Black Rock Forest Hike

Black rock forest hike is rated moderate but there are a lot of children, and dog walkers that come here. They do not do the whole hike. Most of the time, they just go to the Science Center and then go back. There is really only one good viewpoint which is at Black Rock but this hike will take people through forests, waterfalls, reservoirs and different types of scenery. This is a pretty good hike and very fun to do also.

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Black Rock Forest Important Information

Trail Map: Trail Map 1
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 6 Miles
Elevation Gained: 1,200 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: No

Trail Breakdown
Red Trail
Blue Trail
Yellow Trail to Mount Misery
Hill Of Pines
Rattle Snake Hill
Meadow Road
White Oak Road
Yellow Trail
Black Rock Viewpoint
Alec Meadow Reservoir
Science Center

https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/3491128888

Note: The information is just an approximation.

Parking

41.418653, -74.010438

 

Start Of The Hike

A choice had to be made right at the start. Do I want to take the easy path or the harder one. The harder path peaked my interest as I didn’t want to take a stroll along a road but I wanted to be deep inside the woods and commune with nature. I moved to the right, descending down deeper and deeper into the forest where the light of the sun dims and flickers.

 

Red Trail

Although a descending trail is not something I wanted to see at the start as I knew that there was a good amount of elevation gain in this hike. I could have taken the short and easy path but I was most likely a masochists for choosing a harder path. It was too late to come back so I pushed on, a little bit excited to see what awaits me on the trail.

 

Blue Trail

The blue trail had a gentle ascending slope, not too hard and rather easy for most people. However, spiky trees that were uprooted lay dead and was scattered through out the blue trail. These trees could definitely hurt people so I watched my movements very carefully. Tried my best not to slip whenever I was near these trees. One false move could prove fatal.

 

Yellow Trail

Barren trees devoid of leaves greeted me at the yellow trail. Some were tall, some short, some were slender and some were big, but they were all barren. Winter gave them the icy kiss of slumber, and they’ve been sleeping ever since.

 

Yellow Trail Ascent

The slope proved to be rather difficult as I was breathing heavily as I moved upwards. There were no switchbacks nor a place to rest. Just a somewhat steep hike to the top.

 

Mount Misery

It was a nice view, not that great but better than what I was expecting. Even though I couldn’t find any shade, the light of the sun was very gentle and the mountain breeze was cool enough that my surroundings felt rather comfortable. There were sleeping somber trees as far as the eye could see. They blanketed the valley in front of me and the mountains far across the landscape. I sat for a few minutes to take a rest, just let all of these scenery soak into my eyes and let it renew my soul.

 

White Trail

I poked my hiking sticks to the ground as I moved down from Mount Misery. Dead leaves blanketed the trail, making it hard to move fast as I may slip or trip. It was a sure sign that the trail was barely traversed or very few hikers have walked through this path.

 

White Trail Going Upwards

Already annoyed that I just went down and now I had to go up again, the white trail was just a straight upward footpath with no place to rest nor wind to keep my body refreshed. I sucked it up and walked upwards as the signs that I passed through said that this was the scenic route…. a promise that this trail may be worth it.

 

Hill Of Pines

Hill of Pines views.

 

White Trail

The footpath went through the edges of a mountain, nothing scary or dangerous, with glimpses of valleys and scenery through the cracks along the multitude of trees that blocked the views.

 

Rattle Snake Hill First View

The rattle snake vista was the same as others. It could have been better. I’m sure this vista would have been very beautiful when it is beaming with life and green leaves. But for now, only the gloomy trees that seem dead could be found. I took a few pictures then moved on as my body still felt good and refreshed.

 

Rattle Snake Hill Second View

I stepped upon a second clearing with two blueish lakes or ponds across the landscape. They stood out like beautiful oasis in the middle of death. The bright sun showered its rays as the lakes glittered and sparkled as I kept moving. It would have been a nice place to relax and rest but I opted to keep hiking as I only got a few hours left before it gets dark.

