Baldpate Mtn, Ted Stiles Preserve

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Jdog told me to check this place out. Rode it yesterday, first check the maps.

This park is bordered by NJ 29, Fiddlers Creek Rd, Pleasant Valley Road and Church Rd in Hopewell Twp, Mercer County
 

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stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Below is the MotionBased for my ride, first time using the GPS also.

If you looks at the maps....

I started out on the backside of Washington Crossing Park and hit the Honey Hollow Red trail, mostly single track small downhill and then back up. Has an uphill with stone steps, someone put some major time in here buuilding steps, good to ride down with really no line to ride up. Made a left onto Copper Hill Tr, fun wide singletrack down then super step uphill, can't lie, got caught in high gear and hiked it, would be a fun downhill. Left on Ridge Trail, double track slight up/downs, saw tons of side trails but didn't have time to explore. Over to the NW Loop, took a dead end. Had high hopes for this area cause it borders a quarry, good decent and climb but all double track. Linked back to Summit Trail. This trail starts out in a field and then quickly turns in a to fun twisty singletrack, some stone steps down and good tech stuff two switchbacks. Then..super steep stair steps down, hiked it due to leaves and wet (this section is a trials paradise), not possible to ride up (see pic) bottom of this trail was super fun. Access rode back to top, Summit trail made this worth it. back across Ridge and around the Honey Hollow, wide singletrack, mainly smooth.

The trails are insanely well marked with plastic squares.

Overall this place adds options if you live in the area. A lot more climbing/descending then most trail in the area. Can be linked to Washington Crossing Park (the legal stuff). This place has major potential and has awesome rolling terrain. Will be checking out more this weekend.

WARNING: The area in the map detail aroung the Honey Hollow Trail is posted No Tresspassing everyday but Sunday due to Hunting. This area has more permanant tree stands then your little brother has stroke mags.

See ride below:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/4471490

I was stopping alot to figure out where I was. You could do this in about an hour and 10.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Pics:

1: Honey Hollow going up: Stair Steps, no line to ride unless to are up for some trials. Is rideable. This was fun going down.... Sorry it is dark...

2: Summit Trail

3: Summit Trail: Technical Bliss

4: Summit Trail, stair steps looking from below :scared:
 

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Shaggz

A strong 7
awesome, kevin. i will add this to our trail directory and subforums based on the information you put here. great pics...
 

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
STB222- those stairs looks like fun (going down).....Thanks for the write up on the trails as well for the maps.... Good to know there is something close....Your from Mercer have you heard of the Prison Trail in Yardville....
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
STB222- those stairs looks like fun (going down).....Thanks for the write up on the trails as well for the maps.... Good to know there is something close....Your from Mercer have you heard of the Prison Trail in Yardville....

I think I sawyou metion it on another thread. Details? Length?
 

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
I think I sawyou metion it on another thread. Details? Length?

Yup I did.....Really want to head out there....Do you see other riders or is this place predominately hiking trails....I haven't heard anything about Bald-Pate before you mentioned it on the other thread.....Were there any side trails that are not included on the maps that you could see.....Say off the Summit trail for example....
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Yup I did.....Really want to head out there....Do you see other riders or is this place predominately hiking trails....I haven't heard anything about Bald-Pate before you mentioned it on the other thread.....Were there any side trails that are not included on the maps that you could see.....Say off the Summit trail for example....

I think right now, it is mostly hikers. There looks to be a bunch of side trails, I saw one that was marked with a pink with black polka dot ribbon off of the ridge trail. Other trails that were unmarked. Non that I noticed off of the summit trail. Someone has done major trail work here, the stone steps makes you think it is hiking based because going up is almost impossible even where it isn't steep.
 

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
The terrain is kinda like early Sourland Mt Reserve site( geared toward hikers).....Seems like the whole range is rocky ( Hence 3M blasting away at the available rock for years).....3M IS CLOSING btw:D
 
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stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Rode Baldpate again on Sunday and explored some of the side trails off the ridge trail and came up short every time. This place needs more single track! The stuff in the Honey Hollow area is a good start. The summit trail is fun, even with the hike-a-bike section, but I hate having to climb back up on the access road. We should get in with the county now, while things are still developing there...
 

J-Dro

Well-Known Member
Can the elevation gain from your motionbased map be correct? 2900' of elevation gain? I don't remember quite that much climbing from my previous visits there a few years ago.

It doesn't sound like much has changed over the past few years. The place definitely has tons of potential. But after riding every trail in the park, you still leave wishing for more. There is a very active hiker organization there - Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS).

I need to revisit Baldpate since I'm only 15 minutes away.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Does seem alittle high but if you consider that there is 400' of elevation there, it is possible. Take that I took the one trail down and came back up the road. There is some new single track in the detail area of the map, but hardly any.
 

J-Dro

Well-Known Member
Does seem alittle high but if you consider that there is 400' of elevation there, it is possible. Take that I took the one trail down and came back up the road. There is some new single track in the detail area of the map, but hardly any.

Are you using the "MB Gravity" option on motionbased to clean up the elevation data? Usually when the elevation gain seems too high its because this option isn't selected. The option is available via the preferences, Tune-Up tab in your motionbased account.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Are you using the "MB Gravity" option on motionbased to clean up the elevation data? Usually when the elevation gain seems too high its because this option isn't selected. The option is available via the preferences, Tune-Up tab in your motionbased account.

Just fixed it and it changed it to 1700' which more realistic. Still more climbing then most places in this area.
 
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stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Was doing a road ride the other day and noticed that there is a new entrance for Baldpate off of Pleasant Valley Road, near RT 579. This is a newly constructed entrance with a Green Acres sign. It connect to a parking lot which would be the top of hill where the newer trails are. It is located at the intersection of the Power Line Trail and The Copper Hill Trail.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
This place just doesn't have enough single track but has way more climbing then anything else in the area. Looks like the state is dumping some money into this place, so it may get better.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
While on a road ride on Pleasant Valley Road (the northside of Baldpate) I noticed that the trail head (no parking area) closer to 29 has a new sign that states "Hikers Only". Not good! I know the state is dumping some money into this place right now with the new parking lot. Has anyone else noticed any signs like this within the park? I haven't had time to check it out lately.
 
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