Parks and Recreation

Ditch-Cardiac Trail
Allamuchy Mountain State Park

DIRECTIONS: Take CR 517 North until you see the entrance to Tranquility Farms, there you will make a right turn onto the dirt road directly across from the farm entrance.  This tree lined road goes between two farm fields and ends at a “T” intersection where you will make a left and then park on the left shoulder. (Note: when you leave just keep following this road and you will pass by the Still Restaurant and be back on CR 517 by the old church and cemetery.)

TRAIL INFO: When you exit your car you will see a sign on a wooden gate ‘Waterloo/517 Trail’ along with WHITE trail markers, this is the beginning of your walk. Follow this trail, which is a road, a short distance to another “T’ which is the Stuyvesant carriage road. You are going to go left passed a picnic table and then right following the WHITE markers. While at the “T” also look right, you will be returning that way on the Ranger Loop Trail ‘RED’ which meets the road about 200 feet from you. Now follow the WHITE markers, this is now your typical trail leading up the mountain alongside a mountain stream.

You will probably see some mountain-bikers in action traversing the trails and I must say they are rather impressive considering the terrain.  Your walk is now an uphill climb for about a mile until you reach the Ditch/Cardiac Trail, which has PURPLE markers.  (NOTE: yes this is uphill but it is not steep, just take your time.) You will now go right following the ‘PURPLE’ and no more uphill. 

For a short distance along this trail off to your left is an open field behind some heavy bushes.  It is worth the effort to see, with its various flora atop the mountain surrounded by woods.  Your hike now takes you through the woods and past several large rock formations.  You may get some nice vistas in winter with no leaves but summer foliage makes that impossible. 

I came across a marker quite by chance after climbing a rock formation in the hopes of finding a clearing.  The marker was from the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey and was a triangulation station.  This type of survey is for covering very large areas of land and even accounts for the earth’s curvature. This must have been in the area just above I80 as the traffic noise was loud. 

Your hike will now wind its way around and down the mountain until you intersect the Ranger Loop Trail, the PURPLE trail ends and you will now follow the RED always bearing to the right in order to return to the Stuyvesant carriage path where you will again go right and then make a left just before the picnic table. You are now back on the road section of the WHITE trail which will return you to your car.

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