Bird Mountain–Crater Lake, 4 sights is a 13.2-mile out-and-back in Stokes State Forest near Wallpack Center, NJ. The route passes Bird Mountain before reaching Crater Lake at the turnaround, 6.5 miles in. It climbs 1,867 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 78/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi722 – 1,585 ft · steepest grade: 17%13.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Red Maple Trail 41.15841, -74.85879
Nearest town Wallpack Center, NJ
Directions
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Bird Mountain–Crater Lake, 4 sights
13.2 mi · ▲ 1,867 ft · 5 hr 20 min
Elevation 722–1,586 ft
Out & Back · Stokes State Forest
Trailhead: Red Maple Trail · 41.15841, -74.85879
Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:33 AM · sunset 7:24 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Red Maple Trail, heading SE.
- 1.7 miSharp right onto Woods Road, heading SW.
- 1.3 miTurn right onto Appalachian Trail, heading SW.
- 0.4 miPass Bird Mountain.
- 3.1 miPass Crater Lake.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Crater Lake Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 0.1 miReach Bird Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.7 miContinue straight onto Appalachian Trail, heading NE.
- 2.8 miTurn left onto Woods Road, heading NE.
- 1.3 miSharp left onto Red Maple Trail, heading NW.
- 1.7 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
87% dirt2% gravel11% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:33 AMSunset 7:24 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.4 mi in (~109 min). Leave by 5:16 PM for the 7:24 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:06 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Red Maple Trail Trailhead
- Red Maple Trail 3.3 mi · ▲ 328 ft
- Brink Road & Red Maple Trail 5.1 mi · ▲ 619 ft
- Brink Road & Red Maple Trail 5.8 mi · ▲ 559 ft
- Lake Ashroe–Red Maple Trail, 3 sights 9.5 mi · ▲ 855 ft
- Acropolis Viewpoint–Kittatinny Lake Beach, 7 sights 9.9 mi · ▲ 945 ft
- Lake Shawanni–Coss Road, 5 sights 10 mi · ▲ 757 ft
Get outside more
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