Mount Tammany Hike

Mount Tammany is one of the most popular hikes I know of in New Jersey. The two parking lots at the trail head tend to get very full during the weekends. If the parking lots are full, you will have to park at the visitor center across the highway and walk to the trailhead. You have the option of doing a very short hike which is around 4 miles or do a long hike which is around 11 miles. Most people just do the short hike. I see a lot of beginners in this hike. If you want a good workout then I suggest the 11 mile hike.

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Mount Tammany Important Information

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

Difficulty: Easy To Strenuous
Distance: 3.5 or 11 Miles
Elevation Gained: 1,200 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: Yes

Trail Breakdown
Short Hike
Red Trail To Mt. Tammany – 1.2 miles
Blue Trail To Waterfall – 1.4 miles
Waterfall To Parking – 0.6 miles

Long Hike
Red Trail To Mt. Tammany – 1.2 miles
Fire Road – 3.4 miles
Turquoise – 1.1 miles
Appalachian Trail To Green Trail – 1 mile
Green Trail To Waterfall – 3.4 miles
Waterfall To Parking – 0.6 miles

Link: https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/2128836101

Note: The information is just an approximation.

Parking – There are 3 parking lots. 2 are very close to the trail. One is across the highway and you need to walk to the trail head under a bridge.

Next To The Trailhead
40.971887, -75.123209

Visitor Center
40.970477, -75.125887

 

Start Of The Hike

If you turn on the news or even social media, people will tell you that we live in a sewer like society with barely any hope for the future, then there are those fools like me who look at the mountains and stars and think we all live in some sort of unexplored fantasy land filled with adventure. I like to hangout with those mad crazy people, the ones that talk madly passionate, madly crazy for adventure, madly in love with the world, and those eyes that light up at the sight of trees. The ones you have to tell to shut up or else people may hear them and think they are crazy then take them to the crazy place.

I like those people especially the ones that say hiking is the answer to the question of their lives, even though they don’t really remember what the question was. But at least they know the answer. Yup, those crazy people with axes, shovels, pointy sticks and compression sacks on their backpacks, people you can’t exactly tell whether they are going camping or going to bury someone in the woods.

Having said all of that, off to the woods we went!

 

Red Trail

It was a dirt footpath filled with dead crunched up leaves, tall towering trees, and tiny shrubs at the side. My group members and I traversed the popular trail, and I could hear the footsteps of a lot of other hikers, tourists, and locals who wanted to enjoy a good hike on a Saturday. I wasn’t able to feel any wind nor breeze that came our way but the cool air temperature kept our bodies comfortable. I gazed at the long winding trail as excitement filled my heart, looking forward to exploring the landscape and the adventures to come.

 

Red Trail Going Up

The footpath became harder as the incline became steeper, with boulders, rocks and dead leaves covering the trail. I could feel the energy leaking out of my body as my steps became slower, my breathing became heavier, and the gap between me and my group members widen. I tried to catch up but it was no use, I was out of shape, and hibernated in my home way too much. I stopped for a second trying to rest and recover my energy. “Why did I volunteer to this torture?” A question that kept going on my mind.

 

I remembered one of my goals. I just bought a map of the world so that I can remember all the hikes and locations that I have been to. I am going to put pins on all the locations that I have gone to like those travel bloggers and Instagrammers that I know of. I am going to brag about my travels and my map as well. But I think I will have to travel to the top two corners of the world first because this stupid map just keeps falling off the stupid wall.

 

Red Trail View

The dark clouds covered the sky but a fierce wind was blowing them away, helping the sun and blue sky to take a peek. In front of me was a river, with a big giant island in the middle, as two huge mountains were at its side; sleeping giants that appeared to be trying to protect their little brother which was the island. From here, I could see tiny cars moving at a rapid speed in the highway, they would disappear from sight as a few trees blocked my view, and would reappear again at another part of the highway. The ledge felt solid and secure, as my fatigue seemed to be melting away and disappearing from my body as time moved on.

 

The dark clouds were thinning as parts of the clear blue sky could be seen on my right. The relentless winds carried the scent of Fall. Fresh and chilly, the wind blew in from the heavens, smashing against my body, bringing with it a cold bite, a sure sign that the season was changing. I stood up and was amazed at the beautiful colors of the trees around me. Orange, green, yellow, and more, each tree looked dazzling and beautiful like flowers blooming in the cold.

 

One of my group members needed help to get to the ledge, so I held her hand to make sure she was safe. I’m very good at holding people’s hands. I like holding hands especially in the subway, in the park, and in the movies. But for some reason a lot of strangers get scared whenever I do it. I think there is something wrong with people but I have come to accept them for who they are.

