A rugged trail through a very pretty area, with several stream hops and views from a hawk watch.
12 or 5.2 or 1.4 miles. Moderate to strenuous with lots of minor elevation change.
| 12.0 miles | This hike guide: Detailed instructions, photos, and video follow below. |
| Shorter | 1.4 – Bat cave and cemetery, noted below. 5.2 – Bat cave, cemetery, hawk watch, noted below. |
| Alternate, nearby pkg | 3.7 – loop starting from Split Rock Reservoir boat launch parking [N40 57.751 W74 27.480], to Split Rock Loop south, and taking Four Birds back to Split Rock Rd. |
| Alternate, nearby pkg | 2.6 – loop to the Hawk Watch Overlook using FlyAway – Four Birds – Beaver Pond. Start at either Upper Hibernia Road [N40 57.264 W74 28.763] parking or Beaver Pond parking [N40 57.396 W74 28.619 and use Wildcat Ridge to complete the loop between lots. |
| Nearby, same park | Four Birds Trail – Splitrock Reservoir, Four Birds Trail (North), Splitrock Reservoir Loop, Splitrock Reservoir Kayak |
| Nearby | Pyramid Mountain – Tripod Rock; Valhalla Falls – Turkey Mountain; Turkey Mountain- Perimeter Loop; Butler (Kakeout) Reservoir. |
Our two cents:
The 5.2 mile version includes the highlights and is what most hikers will want to do. The full hike is a challenging “lollipop” loop that starts at the southern terminus of the Four Birds trail.
NOTE: We have not hiked the exact route of the 12 mile version in a long time and the directions may not be current.
The Four Birds trail runs for 19.4 miles in the New Jersey Highlands region, through Wildcat Ridge WMA and Farny State Park.
There are multiple trails and parking access points in this area in order to create shorter loops or longer and more challenging hikes.
Updated: 10/2025 – Minor edits/refresh; re-hiked a variation. 10/2020 Added directions for shorter versions. 7/2020 – Page refreshed, not re-hiked. Added photos.
Hike Info:
Map:
This area is now covered on the Morris County Highlands Trails map set. Follow along on your smartphone with our Interactive Map link above.
Books:
A 8.4 mile variation can be found in 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: New York City. Two short and one long hike in the Farny Highlands are found in Hiking the Jersey Highlands.
Detailed trail description of the 19.4 mile long Four Bird Trail as well as others in Farny/Wildcat can be found in The New Jersey Walk Book.
Parking: N40.94473° W74.49293°
“Wildcat Ridge, 25 Lower Hibernia Rd, Rockaway Township, NJ 07866”. If approaching from Rt 80W take exit 37 (Hibernia/Rockaway), turn left onto 513 North (Green Pond Rd) for about 2.5 miles.
There is a large brown WMA sign for Wildcat Ridge – turn onto Lower Hibernia Rd then immediately turn left into the small dirt parking lot.
Restrooms:
None. Best bet are the two gas stations immediately after turning left onto 513, both have restrooms, or the Dunkin. There is no longer a portable toilet at the Splitrock Reservoir boat launch parking area about halfway through the longer hike.
Hike Directions:
0.0 – Start following WHITE (Four Birds) at the end of the lot.
0.1 – The trail splits. Follow the brown sign with binoculars to the right to check out the bat-viewing platform and Hibernia Mine.
[WHITE continues left, and you’ll rejoin that after the mine]
Check out the mine and then return to the WHITE by turning LEFT while facing the mine and following a brief unmarked trail back to the main WHITE trail.
Turn RIGHT onto WHITE.
The first little bit of this trail isn’t particularly scenic, the road is visible and there is road noise but after you climb up a steep hill it starts to feel like you are in a remote area.
0.3 – Pass the ORANGE trail.
0.4 – The trail levels off – watch for the WHITE blazes here, they are not completely obvious. (Be alert for blazes throughout the route as there are many unmarked trails and woods roads to cross)
The trail now follows a mining berm (mounded earth next to a ditch).