 

Rattle Snake Hill Third View

Rattle Snake Hill had one more vista and it happened to be on a descending slope. There was no time to rest nor a good relaxing way to enjoy the outlook for a long time. The slope was moving downward and it felt weird to stay on a vista with a terrain that was inviting hikers to go down. I watched my step closely while admiring the landscape. Safety is always a priority when hiking alone so while the slope may seem friendly, it was better to be safe than sorry.

 

Meadow Road

Thousands of dead leaves scattered through out the gravel filled road. The leaves made a crunchy noise with each step that I made as if i was breaking bones while walking through the road.

 

Meadow Road Intersection

Taking a left to go to White Oak Road.

 

White Oak Road

It was most likely the mating season for the small salamanders that were dispersed through out the road. I took my time and carefully watched where I stepped as I didn’t want to squish the little fellows. After all, I could almost relate to them, being on a dangerous road just to find someone to love.

 

Yellow Trail

It was a narrow and isolated trail that was a little bit difficult to find. The last ascent of the hike and it was somewhat hard as well as my legs were already tired and aching from the amount of miles I have done. I had been hibernating for too long and my breathing was showing it.

 

Trail Ascending

Barren trees that seemed to be devoid of life surrounded the narrow footpath. The light of the sun waned as the hour of twilight approaches. I zipped my jacket tight as the temperature dropped a couple of degrees due to the lack of heat from the sun.

 

Black Rock Outlook

It was a beautiful viewpoint, most likely the best one in the whole park. I dropped my hiking backpack and my hiking sticks to the ground, and I just sat at a hard rock at the edge of the cliff.  Powerful winds would come in waves, crashing to my body. They were cool, and felt good to my skin. I felt my sweat evaporating and my fatigue leaving my tired body. It was a great viewpoint that I could stay and admire for a very long time.

 

Black Rock Outlook

The sun was completely behind the clouds and I could not tell how much time I have left till it gets dark. Still, I stayed for a little while. There was no one at the top of the outlook, just me. It was good opportunity to enjoy some solitude and just basked in the awesomeness of nature. I love being alone at a vista. Not a soul in sight. Just me, enjoying the silence and the peace that it brings.

 

Yellow Trail To Reservoir

As I left the vista, I came across a fork with three different markers. There was a white marker at the left and blue / yellow at the right. I decided to take the blue and yellow to get back to the parking lot.

 

Alec Meadow Reservoir

The trail was actually to my left, at the bottom of a hill like structure but I couldn’t resist taking a look at the reservoir. So I stayed at the top even though I knew that I will have some problems getting down later on. The reservoir was beautiful and as the sound of the leaves rustling while dancing to the wind, I felt at peace. A sense of appreciation filled my whole body… happy and grateful to be at this place.

 

Alec Meadow Reservoir

The water trickled down a structure. The structure looked like it had steps to prevent the water from just dropping to the ground. It looked like a good way to prevent erosion. At the bottom of the structure, the water meets and pooled together to form a river and it flowed endlessly beyond my sight.

 

Bridge

I could no longer see any sunlight, only the gray cloudy sky that was getting darker and darker as seconds passed by. My apprehension was relieved as I passed through the wooden bridge as I knew that I will not find myself hiking in the dark.

 

Science Center

A few people seemed to have parked at the Science Center and how much I have envied them. They were already resting, ready to go home while I still had a mile or so to go. I hurried my pace and put my thoughts on the food that I was going eat instead… maybe a buffet or nice restaurant to quench my hunger.

 

End Of Hike

The light of the sun fades with the sky changing its color from blue to orange and light to dark as my surroundings started to dim. I’m sure the sun set already as the shadows were creeping in all around me but as I walked the trail, I still saw a few hikers with their dogs walking. Backpackers perhaps or people that live near here giving their dogs a walk. For some reason, it felt beautiful. People of all ages and all backgrounds love to spend time with the Earth. Something many of us have in common which is a love for this planet.

 

For More Hikes

For more hikes similar to this one, you can go to my Best NYC Hikes Or Best New Jersey Hikes.