A recent land acquisition by the Land Conservancy of New Jersey made this area between West Milford's Ridge Road and Morsetown Road/Rockburn Pass accessible to the public, and a 2 mile hiking loop throughout has recently been blazed. This series of caches have been placed along this loop with the hope that it will introduce an adventurous few to some new trekking ground in this beautiful region. In the fall/winter the north end of trail may offer some nice views to the west.
I was informed that this area was being potentially developed as a man-made lake community many decades ago, but the project never came to fruition. As part of the Westbrook watershed, this is a critical ecosystem, and I understand the long-term goal of the Land Conservancy is to reclaim it to it's original state. By eliminating the many man-made culverts, roads, ponds, and drainpipes, the hope is to allow the Westbrook tributary once again flow naturally. In the future this area may be temporarily closed while this proposed project is underway, but for now it is open for hiking.
This is a "lollipop" type loop, with one blazed main trail leading from the parking area to connecting trails which form a loop. I recommend taking this loop counter-clockwise beginning at the eastern end (see waypoint), and carefully following the blazes throughout. The loop section of the trail has had little use, and may be a challenge to follow for the inexperienced hiker, and has some steep and rugged sections throughout. Like the nearby Westbrook Park property, there are a number of unmarked old roads and ATV trails within this parcel, so please just stick to the blazed trail so you don't become among the "Lost". Some downed trees along the main trail will require some navigating around at two points, but the blazes clearly mark the way.
This container is a small screw-top type, containing only a log, pencils, and some fresh AA batteries for your GPS. It is hidden in a classic Highlands style within 40-50 feet of the trail.