Tag Archives: hiking

National Trails Day Events in NJ, June 4, 2011

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Chris Casciano

This coming Saturday is National Trails Day and there are many events around New Jersey where you can celebrate your love of the outdoors via guided hikes, joining a trail work crew, or attending a film festival. National Trails Day was started in 1993 by the American Hiking Society and has been held the first Saturday in June ever since as a celebration of our natural surroundings. Here’s a sampling of the events around NJ. Follow @HikeNJ on twitter for updates and other event announcements. Official AHS Events List The motherload of this weekend’s events can be found on the American Hiking Society’s New Jersey Events page. The 20+ events … Continue reading →

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My Reading List: Warding Off Cabin Fever

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Chris Casciano

A new stack of guide books for local trails just landed on my doorstep. Winter in the northeast is great for winter fun – hiking, snowshoeing, downhill or cross country skiing, or just sledding with the kids. When the end of winter comes quicker then expected we can look fondly back on days like we had last week. Then there are days like yesterday–full of slush, cold rain, and–where you don’t want to go out unless you absolutely must. Though I hope those days are short I’ve picked up a bunch of new or updated guide books to flip though and dream up new adventures come spring as well as … Continue reading →

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Lenape34, Lenape Trail Hike Report

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Chris Casciano

On Columbus Day, October 11, 2010 I had the pleasure (and minor pain) of hiking 33 miles of the Lenape Trail with a great group of people for an event organized by the Freewalkers. Starting from the southern tip of South Mountain Reservation in Millburn, the day long hike covered several suburban parks and hiking trails in Essex County connected by this branch of the yellow blazed Lenape Trail. It was a great day of walking, exploring the Essex County Parks system, and getting to know a bunch of new friends and fellow hikers. I thought the trail was great and was really quite surprised that the route consisted of … Continue reading →

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Hiking National Trails Day in NJ

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Chris Casciano

This Saturday June 5th, 2010 marks National Trails Day — a day in which the American Hiking Society says: [...] inspires the public and trail enthusiasts nationwide to seek out their favorite trails to discover, learn about, and celebrate trails while participating in educational exhibits, trail dedications, gear demonstrations, instructional workshops and trail work projects. I encourage everyone across the state to find a local trail [or not so local trail] and enjoy the parkland, and maybe see something new, or find a work crew and help give back a little. If you’re looking for a local event to meet other people, or maybe find a guide for a trail … Continue reading →

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South Mountain’s 1st Annual Mayapple Festival, May 22, 2010

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Chris Casciano

If you’re not attending The Big Walk on Saturday May 22 or looking for something a bit more low key or family friendly there’s the first annual South Mountain Reservation Mayapple Festival. Sponsored by the South Mountain Conservancy and the Essex County Parks Department this one day event is at South Mountain Reservation in New Jersey (Hike NJ SMR Park Info Page) the festival has something for everyone — from an ultra-marathon to walks through the new wildflower preserve to an ultimate frisbee game. Most activities will take place or originate in the Summit Field area located off of South Orange Ave. (Map). The following info was taken from SOMOCON’s … Continue reading →

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New Year’s Day Hike 2010

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Chris Casciano

I’m not one to make grand resolutions for New Years, but I do want to do two things in 2010 — get some more miles under my feet and keep exploring parks that I’m a regular at. Friday I did a little bit of both with a 7.6 mile hike around the snowy and slushy trails of South Mountain Reservation. NOTE: The above map and route was made with RunKeeper Pro, a GPS based activity monitor for the iPhone. One of the nice things about the trails in South Mountain is that its easy to orient yourself based on the slope of the ridge and the nearby roads making it … Continue reading →

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New Jersey Monthly does the Appalachian Trail

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Chris Casciano

Just in time for fall where the trail may be a bit less congested and the views of foliage near peak New Jersey Monthly carried quite a nice writeup of a typical day on the Appalachian Trail as it winds through New Jersey from the Delaware Water Gap to the New York border. In it the author, David Caldwell, catches up with a few hikers and trail maintainers, and describes his day hike and sites along the trail. Experienced hikers may find themselves nodding along or getting the urge to go out themselves, but its also a good intro for what to expect if you haven’t been to the area. … Continue reading →

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