keep pressing on - so off I went to Hike #3!
Step-by-Step
- Start Hike on west side of Burnt Meadow Road on the Burnt Meadow Trail (green).
- Follow loop around Long Hill and cross Burnt Meadow Road on the far side.
- At jct., turn right to stay on Burne Meadow Trail, joining the Highlands Trail (teal).
- After viewpoints, turn right to continue on Burnt Meadow Trail when the Highlands Trail continues straight.
- Return to car.
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