Hike Reviews

We hiked this Apshawa Preserve loop on a hot early-July day, enjoying the cooler temperatures in the forest at the side of the reservoir. The parking lot was a generous size, and essentially empty, and trailhead access was clearly marked with a sign board. Blazes were plentiful and easy to follow at both footpath and woods roads, including well marked trail junctions - a good thing as the actual single track footpath was barely traveled in some sections, disappearing into the grassy weeds. The hike description is accurate to the actual conditions that we found, and the 'Moderate' designation is also accurate. There are only a few short vertical sections that require careful scrambling up or down, but the overall loop is on the easier side of Moderate. We also used the color-coded, letter-size trail map available for download at the New Jersey Conservation Foundation webpage for the Preserve: https://www.njconservation.org/preserve/apshawa-preserve/ There were some muddy spots that could have used a few sections of boardwalk/puncheons, but easy to cross with caution. There were also a few large blow-downs across the trail, but herd paths typically lead the alternate walk-around. We saw evidence that beavers remain active, with signs that they are maintaining the dam at the small pond. The beaver also seemed to be active at the inlet stream at the northwest corner of the reservoir, but the water level had dropped in that area, leaving a large muddy area. Crossing the beaver dam at the pond required caution, as the trail was moist, hidden in weeds, and very narrow. We saw no evidence of the closed Yellow trail – we assume that trail has been fully abandoned since it was closed to hikers back in 2014. The trailhead bulletin board also makes clear that the Yellow trail is closed. We enjoyed the many viewpoints of the reservoir, which is really not much more than a pond. Since the water level is lower than the height of the dam, lilypads are present throughout. Definitely classic beaver habitat. The rock faces on the west side of the reservoir were a good rest stop for snacks and water. We also appreciated the few vistas at the highest points of the trail. The trail description mentions nearby residences, but these were not visible anywhere. We could hear noise from the adjacent roads, but the interior of the hike was quiet. Overall maintenance is not up to Trail Conference standards - so the disclaimer in the trail description heading makes sense. The aluminum bridges were in good, stable condition, but piled up with debris on the upstream sides likely from recent heavy storms. If that continues, the bridges might be tipped over. We were also careful at the deer gates, only to find that sections of the deer fence are missing and some gates do not latch - so much for protecting the interior of the Preserve. Based on the ease of access and parking, and the quality of the hike, we would likely return in the Fall season to try the Green trail loop.