West Essex Trail
3.7 mi · ▲ 333 ft · 1 hr 24 min
West Essex Trail is a 3.7-mile out-and-back in Hilltop Reservation near North Caldwell, NJ. It climbs 333 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 2/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
West Essex Trail
3.7 mi · ▲ 333 ft · 1 hr 24 min
Elevation 331–600 ft
Out & Back · Hilltop Reservation
Trailhead: 40.85329, -74.25014
Weather Sep 5: sunrise 6:29 AM · sunset 7:25 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Spruce Trail - Inner Loop, heading NE.
- 500 ftContinue straight onto C26 Trail, heading N.
- 150 ftBear right onto Spruce Trail - Inner Loop, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear right onto C26 Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto C26 Link, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear right onto Spruce Trail - Inner Loop, heading NE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Endor, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 250 ftSharp right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 150 ftBear right onto Lenape Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Endor, heading S.
- 250 ftSharp right onto West Essex Trail, heading NE.
- 200 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 0.9 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 0.9 miBear left, heading NE.
- 250 ftSharp left, heading NE.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Endor, heading NE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Lenape Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading NE.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Endor, heading NE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Spruce Trail - Inner Loop, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear left onto C26 Link, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto C26 Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left onto Spruce Trail - Inner Loop, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left onto C26 Trail, heading N.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Spruce Trail - Inner Loop, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
- 250 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
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
- Old Hilltop Trail 2 mi · ▲ 190 ft
- Old Hilltop Trail & Spruce Trail - Inner Loop via Peace Trail 2.2 mi · ▲ 250 ft
- Spruce Trail - Inner Loop 2.5 mi · ▲ 279 ft
- Cedar Grove Reservoir & Boogaloo via West Essex Trail 3.7 mi · ▲ 481 ft
- Cedar Grove Reservoir–Boogaloo, 4 sights 5 mi · ▲ 567 ft
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