Southern Loop at Apshawa Preserve

Apshawa Preserve

Butler Reservoir - Photo by Daniel Chazin Butler Reservoir - Photo by Daniel Chazin

This hike follows woods roads and footpaths through the southern area of the preserve, climbing to a viewpoint and passing beautiful cascades and interesting historical remnants of a century-old water purification plant.

41.025208, -74.374223

The Apshawa Preserve is a rugged 576-acre tract owned by Passaic County and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. About seven miles of trails traverse the preserve, and this hike features the trails in the southern section of the preserve. The trails are marked with paint blazes and with colored plastic diamond blazes, some of which incorporate the logo of the New Jersey Conservation...

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Trip Reports

rate experience
August 04, 2018
0
What a beautiful little park!!!
I've lived in NJ for 40 years but never found this wonderful little park. It was hot today - 86 degrees when I left the car - but the trail is very shady. It rained HEAVY yesterday and this morning, so the trails were very wet, but the streams and waterfalls were spectacular. I would definitely recommend doing this hike after there's been a lot of rain, with waterproof/Gortex shoes. I don't think it would be nearly as nice without the raging streams. However, crossing the Apshawa brook near the southern end of the Green Trail loop was a challenge and I was wading up to my knees in the stream.
jwrushman
August 03, 2017
3
Decent hike, views might be better during the wintertime
I did this hike today and finished it in about 2 and a half hours. I went somewhat slow and took a detour on the white and red outlook trails. The map provided by the Apshawa Preserve marks a viewpoint on the white trail, but during the summer it was mostly obscured by leaves. It was the same on the green trail, although one viewpoint was mostly unobstructed. The views weren't much to write home about, too. Wyanokie high point and the Silas County Park are within a short drive of this park, and they provide much more expansive views.
bromli
November 18, 2014
0
New Apshawa Trail Configuration
<p>Thank you for noting the map discrepancies on our Jersey Highlands map 125.&nbsp; The Apshawa trail system was reconfigured in 2013 with some new trail routes as well as changes to blaze colors, so our 1st edition map (published in 2011) does not show these trails entirely correctly.&nbsp; We will be sure to show the new configuration on the next 2nd edition revision of the maps.<br><br>A map available on the preserve's website shows the recent changes:<br>http://www.njconservation.org/apshawapreserve.htm<br><br>It is great to hear the trails were well-marked, although it is still recommended that one carry a map!<br><br>~Jeremy, TC Cartographer</p>
Jeremy Apgar
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