Mountain Lake–Birchwood Lake, 5 sights
3.5 mi · ▲ 374 ft · 1 hr 21 min
Mountain Lake–Birchwood Lake, 5 sights is a 3.5-mile out-and-back in Tourne County Park near Rockaway Valley, NJ. The route passes Birchwood Lake and Birchwood Lake before reaching Mountain Lake at the turnaround, 1.8 miles in. It climbs 374 ft, with sections as steep as 15% grade. It scores 32/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Mountain Lake–Birchwood Lake, 5 sights
3.5 mi · ▲ 374 ft · 1 hr 21 min
Elevation 521–680 ft
Out & Back · Tourne County Park
Trailhead: 40.91065, -74.44417
Weather Sep 5: Mostly clear, high 76°F / low 63° · precip 3% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:29 AM · sunset 7:26 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
- 300 ftBear right onto Purple, heading SW.
- 350 ftTurn right onto Orange, heading SW.
- 500 ftTurn left onto Pink Trail, heading S.
- 400 ftTurn right onto Red, heading W.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Orange Dot Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Purple Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Red, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Purple, heading W.
- 0.2 miPass Birchwood Lake.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Red, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Red Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Birchwood Loop, heading SE.
- 0.1 miPass Birchwood Lake.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Sled Trail, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
- 300 ftReach Mountain Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 300 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Birchwood Loop, heading N.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Red Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Red, heading N.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Purple, heading N.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Red, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Purple Trail, heading N.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Orange Dot Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Red, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Pink Trail, heading N.
- 400 ftTurn right onto Orange, heading N.
- 500 ftTurn left onto Purple, heading NE.
- 350 ftBear left onto Old Boonton Rd Access, heading N.
- 150 ftArrive 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
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Elephant Rock via Purple 1.2 mi · ▲ 256 ft
- Tourne–Orange (north), 4 sights 1.5 mi · ▲ 352 ft
- Orange Dot Trail & Purple Trail 2 mi · ▲ 164 ft
Get outside more
A wild hike near Rockaway Valley, emailed to you once a week.
Hikes near Rockaway Valley, New Jersey