Round Valley Recreation Area
Rt. 287 to 78 to 22, follow park signs. About 40 minutes. Maps at Ranger Station. Year round restrooms at East Picnic Area past ranger station (heated building, clean). Outhouses along Lower Cushetank/Campground trail, open as well (usable, even had TP). Cushetunk Trail (Red) to Picnic area and back via Lower Cushetunk. 10.2 miles in 3 hrs, 45 minutes. Parked by Ranger but actual trail parking is at South Lot. 15 minute parking by ranger in season.
First 2.5 is boring, open, near the road at parts, no Resevoir views really. Then becomes wooded. Quite hilly, loose rock. Multiuse trail. Several mountain bikers, horse droppings. Popular bike trail and as there aren’t many good ones in NJ, I imagine this is very popular in nice weather – prob want to avoid hiking then. Several nice hills for them to zip down and they’d come around corners fast and there you were.
Just OK overall as 5 miles of the trip was dull. The woods was nice but not spectacular. Several houses nearby. The trail didn’t run right along the resevoir, so there were only glimpses of it through the trees. Trail is ok as a hilly workout but not real scenic.
*Note: Red trail is 8.3 miles one way and does NOT loop back, the last bit is restricted. There is another parking lot on that end, intend to see if it’s any more interesting that way.
