Turkey Mountain – Perimeter Loop

Updated:
Lake Valhalla with trees surrounding an overlook

Enjoy views of Lake Valhalla and the NYC skyline, a waterfall, and the 100 Steps.

5.1 miles, total round trip. Rugged trail sections; moderate elevation gain.

Our two cents:

This is pretty much the longest loop you can put together on the Turkey Mountain side without duplicating trail sections. Easily make a longer day by combining this loop with one at Pyramid Mountain across the street.

Note!! Valhalla Falls is best after decent rainfall. It can have a smaller flow or be TOTALLY dry if precipitation has been lacking. Photos below show both extremes.

Updated: 4/2022: Description/route revised to reflect major trail changes; Interactive Map updated; photos added, re-hiked all but the red trail past the falls. 7/2020: Page refreshed, not re-hiked. 


Map:

Use the park’s map linked above and/or check the visitor center for a printed map. This park is included on Morris County Highlands Trails but the current (2017) map is now outdated. Follow along on your smartphone with our Interactive Map link above.


Books:

A 3.5 mile variation is in Take a Hike New York City. A longer version that includes Pyramid is in 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: New York City.

Detailed trail descriptions found in the The New Jersey Walk Book. Most trail books seem to favor Pyramid over Turkey, probably because of popular Tripod Rock.


Parking: N40.94700° W74.38780°

Pyramid Mountain Parking”, 472 Boonton Ave, Boonton, NJ 07005. Rt 287 to exit 45. L on Wootton St, R on 511/Boonton Ave. Large gravel parking lot that often fills on weekends.


Restrooms:

In the visitor center when open. Portable toilets in the parking lot (may be seasonal).


Hike Directions:

Overview: YELLOW – WHITE – YELLOW – Unmarked – PURPLE – YELLOW – RED – YELLOW

0.0 – This route starts from the Pyramid Mountain parking lot. Walk out the exit driveway, near the visitor center, cross the road, and start following YELLOW.

Easy start on the YELLOW trail

0.2 – Continue following YELLOW, passing RED DOT on the right. [RED DOT is an out-and-back to a wildlife viewing blind which would add 0.5 miles total to this route.]

0.3 – At a large rock cairn, turn RIGHT to now follow WHITE.

// Alternate: Instead, stay on YELLOW and end up in the same spot via a bit easier trail. //

Large rock cairn near a trail with white markers

Trail is rugged with some switchbacks (elevation change not too bad though).

0.7 – Pass ORANGE DOT on the left. Continue uphill over rocky terrain.

Rocky trail with glacial erratic in the distance

Pass a very large glacial erratic that kinda sorta resembles a face/profile (nose in the center, an eye on the side…) Continue following WHITE up the hill.

0.9 – Just before WHITE approaches an overlook and turns to the left, look on the RIGHT for a large rock outcropping with a more open viewpoint. With leaves on the trees this will be less open.

Panorama over Lake Valhalla and the skyline

Zoom in and see the New York City skyline if it’s clear enough. Continue following WHITE as it starts to go downhill.

The New York City skyline visible from a trail

1.2 – Turn RIGHT to rejoin YELLOW. [WHITE ends. YELLOW also goes left.] Continue following YELLOW over a footbridge and then past an old limestone quarry.

Yellow trail marker on a tree next to a large rock face
Remains of a limestone quarry

1.6 – Turn RIGHT to now follow an unmarked trail. This used to be marked so there are some painted-over blazes that appear grey. [YELLOW goes to the left.]

1.8 – Intersection with PURPLE DOT where North Valhalla Brook can be seen flowing just ahead. Turn LEFT to now follow PURPLE DOT over a long plank boardwalk. [PURPLE DOT also goes right].

Long thin wooden plank boardwalk over a wet trail

Continue following PURPLE DOT as it meanders around the brook over two bridges. The trail crosses a power line cut. 

Crossing a power line cut

2.1 – At a waterfall sign, turn RIGHT to now follow YELLOW. [PURPLE DOT ends. YELLOW goes to the left and back to the visitor center].

Wooden post with a waterfall sign

2.3 – Arrive at YELLOW and RED blazes on a tree in front of a waterfall cascading over a small hill into North Valhalla Brook.