 

Red Trail Ascent

The rocky trail became even steeper with various rocks stuck to the ground like some dude glued them there. Most of the rocks were stable, secure, and not slippery as my feet gladly moved from one rock to another. Yet the steep ascent was very unfriendly to my body, as I could feel my lungs working overtime with each step that I made. I struck the ground with my hiking sticks, hoping my arms could take away some of the burden that my feet were having. It was just no use, I had been a couch potato for way too long that my feet could barely remember what it was like to be walking up a slope.

 

As my body slowly ascended up the trail, a dog passed me by. He ran quickly up the slope, taunting me at how agile he was compared to my body. He came back with a big stick with his tail wagging like crazy. He was so proud and everything with his big stick. Dogs are so easily amused. I was thinking maybe if people were as easily amused like dogs, we will all be happy and the world will be a better place. I opened my Instagram and saw this cute puppy chasing a ball with 10 million views. I realized we are all easily amused. I changed my mind, this world is just doomed.

 

Mount Tammany

I zipped my coat shut and held it tightly as the mountain winds violently rage through the valley, rivers clouds, sky, highway, and trees. The sun’s rays blasted through the holes of the ever changing clouds. Its bright light illuminated patches of the earth as far as my eyes could see. I witnessed first hand how unpredictable the weather could be as it was very cloudy and dim just moments ago. Yet on this place that I sit upon, I could only feel peace. The light which seemed so powerful was soft and gentle on my skin. Even the violent wind felt good on my body, replenishing it, and rejuvenating my mind, as if the wind was taking away all of my fatigue and exhaustion to a far off place that I will never find again.

 

Love is a camera, full of memories, at least that was what I heard people say. They also said to accumulate memories and not material things. They were right since I remember a time when I asked these old people about their photos in their homes. They cheerfully said, “this was us marching with Martin Luther King Jr. This was my husband flying an airplane in World War II.” There were many more. I thought they were just amazing. If I ever have grand kids, I know exactly what kind of conversations we will have.

Grandson: Grandpa, Grandpa, what is this picture?
Me: Hmmm…. that is my dinner.
Grandson: Grandpa, Grandpa, what is this yellow thing?
Me: Hmmm…. that is the egg I ate for breakfast.
Grandson: ……
Me: And this is a picture of a wing of an airplane.
Grandson: ……
Me: This one is when I was looking at a bathroom mirror.
Me: This one is a gym mirror. I have more.
Grandson: ……
Grandson: Well how about this one.
Me: Oh that one, that is a picture of my feet and those are clouds.
Grandson: ……

 

Mt Tammany Outlook

Maddening winds of all degrees of force, slammed their way to the trees, rocks, and to my body. The rattle of the trees seemed like screams of terror, fearing the wind would uproot them from the ground. I opened my jacket, stood my ground, and braced myself for the oncoming onslaught from the wild winds blowing in from all directions. The sheer force of the winds felt amazing. The unpredictability of nature, the capricious weather on this mountain, and the beautiful view in front of me, captured the souls of the hikers who were lucky enough to be destined to share this viewpoint with me on this beautiful day.

 

I took my time, slowly falling in love with the scenery in front of me, watching the clouds move from one place to another as some slowly form shapes while others dissolve into nothingness. The wild mountain winds did not cease with their assault but the sun would shine every now and then, bringing lots of warmth to my body, allowing me to take off my jacket. I let my eyes wander at the landscape full of beauty, soaking in every ounce of artistry before I decided to leave.

 

I wish my life was as beautiful as the scenery. Want to hear a sad story? My last girlfriend left me after watching a movie about Optimus Prime. She said she couldn’t handle it anymore because I kept pretending to be a Transformer. Before she got out of the door, I quickly replied, “hold on, I can change… chuk chik chuk chak chak.” I probably shouldn’t have made those transforming sounds, but it is all good as I try to look at the good things instead since I am an optimist prime.

 

Note: This viewpoint was very crowded in the weekends. I went on a weekday that had very dark clouds just to retake the pictures.

 

Short Version – 3.5 Miles

Blue Trail

The start of the blue trail could be seen at the view point. It was flat and even, very manageable until it turned into a downward descent from hell. I’ve been to worst trails before but on this hike, I was very out of shape. As we descended further downward, I could feel my toes hurting from all the downward walking. It was hard on my knees as well but manageable. I tried my best to use my hiking sticks but it was fruitless as my body had not seen a trail in over 6 months. I did my best to keep my body moving. Slowly and surely, one foot in front of another, trying my best not to injure myself in the process.

 

Dunnfield Waterfall

I stepped foot at the bottom of the trail as my heart sang in gladness as the hard parts of the trail were finally over. To the right was a short waterfall, maybe around 15 feet in height. At the top of the waterfall was a huge log that stretched all the way to the bottom, perhaps it was a tree that had fallen a long time ago. Now barren of all leaves and branches, the log just stood there while various kids and adults played with it. I sat on a hard rock, just resting my body, trying to enjoy the waterfall before we head to the parking lot. My thoughts started to drift, and my mind started to daydream about all the girls I have loved before.

