Hiking Old Coal, Lookout Lake, Wawawanda Lake and spotting a bear.
11 miles, mostly easy surface. Wawayanda’s trails are mostly level, woods roads. Really just pleasant, easy hiking in a beautiful park.
Route: Old Coal Trail (RED) to Lookout Trail (WHITE) to Cherry Ridge Road (dirt road) to Laurel Pond Trail (YELLOW) to Sitting Bear Trail (Unmarked trail on our map) to Nature Trail (unmarked trail on our map) to Laurel Pond Trail (YELLOW) to Cherry Ridge Road (dirt road) to Old Coal Trail (RED)
If you have the 2007 or earlier North Jersey Map set, the “Sitting Bear” trail is unmarked… the 2009 version just came out and it’s labeled on there.
For detailed hike directions visit our main Wawayanda State Park – Old Coal page.
This route starts out on Old Coal Trail, which is a woods road. It’s rutted and very muddy in spots.
Old Coal Trail goes past Bearfort Waters and past the Wildcat Mountain Wilderness Center.
We spotted a bear print.
Pass several old stone walls and foliage along some of the trail.
The short section of the trail from Lookout Lake to Cherry Ridge road was especially scenic, lots of ferns, large rocks and tall trees.
Along the Sitting Bear Trail we spotted a bear (how cliché). He was gleefully tearing into a dead tree looking for buggy snacks, well off the trail.
We stopped cold in our tracks, looking around for mama. He was a young bear, but thankfully not a cub with mom in tow.
We had been making noise as we hiked so he was aware of us; and he couldn’t have cared less we were there, was too engrossed in snack time.
We decided to continue past, keeping an eye on him.
At one point, he stood up and hugged a standing tree stump and started tearing into that… amazing to see, yet a little unnerving to see the raw power as he shook and clawed the dead tree.
No photos but check out the video for a little footage.
Wawayanda Lake comes into view from Sitting Bear Trail. Several good places to take a break by the lake.
The dam on Wawayanda Lake.
The area around Wawayanda Lake was crowded of course, and we got stares from picnicking beach-goers as we walked around the lake area in boots and backpacks…
…but that’s ok because we had the trails to ourselves on a totally glorious July 4th.
Quite amazing, considering how crowded Jersey is, that you can ramble for hours in the woods and see only a handful of people.
Wawayanda Lake boat launch area.
Wawayanda Furnace before getting on the Laurel Pond Trail.
We are grateful for your “Bear Spotting” tags. The reports serve two primary purposes: 1. to add a new level of excitement while exploring the wilderness, and 2. to provide public service announcements for alerting other hikers/backpackers about the real dangers related to this passive form of outdoor recreation. Hopefully, we will all set aside the time to learn more about wilderness safety precautions, especially those who enjoy hiking in this part of the USA.
Thank you.