0.6 – Look on your right for the Hibernia Cemetery off slightly in the distance if the leaves are down.
Follow a short unmarked path to check out the cemetery and then return to WHITE (Four Birds).
// 1.4 mile hike: Retrace the route from here. //
1.0 – Cross an unmarked woods road, continuing straight on WHITE.
1.4 – Cross another woods road. After heavy rains, pass a water runoff/cascade on the right.
1.6 – Cross a small stream.
1.8 – Turn LEFT, continuing on WHITE.
1.9 – Cross an unmarked woods road, continuing straight on WHITE.
2.3 – At a junction with a woods road, the trail makes a LEFT. Markers are faint. The trail turns to the right not long after.
2.5 – Junction with Tower Road, Four Birds Trail, and the spur to the Hawk Watch (ORANGE). This signpost is no longer here, just a small sign on the tree.
Turn RIGHT, following the ORANGE trail to the hawk-viewing area. With clear enough conditions the NYC skyline may be visible.
This is a nice spot to have a snack and watch hawks glide around.
// 5.2 mile hike: Retrace the route from here. //
Retrace your steps back on ORANGE and rejoin WHITE. Turn RIGHT back onto WHITE.
2.8 – Cross the large gravel road (Tower Rd.) and continue on WHITE. Trail descends through a rocky area.
3.3 – Cross a small stream on a wooden foot bridge.
3.5 – Continue straight on WHITE at the junction with Beaver Pond Trail. [Beaver Pond (RED) goes to the LEFT]
3.8 – Another small hop over a stream. There are several unmarked trails in this area, pay attention to the WHITE blazes. Trail goes steeply up a hill now.
4.2 – Continue straight on WHITE as the Split Rock Loop Trail (BLUE) comes in from the right. Trail descends over a rocky area and crosses another small stream.
4.5 – Cross a power line cut.
4.7 – Drops down to Split Rock Road.
[At this point, The Four Birds trail continues across the road on WHITE for about another 15 miles – save that route for another day]
Turn RIGHT and follow the gravel road, over a bridge and past the ruins of the Split Rock Furnace. After the bridge there is a parking lot on your left that may have a composting toilet.
There is a trail sign with a map of the trails in the area. There are nice views of the reservoir in this section.
Continue past the parking lot on the gravel road for what seems like too long. (Total gravel road walking is 1.0 mile)
Watch for BLUE markers on some rocks on the right at a power line clearing, just past a large tower.
Turn RIGHT and now follow BLUE (Split Rock Loop). [The trail also continues left, going north along the reservoir – but save that for another day]
Trail goes around and then descends a rocky hill, with views over the valley.
6.1 – An overview where the tower that is near the hawk watch is visible. There are several rocks to sit on and a good spot for a snack break.
7.0 – Cross a large woods road, and approach a wide water crossing in a very pretty area, lots of mossy rocks and sunlight steaming in. There are two main crossings to make.
The water is moving quickly here and if it’s too high to hop across at the markers, you may need to look upstream a bit.
7.1 – Arrive at Y-intersection, follow BLUE to the left (a trail on the right looks like it used to be blazed blue).
Continue through a very rocky area with large glacial erratics called “The Maze”.
At the terminus of Split Rock loop trail, turn left and again follow the WHITE Four Birds trail, retracing your route back to the lot.
—
Hiked: 10/25/25 (Variation): Four Birds, Hawk Watch, Beaver Pond loop
Hiked: 9/14/14 (Variation): Four Birds, Hawk Watch, Splitrock Res, Furnace
Hiked: 9/30/12 (Variation) Trail Blog: “Four Birds, Hawkwatch, Beaver Pond“
Hiked: 4/17/09. Trail Blog: “Four Birds Trail (south) – Wildcat Ridge“
Hiked: 4/21/07. Trail Blog: “Wildcat Ridge – Farny Highland“
Hiked: 10/8/06. Trail Blog: “Farny Highlands/Wildcat Ridge – Four Birds Trail“