Northern Loop around Butler Reservoir

Apshawa Preserve

Butler Reservoir - Photo by Daniel Chazin Butler Reservoir - Photo by Daniel Chazin

This hike follows woods roads and footpaths through the preserve, looping around the scenic Butler Reservoir.

41.025208, -74.374223

The Apshawa Preserve is a rugged 576-acre tract owned by Passaic County and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. About seven miles of trails traverse this preserve, and this hike features the trails in the northern section of the preserve. The trails are marked with paint blazes and with colored plastic diamond blazes that incorporate the logo of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation (the...

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Trip Reports

rate experience
August 17, 2018
0
Hike description has been updated
<p>In response to the comment, I have updated the hike description by deleting the portion of the hike that follows the Yellow Trail, which has been impassable for some time and is now officially closed.&nbsp; I have also corrected the error with regard to the Blue Trail.</p>
Daniel Chazin
August 17, 2018
0
The Yellow Trail is impassable
I did (or should say I tried to do) the trail today, 8/17/18. The Yellow Trail is mostly gone now. Even with bushwacking, I couldn't get around the far eastern end of the small pond. I backtracked to the Red Trail, crossed to the northern side of the pond and tried to follow the Yellow Trail, clockwise around the pond and again the trail vanishes into brush and swamp. After I got back to thee parking lot, I read on the bulletin board that the Yellow Trail is closed indefinitely. Second small item, in the route description, in the 3rd paragraph, 2nd sentence, it talks about turning off the Green Trail. This should read "turn off the Blue Trail". This should be pretty obvious. And if this error confused you, you'll probably get a lot more lost on this trail!!
jwrushman
October 14, 2015
0
FYI
<p>Did this hike on 10/12/15 and had a couple of minor issues.. The 1st is in regards to the yellow trail. At the northern end of the pond the trail markers disappear. There are a few foootpaths fanning out but lead nowhere. After trial and error, I found the trail continues strait ahead into a marshy strip that is accesable by&nbsp; balancing along a&nbsp; 5 inch wide downed tree then carefully sloshing along for a few more feet. You will see a yellow blaze but&nbsp; I lost the trail again and had to bushwack my way keeping the shoreline within sight to my left before picking up the yellow blazes again. It's obvious that this section of the trail hasn't been getting much use lately.</p> <p>&nbsp; The 2nd problem came when I reached the gravel road along the red trail after passing the private houses. You must turn left and follow the road, marked with red blazes&nbsp; passing the first deer gate on the right. The markings then become red and green and&nbsp; there will be a 2nd deer gate which you&nbsp; will take.( I mistakenly went through the 1st gate and hiked about 20 minutes before realizing there was no blue trail connection.)</p>
rdgee65
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