Hiking Appalachian Trail, Nj - Goldsmith Route To High Point

ABOUT THE PARK:
Appalachian Trail inwards New Jersey - Appalachian Trail Conservancy

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.306042, -74.587376

Room for 2-3 cars on Mt. Salem Road across the street from gated Goldsmith Road.

TRAIL MAP:
New York/New Bailiwick of Jersey Guide - Appalachian Trail Conservancy

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HIKE DISTANCE: 12.7 miles (6.35 miles each way)

THE HIKE:

On the due north side of Mt. Salem Road, slightly westward from the parking spots, gated Goldsmith Road (no sign).

It's but a brusque distance downwards the loma to ...

... where the Appalachian Trail crosses over. We turned left to function S on the AT towards High Point.

With nevertheless fifty-fifty to a greater extent than pelting during the week, long sections of trail were soggy or flooded.

Coming out on a meadow ...

... alongside early on morning time views behind us.

A fiddling further along barely visible inwards this movie ...

... High Point Monument inwards the distance.

An Eastern Phoebe likely on his agency S for the winter.

Coming upwards on Goodridge Road where the AT crosses over.

Several bridges over creek crossings.

The end crossing is a stone hop which was genuinely easier than it looked.

Coming upwards on Gemmer Road.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Brown Creeper

At Mt. Salem Road (not the same Mt. Salem Road where I parked - these streets larn then confusing inwards this area!) the trail turns correct a few steps ....

... together with but before the New York State describe of piece of job (notice how the route changes from gravel to paved) ...

... the trail turns left. Used to move yous had to climb the stiles but they bring all been moved instantly then yous but function some them. I was relieved to uncovering this since I was non certain how Brodie would create climbing them. It used to move Shawnee's worst nightmare. Fortunately it wasn't an number on this hike.

The trail instantly goes through a swampy expanse where sometimes at that spot are puncheons, sometimes not, but at that spot are a ton of birds here.

Some woman somebody red-winged blackbirds.

Pigeons on a distance silo.

A household sparrow inwards hiding.

Field Sparrow

There were lots of onetime stone farm walls throughout alongside the trail going over several.

At i point, alongside no rocks some to stand upwards on, at that spot was no avoiding mud soup.

Northern Flicker

Balloon #50 of the year.

Crossing gravel Courtright Road.

Coming upwards on Route 519. All of the route crossings to this betoken bring been tranquillity province roads. Cars FLY downwards this route then when the unopen was clear ...

... nosotros RAN over diagonally to the left ...

... into the security of the woods.

The blueish trail leads to a small-scale parking expanse off of Route 519 because route walking to the AT would non move rubber at all.

The trail switchbacks up, commencement on steps.

Once upwards on the ridge, it's pretty apartment together with slowly going for a while.

We had exclusively seen i other hiker this entire fourth dimension then nosotros but sat inwards the middle of the trail for a break.

Coming upwards on a pretty creek ...

... alongside a stone hop over.

This blueish trail leads to the High Point shelter.

Now the trail climbs over again together with becomes really rocky.

Almost at the top, the intersection alongside the trail to High Point monument. This would bring been our plough some betoken but nosotros were then unopen to the viewing platform that nosotros turned left to function there. We were at the monument before this twelvemonth together with it form of puts a damper on a overnice peaceful hike since it's then crowded together with loud there.