<<<Best Hikes in NJ

Jockey Hollow - Grand Loop Trail

Summary: Easy trails on wide footpaths, along gurgling streams and rolling hills in a very beautiful area that is part of Morristown National Historical Park.

 

Mileage: 8.2 miles roundtrip, easy, well-marked trail with gentle elevation changes.

• Shorter options: the RED trail is 1.13 mile, YELLOW is 2.25 miles, BLUE is 3 miles, and WHITE is 6.5 miles.

You can hike with history here, as the area served as quarters for the Continental Army on two occasions; the winter of 1777 and again during the winter of 1779-1780.

 

Get a trail map and info on the history of the area from the visitor center. Also, at most trail junctions there is a wooden sign with a trail map and marked “you are here”.

 

The trail network crosses the park from two central trail parking areas as well some near the Visitor Center, and it’s easy to makes loops of all lengths. A portion of the Patriot’s Path is here as well. The park is also popular with joggers and dog walkers.

 

Parking: N40 46.345 W74 31.672

Rt 287 to exit 30B (Bernardsville), then follow the brown and white park signs to “Jockey Hollow”.

 

Restrooms: are at the visitor center and also at a parking area in the middle of the park.

 

Hike Directions:This route connects the Mt Kemble Loop trail (BLUE) with the Grand Loop (WHITE), and starts from the trail parking lot with the restrooms (on the trail map, it’s NOT the lot marked “trail center parking”, and is the second lot you come to after the visitor center) The park road is one-way.

 

Start on the BLUE trail, behind the restrooms.

 

At .4 miles follow BLUE to the left. WHITE goes right. The BLUE/WHITE trail are co-aligned here, briefly.

 

At .55 miles follow BLUE to the right. WHITE goes left.

 

At  .66 miles the trail comes to a Y intersection. Stay right and follow BLUE. To the left is what looks like a yellow marker but isn’t marked as anything on the trail map.

 

At .77 miles, turn left on BLUE.  On the right is the unblazed  section of the Mt Tremble trail.

 

At .9 miles is a gate, make a sharp right and follow the trails behind some homes. To the left is a woods road.

 

A 1.5 miles  follow BLUE right, and an unmarked trail goes straight (it will meet up to where you are going as well)

 

At 1.8 miles, turn sharp left behind you and continue on BLUE. Straight is the unblazed section of the Mt Kemble Loop.

 

Very shortly after, at 1.9 miles, make a sharp right turn, continuing on BLUE. Old Camp Road Trail is  to the left.

 

At 2.2 miles, BLUE and WHITE meet.  Now begin following WHITE and make a left. BLUE continues ahead over a small footbridge.

 

Shortly after at about 2.3 miles the RED (Primrose Brook) trail crosses the WHITE trail. Continue straight here on WHITE, over a small footbridge. Cross the RED again shortly after, and continue on WHITE, heading slightly uphill.

 

At 3.2 miles, Mendham Road Trail crosses the trail. Follow WHITE straight, downhill. (a right on Mendham would lead you to the Visitor Center/Bathrooms and Wick Farm.)

 

At about 3.5 miles, turn right on WHITE to continue on the Grand Loop Trail. The NJ Brigade trail goes straight here if you want to put together a longer loop.

 

The WHITE trail curves back around toward the road, passing a Girl Scouts camp on the left. 

At 4.1 miles, a RED trail comes in from the left that leads back to the camp.

 

Continue straight on WHITE and cross the road again at about 4.25 miles. Turn left and follow WHITE.

 

At about 4.3 the Mendham Road Trail crosses WHITE.

 

*At this point we headed right onto Mendham Road Trail to the Visitor Center/Bathrooms and Wick Farm, to 4.6 miles,  and then retraced our route back to here, to continue on WHITE.  (If you don’t take this detour, your mileage will be off ours by about .6 miles.)

 

The trail continues uphill, the steepest section of this hike.

 

At 5.4 miles come to a Y. Bear left on WHITE while a unmarked trail goes right, towards the road.

 

At 6.2 miles, continue straight on the WHITE trail. To the right, an unmarked trail leads to the Soldier’s Huts parking lot in .1 mile.

 

At 6.4 miles, follow WHITE to the right  (The Patriot’s Path goes uphill to the left into Lewis Morris County Park.)

 

Cross Sugarloaf Rd. The trail has a steady incline at this point.

 

At almost 7 miles, turn left and follow WHITE. Unblazed Grand Parade trail is straight.

 

Cross the park road at 7.3 miles.

 

At about 7.75 WHITE joins BLUE again, where you were earlier. Turn right onto BLUE, and then at the next junction, turn right on BLUE again and follow it back to the parking lot.