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I'm looking for a family hike to do this weekend with my wife, our toddler (in a Kelty carrier), and the dog.  We hike the family trail at Round Valley a lot around the reservoir shoreline from the camper's boat launch, but we'd like to try something different.  I understand that the trails at Cushetunk Mountain Preserve connect with Round Valley's trails even though it's technically against the rules to enter Round Valley from the County property.  We are park pass holders and have been for the past five years so I'd be happy to present it to a ranger if stopped to prove that we are not attempting to gain access for free, just looking for some new scenery.  If we park at the trailhead at 106 Old Mountain Road in Lebanon it looks like it's a little under a half mile to the ridge trail which we could follow until it meets a trail that leads to the camping areas, which is the spot we want to check out.  Other than the 400' climb from the parking lot to the ridge it looks doable.  Anybody take this route before?  It also looks like we could simply go straight over the ridge, but as I understand it that's the bald eagle nesting area and isn't open until August 1st.  Here are some maps which show the route I'm looking at:

http://www.jorba.org/sites/default/files/Round_Valley.jpg

http://co.hunterdon.nj.us/depts/parks/ParkAreas/Cushetunk/trailmap.pdf

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Hank,

This is the hike I did last September:  http://gonehikin.blogspot.com/2012/10/cushetunk-mountain-nature-pre...

There were no signs whatsoever saying you could not go to Round Valley and there is a trail over the ridge and down to the reservoir.  That bypasses the eagle nesting area which is to the left along the ridge.  Looking at the Jorba map, from the Cushetunk Parking on white to the top of the ridge is .55 mile based on my mileage notes.  The brown trail on the map that says "Absurd Climb" (there were red blazes) is .35 mile.

Daniela

Daniela

Thanks!  I went out there yesterday with my dog and took the yellow trail to the white trail.  I was actually surprised that there was a clearly marked trail that went straight into Round Valley-I expected to have to wander off a bit to find a connection.  The reason I asked was because the county park map:

http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/depts/parks/ParkAreas/Cushetunk/trail...

says "Access to Round Valley Recreation Area is prohibited from county property."  However, short of erecting a massive fence along the ridge or posting rangers/park police every few hundred yards there's no real way of stopping people.  I'm sure the county just says that for liability reasons.  Needless to say we spent a nice afternoon at an empty campsite before heading back over the ridge.  I did have my 2013 park pass in my pack just in case...lol

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