MCPC Hike 8/7/10: Turkey Brook Park, Mt. Olive, NJ

We're excited to be reconnecting with the Morris County Park Commission [MCPC] on Saturday, 8/7/10, for the August Hike-a-Park-a-Month hike. The destination this time is Turkey Brook Park in Mt. Olive, NJ, which has recently been opened from the information I found online.

It's been a while and we can't wait to spend the morning with Tom, Janet and Russ!

Here is how Tom Edmunds describes the hike:

"We’re all set for a cool, mostly shaded walk in Mt Olive’s Turkey Brook Park on Saturday, August 7. Volunteers, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and other citizens of Mt Olive have done a great job of creating and maintaining a trail system in this large park.

This is a linear trail hike so we will have to car pool from the Meeting Point in the Budd Lake area, to the hike Start Point at Mt Olive High School. If you have an SUV/Van we’d appreciate some assistance in the car pooling effort. We’ll form the car pooling at the meeting point."

Sounds perfect for an August hike!

[By the way, did you know that Budd Lake is the largest natural lake in New Jersey according to Wikipedia?]

If you are interested in joining the group, please be sure to contact Tom Edmunds via email at:

tedmunds@morrisparks.net.

Pending approval from the Mt. Olive Police Department, here follow meeting details:

Meeting Place: The cul-de-sac at end of Gold Mine Rd (off rt 46 not rt 206) in Budd Lake.

Time: 9 AM

Route: A 2.5 hour hike from Mt Olive High School back to the meeting point. A diverse trail surface---some wet spots, cool woods, short road side walk and open fields.

Bring: Good hiking shoes (rain could make for some sloppy spots), water, a snack and bug spray if you use/need it. Please note that hiking in shorts is NOT recommended as there are numerous areas of poison ivy.

There are no restroom facilities on this hike.

Directions: Rt I-80 west, exit #26 (Budd Lake, Hackettstown)

Go about 2+ miles on rt 46 west passing the International Trade Zone

Look for landmarks---Light at the Budd Lake Diner and the Old Blue Bird Inn on right (abandoned many years), and then a car wash on left.

NOTE: Gold Mine Rd is right after the car wash but you can’t turn left (not ‘allowed’), keep right and before the next light, make jug handle turn at Anderson Pl and come back on rt 46 east, then turn right into Gold Mine Rd. Go to the far end to the cul-de-sac for parking.

Mapquest should give you these same basic directions from your home if coming from the east. Be sure they are directing you to Gold Mine Rd off route 46, not off route 206 in Flanders area. (Try a street address like 88 Gold Mine Rd)

See you there!