Welcome to the Ice Age Trail in Roxbury Township, NJ. This is Roxbury's newest trail, having been officially been dedicated on May 31, 2014. The trail is located across from 12 Orben Drive, Landing. The trail encompasses a 1.5 mile hike with some steep areas, trekking up and down the hillside. Beautiful views from the ridge line, overlooking Mt. Arlington and Landing. On a clear day, Allamuchy Mountain can also be seen to the northwest! The park can be a natural habitat for viewing birds, such as Pileated Woodpecker and Scarlet Tanager. Be sure to wear appropriate footwear, such as sneakers or hiking boots, and bring a bottle of water.
This series of 6 family friendly caches have been placed with the permission of the Roxbury Township Department of Recreation. This cache was also placed in the spirit of the N.J. Dept. of Environmental Protection's geocaching policy, which means the geocache can be found within 5 feet of the new Ice Age Trail, with one exception. This trail is appropriate for children ages 8 and up who enjoy a challenge. I wanted to include some history of the local towns, and attractions that make this part of New Jersey special.
Lake Hopatcong is the largest freshwater body in New Jersey, about 4 square miles (10 km²) in area. The lake sits within the borders of both Sussex and Morris counties in the state's northern mountains known as the New Jersey Highlands. Lake Hopatcong was produced by damming and flooding of two ponds, known as the Great Pond and Little Pond, and the Musconetcong River, its natural outlet. Historically known as a resort lake for vacationing New Yorkers, it is now a mostly suburban residential lake. The exact origin of the name Hopatcong is unknown, though it is most commonly attributed to the Lenape Indian word for "stone water," or "stone over water". Some linguists believe "Hopatcong" to be a derivative of the Lenape word hapakonoesson, meaning "pipe stone". A definition perhaps more widely known is "honey waters of many coves", invented at the beginning of the 20th century to stimulate tourism. In the early 1700s, the Great Pond stretched between Henderson Bay and today's Hopatcong State Park. Little Pond was a small body of water to the south of Woodport. The two lakes were first dammed in 1750. By 1831, Lake Hopatcong had been flooded to nearly its current shape.More than 900 feet above sea level, Lake Hopatcong served as a natural high point and primary water supply for the Morris Canal between the Delaware River and New York Harbor. In 1831, the Morris Canal Company purchased the Brookland forge site and replaced the dam with its own, with the intention of using the lake water to supply the Morris Canal, which would connect Phillipsburg to Newark. This new dam raised the water 12 ft (3.66 m) above the original level of Great Pond, and caused the Great Pond to connect with Little Pond and form the current Lake Hopatcong.The flooding and subsequent formation of a single, large lake created a new geography of the area. Halsey Island and Raccoon Island, the only two true islands on Lake Hopatcong, were disconnected from the mainland. Bertrand Island and Liffy Island formed as peninsulas. In the 1850s, the Morris and Essex became the first railroad to reach Lake Hopatcong on the southern end. In the 1860s, the Ogden Mine Railroad used Nolan's Point to transfer ore from northern New Jersey mines into canal boats.
You are looking for a small lock and lock container. Mount Allamuchy can be seen to the west on a clear day. Lake Hopatcong would be straight in front of you. Enjoy the view. Parking is available in a small gravel lot that can hold 3-4 vehicles. Please BYOP. As always, please replace the cache in the exact same manner in which it was found. Dogs are allowed, but must remain on the leash. Wearing orange is recommended. Hunting is allowed during season per State regulation. Be mindful of the environment, always be careful, but have fun!!!
Congratulations to kenvilguy and Lynzmeister on the co-FTF. Glad you both enjoyed the hike!