Red and yellow markers on a tree in front of Valhalla Falls

The brook curves around a mound of earth and rocks that the water flows over. A footbridge off on the far right is where this route continues on the RED trail.

Water cascading over a rocky hill into a brook with large rocks in the foreground

We’ve always called these “Valhalla Falls” but the falls aren’t usually named on maps. Since they are on North Valhalla Brook they are often referred to as “North Valhalla Brook Falls” or “Valhalla Brook Falls”.

Valhalla Falls with a tree stump in the pool of water in front of it

There are several vantage points to get different angles of the falls that require picking your way a short way over rocks or down the embankment to the water level.

Valhalla Falls is most impressive just after heavy rainfall (these photos were taken in April right after a TON of rain). It often has less flow than shown here.

Valhalla Falls cascading into a brook
Close up of water falling over a hill and landing in a rocky stream

This is the falls area in August. The mound that the water flows over can be seen in the center of the photo but that as well as most of the brook was entirely dry – we could even stand where the water would normally be running.

North Valhalla Brook and falls with no water

The earth and rocks under the waterfall are visible when it’s not flowing. This is a pleasant hike even when the waterfall isn’t gushing.

Valhalla Falls completely dry

One last photo… dug up this little gem from February 2006 to add to the page (6/2020).

Turkey Mountain waterfall

After checking out the falls, start following RED (when facing the water it’s off on the right). [YELLOW also goes LEFT and back the way you came].

Cross North Valhalla Brook on a bridge. Follow RED as it turns LEFT after the bridge. RED approaches Stony Brook road and parallels it for a bit, with some minor traffic noise.

3.2 – RED comes out to the road, turn LEFT and walk along the guard rail for just a bit before turning LEFT back into the woods, on a woods road.

3.8 – Turn RIGHT to rejoin YELLOW. [RED ends. YELLOW continues ahead].

4.1 – Continue following YELLOW to the RIGHT at the large rock cairn (pile-o-rocks). The unmarked trail to the left used to be RED and was the original route for this hike (a faded or painted-over marker is visible).

We debated keeping the route the same because it hit every interesting bit of the park… but since that trail is now unmarked on the park map AND goes downhill just to go right back uphill we made it an optional variation. Photos of the stone ruins and viewpoint are on our shorter Valhalla Falls hike so you can decide if it’s of interest.

// Variation – adds stone ruins / Lake Valhalla View + 0.4 mile total: Instead, turn LEFT and follow the unmarked trail downhill. Follow GREEN DOT across the power cut and back uphill to the stone cabin and the viewpoint. Turn RIGHT on ORANGE DOT into the power cut. Turn LEFT on YELLOW at 100 steps/Visitor Center sign. These waypoints are included in our Interactive Map linked above but we’ve not hiked in this direction since the park changes. //

4.6 – YELLOW continues back out to the power line cut. Follow it as it turns RIGHT at the sign for “100 Steps/Visitor Center”. [ORANGE DOT is straight and is an alternate way back, about 0.2 miles longer].

Wooden trail post with a sign for 100 Steps

YELLOW continues along the cut and goes under a tower for power lines. These larger towers were installed around 2014.

Hiker on an overgrown trail under a large power line tower

This is what the power lines and cut looked like in 2010. The area was cleared out to put in the new towers.

Power lines in a powerline cut
Overgrown powerline cut

YELLOW eventually heads downhill on rough stone steps. Many are just rocks and not defined steps so it’s difficult to get a count – but it should be more than 100. Tom tallied 115 but we’ve seen higher totals.

Turkey Mountain's 100 Steps that follow a power line cut down a hill

Eventually YELLOW bears RIGHT off of the cut and into the forest.

Narrow plank boardwalk in a grassy area under a tall power tower

Continue following YELLOW as it turns LEFT to run next to the road. Cross the road and re-enter the parking lot.

Hiked: 4/10/22. Revised route.
Hiked: 6/12/10 – Trail Blog: “Turkey Mountain – 100 Steps and Stone Ruins
Hiked: 2/19/06. Trail Blog: “Turkey Mountain in February
Hiked: 11/9/03.

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