Elmdale Trail (Blue)–Hemlock Falls Loop, 7 sights
4.5 mi · ▲ 609 ft · 1 hr 48 min
Elmdale Trail (Blue)–Hemlock Falls Loop, 7 sights is a 4.5-mile out-and-back in South Mountain Reservation near Short Hills, NJ. It climbs 609 ft. It scores 1/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Elmdale Trail (Blue)–Hemlock Falls Loop, 7 sights
4.5 mi · ▲ 609 ft · 1 hr 48 min
Elevation 265–546 ft
Out & Back · South Mountain Reservation
Trailhead: 40.74747, -74.30745
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 77°F / low 64° · precip 1% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 6:29 AM · sunset 7:25 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Elmdale Trail (Blue), heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Elmdale Trail (Blue) / West Connector, heading E.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto West Connector Green/White, heading E.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Rahway Trail (White) / West Connector, heading E.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Rahway Trail White, heading E.
- 0.3 miSharp right onto Overgrown Rahway Trail (White), heading N.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Rahway Trail (White), heading NE.
- 400 ftTurn right onto Openwood Trail, heading SE.
- 400 ftTurn left onto Lenape Trail (Yellow), heading S.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Hemlock Falls Loop, heading E.
- 350 ftTurn left onto Openwood Trail, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Summit Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear right onto Longwood Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miSharp left onto Reservior Road, heading N.
- 0.3 miBear left onto Turtle Back Trail (Orange), heading W.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Lenape Trail (Yellow) / Turtle Back Trail (Orange), heading N.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Lenape Trail (Yellow), heading NW.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto Yellow Bypass, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear left onto Lenape Trail (Yellow), heading NW.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto West Ridge Trail, heading W.
- 0.7 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.2 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 7:05 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:25 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 7:53 PM.
More from this trailhead
- West Ridge Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 202 ft
- West Ridge Trail 3.2 mi · ▲ 341 ft
- West Ridge Trail 3.5 mi · ▲ 372 ft
- West Ridge Trail 3.8 mi · ▲ 402 ft
- Elmdale Trail (Blue)–Lenape Trail (Yellow) Loop, 6 sights 5.3 mi · ▲ 737 ft
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