Anyway, even though my girlfriend left me, I don’t mind since I can date other girls now. They say that girls like guys who they have things in common with. I just want to tell all the single girls out there that I like to breathe. I can inhale and exhale really well. I can even make a short video to impress all the girls. Anyway, just putting it out there. Holla!

Feel free to cringe anytime you want…

 

Back To Parking Lot

The afternoon sun peeked its way through the ocean of leaves that the forest had, as we were heading to the parking lot. All I could think about was sitting in the car and maybe falling asleep for a few minutes or so. My body, weary and tired, wanted to rest and recuperate. I didn’t even want food, I just wanted to go home and savor my bed. A weary and unfit body was the price I pay for not exercising for various months. I said goodbye to everyone and went on my way home, wishing that I will be a lot more prepared on our next adventures.

 

Long Version – 11 Miles

Mount Tammany Fire Road

The fire road was wide, long and distinct. Tiny grasses tried to live on the road but seemed to have been stomped upon repeatedly by the hikers passing by. Towering lifeless trees and barren shrubs surrounded us, with a few glimpses of a cliff on the right. There were no animals, no other hikers nor tourists, just the deafening silence that filled the air. Just our footsteps navigating through the dirt footpath could be heard.

 

Note: This is after the viewpoint. You take the blue trail for a few minutes then head to the fire road.

 

Turquoise Or Blue Trail

The turquoise trail could be confusing at times with a few ups and downs, narrow footpaths, and misleading turns. It was pretty flat for the most part and rather boring at times. There weren’t anything interesting and barely anything to see. It was just a trail we were glad to travel to in order to get to the Sunfish pond.

 

Sunfish Pond

The southern part of the Sunfish pond had a few openings for hikers to take a rest or so that people can look at the pond. Hideous and ugly, the Sunfish pond had nothing remotely close that was appealing to the eyes. Ghastly plant life that seemed parasitic, made their home at the outskirts of the pond. The dim light from the sky made the pond looked even more appalling, and it was as if a monster or plague entered the waters that killed all the fishes, birds or any living animal that came in contact with it. I tried to take a closer look but my boots sank deep into the mud and dirt that have accumulated at the edges of the pond. I took a few pictures and retreated back to safety.

 

Dunnfield Creek Green Trail Intersection

Intersection to get to the green trail. I took the path on the right.

 

Dunnfield Creek Green Trail

The green trail was a little hard to find, but we manged to track it down due to our GPS. A garden of different sized rocks awaited us which made the descent a little harder. Slowly and steadily, I stepped on one rock to the next, making sure that I was perfectly balanced, trying my best not to fall and injure myself. My skin felt the passing of a gentle wind, somewhat cooling my body as my ears could hear the sound of gushing water from a distance. We knew the green trail was long and arduous but my group members welcomed the challenge as they knew we were heading back to the parking lot.

 

River

The river was the trickiest obstacle we had to face as the trail markers made us cross it multiple times. The water flowed gently, calm and sometimes barely even moving but none of us wanted to get our socks wet. Each one of us tried to find the driest way to get by, looking for protruding rocks, shallow parts of the river, branches that fell on the water, or even logs that drifted by. It was a time consuming puzzle at times but it made everyone stick together rather than be separated by fitness level which gave relief and was less stress on my mind.

 

Dunnfield Falls

At the end of the river was a small waterfall, with a log that stretches from the top to the bottom of it. The log felt cool, moist, but was not that slippery. I summoned up my courage to walk to the middle of the log but the sound of gushing water falling to the rocks made me chicken out. Millions of bubbles hid the depth of the waterfall and there were no branches on the log I could hold on to in case I fall. I tried to do some push ups like I always do whenever I saw a big log or structure, it was like a tradition in my hiking group, but I did the push ups at the lower end which made the whole ordeal looked kind of lame.

 

End Of The Hike

The afternoon sun showered its golden rays over the landscape as we headed for the parking lot. My tired and beat up legs were slowly moving, inching towards my car. I wanted to speed up a little but my legs would not listen to me anymore. The dead leaves scattered all over the ground made crunchy sounds with each step that I made. Even though I was walking slowly, the scenery looked beautiful which made the time walking to my car enjoyable as I took a lot of pictures along the way. The trails did not offer much viewpoint on this hike but everyone enjoyed the workout and exercise in the end. It was a good workout and would serve me well in the upcoming hikes that I was going to do.

I said goodbye to everyone, goodbye to the landscape I may not see again, and went on my way home.

 

 

For More Hikes

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