Hemlock Lake–Crater Lake, 5 lakes is a 4.2-mile out-and-back near Haneys Mill, NJ. The route passes Crater Lake, Lake Success and Hemlock Lake before reaching Blue Mountain Lake at the turnaround, 2.1 miles in. It climbs 534 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade. It scores 93/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Hemlock Lake–Crater Lake, 5 lakes
4.2 mi · ▲ 534 ft · 1 hr 40 min
Elevation 1,144–1,450 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Crater Lake Loop Trail · 41.10939, -74.89209
Weather Sep 7: Overcast, high 72°F / low 54° · precip 0% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 6:33 AM · sunset 7:24 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Crater Lake Loop Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftPass Crater Lake.
- 50 ftPass Lake Success.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Appalachian Trail, heading N.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Hemlock Pond Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Hemlock Lake.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Blue Mt Lake Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 1 miReach Hemlock Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftPass Blue Mountain Lake.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 1.2 miTurn right onto Hemlock Pond Trail, heading NE.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Appalachian Trail, heading SE.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Crater Lake Loop Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 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
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Crater Lake Loop Trail Trailhead
- Long Pine Pond–Lake Success, 4 lakes 1.6 mi · ▲ 142 ft
- Buttermilk Falls–Crater Lake, 3 lakes 4.5 mi · ▲ 1,294 ft
- Appalachian Viewpoint–Lake Success, 4 lakes 4.6 mi · ▲ 371 ft
- Hemlock Lake–Crater Lake, 5 lakes 5.9 mi · ▲ 576 ft
Get outside more
A wild hike near Haneys Mill, emailed to you once a week.
Hikes near Haneys Mill, New Jersey