looking for some guidance on a ride

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Hey guys -
Im looking to venture away from my 2 normal riding spots (C-rock and 6mile).
Id like to go north one day next week and see whats up there.

My only concern is that with all the leaves down, i may have a hard time following a trail unless its marked well.

Any suggestions? I was looking at Alamuchy, Mahlon, Kittatinny,or Wawayanda.
Are these trails marked well enough where its not going to be a challenge just to stay on the tail as Ive never been on any of them before?
 

Mare

Well-Known Member
Lewis Morris and Kittatiny are small enough to venture through without worrying about getting lost. They are fun, fast, and you can literally just go wander aimlessly and you will loop back enough to figure out where you are. I have ridden some others up north, but not enough to tell you a loop or sound advice.
 

idbrian

Crotch Rot
Allamuchy:

Print this map in color (because the one at the kiosk really stinks): http://www.mtbnj.com/files/AllamuchyNorthNJDEPMap.PDF

And follow this route: This is a decent 10 or so mile technical run out there that doesn't require a guide (it feels like much longer than 10 miles with those hills). Following the map from the Waterloo lot go to the red loop and follow it to the left (or clockwise around the loop, it is the direction that is more fun of the red). Following the red in that direction, after reaching the pinnacle you go down a quick loose rock downhill, you will see an unmarked trail to the left. At the beginning of that trail is a pretty sick rocky bridge going over a downed tree. Follow that unmarked trail for a bit and you will come to a "T" at the white trail (if you look at the map and see where the white and red come parallel to one another this unmarked trail basically cuts over from the red to the white). Take a right on the white trail follow that for miles until you come to the green trail (this part will take a while, go past "Ice Cream Hill" sign on left). Take a right on to the green trail and follow it to its end. You then can take the rail trail back to the lot. In able to find the rail trail you will have to take the road for a few hundred yards and you'll find the rail trail around cranberry lake on the right side of the road.

With the colored blazes and that map it is rather difficult to get lost. This trail takes you through main fireroads through the park. But they aren't your average fireroads. They are eroded and fun, with big embedded rock. Moast of the singletrack is unmarked so you shouldn't really venture without a guide. But trust me coming from CR and 6 mile this loop should be more than an eye opener.

The red and white section have some nice hills and rock faces. The green is rather flat, and kind of boring at first, but hold steady, after it takes a turn it is nice, flat, and technical.
 

mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
you should post a day, time and level you are thinking and maybe someone can give you a guided tour. I would be willing to give any of the three mooch rides if timing works out...
 

Wazu

New Member
I'm game

Hey I can show you where I normally ride (deer park) or allamuchy (north) any day you want with enough notice. If Mare45 comes with us I can show her too! I can also do Lewis Morris or Kittatiny. If you go alone go to Kittatiny cause you'll almost always come out to a railroad bed.
 

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
IMO if your planning an Allamuchy trip contact a local that will show you around...Maps/Kiosk are not quite accurate in that there is trail after trail...I tried using that same map IDbrian posted without any luck...We ended up just roaming around
 

walter

Fourth Party
I agree with Mare, if you're flying solo, try LM or Kittatiny. Of the two, Kittatiny will give you a little better taste of whats going on up north.

My first time at Kittatiny was solo(only cuz Shaggz sped away from me in the parking lot) and I found most of the trails. Its a fun place to try and like Wazu said, most trails will spit you out onto a fire road or rail trail which will take you back to a parking lot.
 

idbrian

Crotch Rot
Spencer, did you follow the route i laid out with the map? It isn't the best map but it works well in conjunction to that route.

I've had a couple of complete strangers to the park tell me it worked out well when they used it. I know Mooch pretty well and learned it from just exploring with that map. There are tons of trails in there, no doubt, but at least the main blazed trails network throughout the entire park.

If you are going to venture north to experience northern NJ riding, i don't recommend LM. LM isn't really rocky. If LM riding is what you are looking for just go to Hartshorne which i'm assuming is closer to you.
 
Last edited:

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
Ok...We climbed Cardiac to what seemed to be the peak...Headed down the other side and was expecting to hit the white but instead came to a T...It was at this T we thought the white and purple junctioned...Instead it was purple both ways...I will be back up there to work this out...It was also mile 20 something for us so we weren't paying close attention to detail....Bumped into a woman named Karen who tolds us to do the ice cream trail and circled around (how I haven't a clue but there was a nice log down you can ride) back to the white which we took down to 517...We parked in a lot that could prolly hold 8 cars max if that...Right next to the orange
 

Mare

Well-Known Member
Hey I can show you where I normally ride (deer park) or allamuchy (north) any day you want with enough notice. If Mare45 comes with us I can show her too! I can also do Lewis Morris or Kittatiny. If you go alone go to Kittatiny cause you'll almost always come out to a railroad bed.

Yes! Count me in and let's plan a day soon. Next weekend?? I can do October 25 or 26.
 

mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I agree with idbrian lewis morris isn't the same as mooch,kitt., and others.malhon is agood option
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
wow, thats why i love this place. I ask a question and minutes later i have tons of advice. You guys make this a great site.
I cant really commit to a date because of work, so its usually a last minute thing. Ill keep an eye out for group rides and try my best to make one.
 

Mare

Well-Known Member
wow, thats why i love this place. I ask a question and minutes later i have tons of advice. You guys make this a great site.
I cant really commit to a date because of work, so its usually a last minute thing. Ill keep an eye out for group rides and try my best to make one.

Priorities! Quit work and come biking!
 

idbrian

Crotch Rot
In my opinion the park is much easier to navigate from the Waterloo side. The Purple/Orange and the White in that area get confusing. The purple doesn't really come to a T at the bottom of the hill coming from 517 it goes left back towards white, to the right is unmarked.

Wazu, if you do one of 11AM rides i'm there. But man, Cardiac bypass kills me.
 

idbrian

Crotch Rot
Do not follow this route. I just got back from Allamuchy, haven't been there in a while and apparently sections of the green and white trails have been rerouted. This route will get you lost.


Allamuchy:

Print this map in color (because the one at the kiosk really stinks): http://www.mtbnj.com/files/AllamuchyNorthNJDEPMap.PDF

And follow this route: This is a decent 10 or so mile technical run out there that doesn't require a guide (it feels like much longer than 10 miles with those hills). Following the map from the Waterloo lot go to the red loop and follow it to the left (or clockwise around the loop, it is the direction that is more fun of the red). Following the red in that direction, after reaching the pinnacle you go down a quick loose rock downhill, you will see an unmarked trail to the left. At the beginning of that trail is a pretty sick rocky bridge going over a downed tree. Follow that unmarked trail for a bit and you will come to a "T" at the white trail (if you look at the map and see where the white and red come parallel to one another this unmarked trail basically cuts over from the red to the white). Take a right on the white trail follow that for miles until you come to the green trail (this part will take a while, go past "Ice Cream Hill" sign on left). Take a right on to the green trail and follow it to its end. You then can take the rail trail back to the lot. In able to find the rail trail you will have to take the road for a few hundred yards and you'll find the rail trail around cranberry lake on the right side of the road.

With the colored blazes and that map it is rather difficult to get lost. This trail takes you through main fireroads through the park. But they aren't your average fireroads. They are eroded and fun, with big embedded rock. Moast of the singletrack is unmarked so you shouldn't really venture without a guide. But trust me coming from CR and 6 mile this loop should be more than an eye opener.

The red and white section have some nice hills and rock faces. The green is rather flat, and kind of boring at first, but hold steady, after it takes a turn it is nice, flat, and technical.
 
Top Bottom