Route recommendation?

huffster

Well-Known Member
I have only hiked at High Point SP. I have never ridden there, but would like to give it a shot sometime soon. I don't really know when I'm planning to take this ride, so I just wanted to gather this intel first.

I have a NYNJ trail conference map. It indicates which trails permit biking:

Trail name (blaze color)
Ayers (black)
Delaware River Heritage (none)
Fuller (blue/red)
Howell (green)
Iris (red)
Life (brown)
Mashipacong (yellow)
McDade Rec (none)
Old (brown/yellow)
Parker (blue)
Rock Oak (blue/yellow)
Steeny Kill (blue) - btw route 23 and Monument (not permitted)

So, I was thinking of this route:
- Park at AT parking on 23.
- Ride down 23 and take the woods road by gate out to Lake Rutherford
- From Lake Rutherford take Iris back toward 23 to Mashipacong
- Mashipacong passed park office to intersection with Saw Mill rd
- Stay on Mashipacong past gate on woods road
- Near Fuller trailhead take left on Saw Mill Rd
- Saw Mill Rd to Ayers
- Ayers to Park Ridge Rd
- Park Ridge Rd to Mashipacong
- Mashipacong to Fuller
- Fuller to Fuller/Life joint trail
- Park Ridge Rd to Mashipacong, blah, blah, blah, back to parking

Interested in feedback and suggestions.

Am I doing something in the wrong direction? Am I missing the best stuff?
Is there a better loop you would recommend?

Thanks in advance!
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Is there a better loop you would recommend?

I've never heard much about folks mtbing here. I don't know all the trails but I have xc skied in there. From what I did see I would say that there are better places to mountain bike in northern jersey. Waywayanda, Ringwood are two parks that are more of a destination for mountain bikers. These two parks are much more technical but offer a lot of great trails. If you prefer less tech then High Point may be worth exploring.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I rode a trail in HPSP years ago that was like a rock garden but covered in grass so you couldn't really see any of the rocks until the last second. It pretty much sucked.

I seem to remember you needed to connect everything via road. In the end it wasn't worth going back to. I think there are routes up there that locals know, that mix HP, Stokes, and some local trails. But you need to know a local to get anything worth riding.

I think, at least.
 

huffster

Well-Known Member
pooriggy - I suspect you are right and HP is not the best the north has to offer. This interest is all about exploring something I haven't ridden before. So, I may just give it a go at some point - even if I never return.

Norm - what you recall is what I'm hoping to flush out here. Or if not, I may just need to learn the hard way. It won't be the first or last time. The track you linked to actually has some similarities to my route.

Mattybfat - Thanks for the contacts. I guess I'll see if this post flushes any locals out. If not I may PM them. From reading a few posts another "local" might be BAIN. He seemed to have good insight on Stokes SF.

Thanks all!
 

hardtale70

She's Gone From Suck to Blow
Shop Keep
HP/Stokes is great but not at all set up to be user friendly(which I love!) Expect a lot of blowed out doubletrack, hike a bikes and seasonally closed paved roads. 10 miles here will feel like your usual 30, due to rocks that just seem to hate you and your bike. There are many dead ends and places to inadvertently get into other trail systems so be VERY careful winter riding there cause you can have stuff go south in a hurry and be very far from the car. Good thing is that hippies don't cry so much if you use the AT as a bailout route when its in a frozen state. Have fun..:popcorn:
 

jeffstick

JORBA: Waywayanda
JORBA.ORG
I ride this place and stokes very frequently and both are great riding. I would park by the office on rt 23 and go out the blue trail to iris, take the short jaunt up iris to the radio tower, then go right, look for mashipicong on your left and take this down(steep descent) at the bottom by the gate go left down the old paved road and look for a new unmarked trail on your right and take it. At the end go right you will be back on mashipicong and take to the end. On sawmill go right, take to almost the end and look for a trail on the left take this to parking lot on park ridge road. In this parking lot go behind the kiosk onto fuller? Take this but stay right at intersection, go to end, left on park ridge rd., take park ridge look for intersection with a cable on the left and across from this will be mashipicong marked with a metal post. Take this to the top back to sawmill road. Right on sawmill, then look for ayers on the right. Take ayers to end and go left. Take paved park ridge road about 2 miles look for Parker on the right. Take Parker to end onto decker town tpke. From here. Go left. You will see sawmill road on your left if you are done but this time take this back across to rt 23 if you want more climb the 1.25 miles to the top of decker town tpke. Jump into iris trail on the left. Do not go over the top of decker town. Follow iris trail across to rt 23 staying on the blazed trail and you will see the blue trail you came in on at the start. Iris trail is about 4 miles across.

This is not an easy ride so be prepared.

My favorite up here is one I do from the stokes side on rt 206 over through high point and back for about 35 miles.

Let us know how you make out.
 

huffster

Well-Known Member
^ Thanks for the recommendation. I followed it on the map and almost everything you mentioned is mapped. So, I think I've got it. This may be a Spring ride, since it sounds like it could be a few hours. But, I will report back whenever that may be. Thanks again.
 

mtn

Well-Known Member
Until I got hurt, I used to take Iris out and then there are a few trails to choose from on the way back. You'll be riding the road some no matter what. I like riding the other side of 23 also, but I believe mtn biking on the majority of trails over there is frowned upon. Honestly, Stokes is much better unless you know the ins and outs of highpoint, as you have to ride trails in certain directions to make them fun.
 
Until I got hurt, I used to take Iris out and then there are a few trails to choose from on the way back. You'll be riding the road some no matter what. I like riding the other side of 23 also, but I believe mtn biking on the majority of trails over there is frowned upon. Honestly, Stokes is much better unless you know the ins and outs of highpoint, as you have to ride trails in certain directions to make them fun.

Is your back still injured from back in the Spring?
 
we ride HP most week nites. lots to choose from, paved rds, carriage rd, rocky technical to fast and flowy. loops vary but on average 6-8 miles long 10-15 if you like climbing lots, and usually 1-2 bear sightnings.
 
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