Hike Cushetunk Mountain Loop Cushetunk Mountain Nature Preserve, NJ

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Cushetunk Mountain is a ring-shaped set of lumps surrounding Long Valley Reservoir. The true summit is farther south than my loop today, but with limited time on New Year's Eve, I set out to reach the northern summit and form a little loop. I parked at the Cushetunk Mountain Nature Preserve trailhead off Old Mountain Road and started up the relatively steep white-blazed trail leading to the ridgeline above. Once here, I got a nice view of Long Valley Reservoir, where I headed left and continued to a false summit. The terrain was overall typical of northern New Jersey, dirt with embedded rocks and short spurts of rocky clusters. It was nice to get an occasional view down toward the reservoir.

I descended from the little sub-peak to a saddle, a junction of well-blazed trails. I started hiking uphill again, now toward the true Cushetunk Mountain – North Peak. The summit was uneventful, its view similar to the rest of what I'd seen along the ridgeline so far.

I noted that I could return to the junction since I'd reached the high point, but instead, I decided to extend the loop a bit, continuing south until another junction. The sequence I used to return to the trailhead was a combination of the red, blue, and yellow-blazed trails, descending and reascending for no apparent reason. I enjoyed the extra exercise, but at a certain point I'd reascended to nearly the junction mentioned earlier, so it felt silly. Regardless, this was a nice hike in the NJ woods, and maybe I'll find some time to repeat this as a full loop around the Round Valley Reservoir.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Cushetunk Mountain - North Peak

820 ft

360 rise

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Starting from the Cushetunk Mountain Nature Preserve trailhead off Old Mountain Road. The first half of the loop follows the white-blazed trail.

The trail ascends pretty much directly to the ridge above.

Higher up.

View of Round Valley Reservoir. Head left along the ridge crest.

A pretty trail with lots of blazes.

View back along the ridge.

Along the crest of the false summit of Cushetunk Mountain - North Peak.

The summit seen ahead through the trees.

A junction at the saddle of the false summit and true summit. After reaching the high point, you could return here to shrink the loop's unnecessary ups and downs.

Some rocky terrain along the trail.

View back as I near the summit, the false peak seen right of center.

Summit of Cushetunk Mountain - North Peak, view east. Round Valley Reservoir seen below.

A junction just past the summit. I kept left.

Descending the red-blazed trail.

Picked up the blue-blazed trail, which reascended a bit.

Ascending back to nearly the saddle separating the false summit and true summit.

Then down again, an easy stroll back. I picked up the yellow trail, which leads back to the trailhead.

View back at the end of the yellow trail (right).

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!