Saffin Pond, Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, NJ.jpg
Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0

Lake Shawnee–Saffin Pond, 6 sights is a 10-mile out-and-back near Mahola, NJ. The route passes Blue Heron Lake, Saffin Pond and Lake Shawnee. It climbs 818 ft. It scores 24/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi938 – 1,342 ft10.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Orange/Highlands Trail 41.01593, -74.61429
Nearest town Mahola, NJ

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Lake Shawnee–Saffin Pond, 6 sights

10 mi · ▲ 818 ft · 3 hr 45 min

Elevation 937–1,341 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Orange/Highlands Trail · 41.01593, -74.61429

Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:32 AM · sunset 7:23 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Orange/Highlands Trail, heading E.
  2. 0.2 miPass Blue Heron Lake.
  3. 150 ftBear left onto Tiger Blood, heading N.
  4. 50 ftTurn left onto Orange/Highlands Trail, heading N.
  5. 0.5 miTurn right onto Weldon Brook/Highlands Trail, heading E.
  6. 1.4 miPass Saffin Pond.
  7. 100 ftTurn right onto Ogden Mine Railroad Trail, heading E.
  8. 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  9. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Ogden Mine Railroad/Highlands Spur Trail, heading S.
  10. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Ogden Mine Railroad Trail, heading SW.
  11. 0.3 miBear left onto Green Dot Trail, heading S.
  12. 0.3 miBear right onto Yellow Trail, heading SE.
  13. 0.3 miSharp right, heading S.
  14. 0.7 miTurn right, heading SE.
  15. 0.4 miTurn right onto Waldon Road, heading S.
  16. 150 ftPass Lake Shawnee.
  17. 100 ftTurn left, heading S.
  18. 0.2 miSharp right, heading SE.
  19. 300 ftReach Lake Shawnee, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  20. 300 ftSharp left, heading SW.
  21. 0.3 miTurn left, heading N.
  22. 0.4 miTurn left, heading N.
  23. 0.7 miSharp left onto Yellow Trail, heading N.
  24. 0.3 miBear left onto Green Dot Trail, heading N.
  25. 0.3 miBear right onto Ogden Mine Railroad Trail, heading N.
  26. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Ogden Mine Railroad/Highlands Spur Trail, heading NW.
  27. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Ogden Mine Railroad Trail, heading NW.
  28. 0.3 miTurn right, heading N.
  29. 50 ftTurn left onto Weldon Brook/Highlands Trail, heading N.
  30. 1.4 miTurn left onto Orange/Highlands Trail, heading NE.
  31. 0.5 miTurn right onto Tiger Blood, heading W.
  32. 50 ftBear right onto Orange/Highlands Trail, heading W.
  33. 0.1 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

47% dirt53% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:32 AMSunset 7:23 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.0 mi in (~104 min). Leave by 5:19 PM for the 7:23 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:26 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Orange/Highlands Trail Trailhead