South branch Raritan river at Columbia Rail Trail, after a rain, June 30 2024 01.jpg
Magpieturtle · CC BY 4.0

Upper Falls–Lake George, 7 sights is a 13.9-mile out-and-back in Schooley's Mountain County Park near Bartley, NJ. The route passes Lake George, Koehler's Pond and Upper Falls. It climbs 1,225 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade. It scores 12/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi545 – 1,099 ft · steepest grade: 17%15.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Columbia Trail 40.81672, -74.72530
Nearest town Bartley, NJ

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Upper Falls–Lake George, 7 sights

13.9 mi · ▲ 1,225 ft · 5 hr 15 min

Elevation 544–1,098 ft

Out & Back · Schooley's Mountain County Park

Trailhead: Columbia Trail · 40.81672, -74.72530

Weather Sep 5: sunrise 6:31 AM · sunset 7:27 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Columbia Trail, heading SW.
  2. 2.8 miTurn right onto Patriots' Path, heading NW.
  3. 0.6 miSharp left onto Falling Waters Trail, heading NE.
  4. 0.4 miPass Lake George.
  5. 400 ftBear right, heading NW.
  6. 0.1 miTurn left onto Patriots' Path, heading NW.
  7. 0.8 miPass Koehler's Pond.
  8. 0.5 miBear left, heading W.
  9. 1.1 miTurn left onto green, heading W.
  10. 0.2 miPass Upper Falls.
  11. 100 ftSharp left onto light blue, heading NW.
  12. 250 ftTurn right onto yellow, heading NW.
  13. 250 ftBear left onto red, heading NW.
  14. 0.1 miSharp right onto orange, heading SE.
  15. 500 ftTurn left onto blue, heading S.
  16. 0.1 miTurn right onto red, heading W.
  17. 50 ftReach Upper Falls, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  18. 50 ftTurn left onto blue, heading W.
  19. 0.1 miTurn right onto orange, heading SW.
  20. 500 ftSharp left onto red, heading N.
  21. 0.1 miBear right onto yellow, heading SW.
  22. 250 ftTurn left onto light blue, heading NW.
  23. 250 ftSharp right onto green, heading E.
  24. 0.2 miTurn right onto power line service road, heading NE.
  25. 1.1 miBear left, heading S.
  26. 100 ftContinue straight onto Patriots' Path, heading SE.
  27. 150 ftBear left, heading S.
  28. 1.3 miTurn right, heading SE.
  29. 0.1 miBear left, heading SE.
  30. 100 ftContinue straight onto Falling Waters Trail, heading E.
  31. 0.4 miSharp right onto Patriots' Path, heading SE.
  32. 0.6 miTurn left onto Columbia Trail / Patriots' Path, heading E.
  33. 2.6 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

56% dirt38% gravel1% paved5% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:31 AMSunset 7:27 PM

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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