Frenchtown Preserve Conditions

Cole

Well-Known Member
it's been about two weeks since I was here last with not much rain. Conditions much better today. Some mud in the usual places. No standing or flowing water on the trails, even in the usual muddy spots. G2G.
I need a local spot for Sunday. Maybe I'll finally try there. Nox was the second option, but can't find out if they are marked closed
 
  • Like
Reactions: SAM

SAM

Well-Known Member
I need a local spot for Sunday. Maybe I'll finally try there. Nox was the second option, but can't find out if they are marked closed
Nox is risky, since they close in the winter. Just checked the Ridenox website. Has a link for trail conditions that takes you to the FB page. Says Nox is closed until spring 2023. Frenchtown Preserve is good right now, until it rains again.

Screenshot 2023-02-11 at 9.43.47 AM.png
 

Cole

Well-Known Member
Nox is risky, since they close in the winter. Just checked the Ridenox website. Has a link for trail conditions that takes you to the FB page. Says Nox is closed until spring 2023. Frenchtown Preserve is good right now, until it rains again.

View attachment 207082
Thanks, I thought that would be the case. But for some reason couldn't find that FB page.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SAM

Onlyfivebikes

New Member
Anyone know if Frenchtown got the little bit of snow that we got in north NJ last night? Just wondering how wet the place would be in a day or two?
 

SAM

Well-Known Member
Trails riding great today. Just a couple of mud puddles in the usual spots on Red and Green.

Some trees down across trails.

#1) On Red. Not too big. Hoppable.
IMG_7099.jpg


#2) A two-fer on "Kingwood Trail". One just before the stream crossing and one just after (see it in the distance in the photo).
IMG_7106.jpg


#3) Also on "Kingwood Trail" just about 20 feet down from the old jumble that was cut out recently (see it in the foreground of the photo).
IMG_7108.jpg


#4) At the stream crossing at the bottom of Orange coming down from the parking lot. I cleaned it up best I could.
Before:
IMG_7103.jpg


After:
IMG_7105.jpg


Locations:
Screenshot 2023-03-16 at 7.32.21 PM.png
 

Cole

Well-Known Member
Trails riding great today. Just a couple of mud puddles in the usual spots on Red and Green.

Some trees down across trails.

#1) On Red. Not too big. Hoppable.
View attachment 209495

#2) A two-fer on "Kingwood Trail". One just before the stream crossing and one just after (see it in the distance in the photo).
View attachment 209496

#3) Also on "Kingwood Trail" just about 20 feet down from the old jumble that was cut out recently (see it in the foreground of the photo).
View attachment 209497

#4) At the stream crossing at the bottom of Orange coming down from the parking lot. I cleaned it up best I could.
Before:
View attachment 209498

After:
View attachment 209500

Locations:
View attachment 209502
How many miles could you squeeze in?
 

one piece crank

Well-Known Member
How many miles could you squeeze in?
I usually get 5.xx miles just within the Preserve, hitting most, but not all trails. I have a mental plan going in, but wind up following a loop or a turn as I feel them, plus two personal (non-strava) challenges - the Deep-V (which I have not made it all the way up) and Crack-a-Rib (where I almost cracked a rib!).
 

Brian Sipler

Directions Are My Thing
Hi everybody, the trail map at the parking area of the Frenchtown Preserve shows one of the green marked horse trails going off the preserve property at the southern boundary. Is the public allowed to follow this trail off the property?
 

SAM

Well-Known Member
Hi everybody, the trail map at the parking area of the Frenchtown Preserve shows one of the green marked horse trails going off the preserve property at the southern boundary. Is the public allowed to follow this trail off the property?
I have not explored that trail. I assume it ends on private property (a farm). From the Strava Global Heatmap, it looks like that trail is not ridden very much and there is no entry to the park from there. There are several ways in from the west (Trenton Ave) that are well ridden, based on the heatmap. The southern most entry from Trenton Ave traverses along the edge of a field and is VERY wet after any rain. Can also be overgrown. I enter at the northwest corner.

Heatmap:
Screenshot 2023-05-01 at 10.38.50 AM.png
 

chemgirl

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Hi everybody, the trail map at the parking area of the Frenchtown Preserve shows one of the green marked horse trails going off the preserve property at the southern boundary. Is the public allowed to follow this trail off the property?
That green trail just ends on private property. Last I looked, there was fenced-in horse pasture at the end of that trail, so the equestrian association probably uses it. The original (like in the early 2000s) plan was to possibly link FP to Horseshoe Bend Park, but that never came to fruition because of all the private property between the two parks.
 
Hi all,
Came across this thread today. Didn't even realize I had a login for MTBNJ but here I am. My friend Chris and I maintain these trails along with the help of some other folks and the Frenchtown Environmental Commission. We try to keep the trails running smooth and try to clear any debris as quickly as possible. Just wanted to say hi and thank you all for helping keep these trails clean. Let me know if y'all have any questions, I know quite a bit about the trail system here. -Kyle
 
Hi everybody, the trail map at the parking area of the Frenchtown Preserve shows one of the green marked horse trails going off the preserve property at the southern boundary. Is the public allowed to follow this trail off the property?
Yes, this is private property. The farmer at the end of the Green Trail heading south used to help keep the Green Trail clear. For various reasons, this is no longer the case but the access hasn't been changed in case of emergencies.
 
Trails riding great today. Just a couple of mud puddles in the usual spots on Red and Green.

Some trees down across trails.

#1) On Red. Not too big. Hoppable.
View attachment 209495

#2) A two-fer on "Kingwood Trail". One just before the stream crossing and one just after (see it in the distance in the photo).
View attachment 209496

#3) Also on "Kingwood Trail" just about 20 feet down from the old jumble that was cut out recently (see it in the foreground of the photo).
View attachment 209497

#4) At the stream crossing at the bottom of Orange coming down from the parking lot. I cleaned it up best I could.
Before:
View attachment 209498

After:
View attachment 209500

Locations:
View attachment 209502
All of these have been addressed as of a few weeks ago. I'll try to be more active here in the future, I didn't realize this thread existed.
 
Top Bottom