The Plan
On the morning of the run, we will meet at the Locust Grove trailhead at South Mountain Revervation at 6:30am. We will then take the 6:50am train to Broad Street, Newark, arriving at 7:16am. It will be an approximately 34 mile run back to the car on the Lenape Trail, which covers some of New Jersey's most historic locations, and is one of the most diverse trails the State has to offer.
While we will be passing stores, and there will be some aid dropped off along the way, this run is self supported, and all runners are expected to carry any gear/nutrition they will need to cover the full distance of the run.
About The Trail
Established in 1982, the Lenape Trail is the fifth longest trail in New Jersey behind the Delaware and Raritan Canal Trail, the Appalachian Trail, the completed section of the Highlands Trail and the Batona Trail. For almost its entire 34 miles, the Lenape Trail is marked by yellow blazes painted on trees and telephone poles. The trail changes from sidewalks to surfaced trails to dirt trails and aqueducts throughout its length.
The Route
The Lenape Trail's eastern terminus is in Newark's Ironbound district and continues through Downtown Newark and the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Branch Brook Park, the largest park in Newark and home to the city's Cherry Blossom Festival with the most diverse cherry blossom display in the country. After traveling north through Branch Brook Park, the trail follows sidewalks and aqueducts through Belleville and Nutley before crossing over the Garden State Parkway on a pedestrian bridge. The trail travels through Bloomfield partially through parks and along Watchung Avenue before crossing Brookdale Park, passing Applegate Farm, crossing the Montclair-Boonton Line and entering the Mills Reservation. The trail combines after this with the West Essex Trail on the former Caldwell Branch of the Erie Railroad. The trail continues in Verona on the old Erie Railroad line and follows sidewalks once again before passing through Verona Park and then Eagle Rock Reservation. The trail passes the Eagle Rock lookout on the ridge of the First Watchung Mountain or Orange Mountain, with views of the New York Skyline. The trail goes under I-280 and follows power lines over the Second Watchung Mountain or Preakness Mountain. At this point, the “offical” trail continues west, eventually ending at the Passaic River and connecting with the Patriot Path in Roseland. But we will be following a side trail that leads to the Southern section of the Lenape Trail,which we all know and love, in South Mountain Reservation.
Event's current local time: 7:08 AM ET
