For Chol Hamoed Pesach, we have prepared an array of five hikes of varying degrees of difficulty. In each case, this article contains only a summary of the hike, and a link is provided to the full hike description that appears online.
1. Trexler Nature Preserve. Located near Allentown, Pennsylvania, the Trexler Nature Preserve is unique in that it features herds of elk and bison in a natural setting. You don’t need to hike to view the elk and bison, but the five-hour, 7-mile hike described here passes locations from where these majestic animals can be viewed. This moderate-to-strenuous hike also features several panoramic views. It involves considerable gain and loss of elevation, with the total elevation gain exceeding 1,000 feet. The preserve is about 110 miles from Teaneck, and it should take about two hours to get there. For a complete description of the hike, go to https://jewishlink.news/features/58363-trexler-nature-preserve
2. Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area. Although best known for Tripod Rock and Bear Rock on the west side of Boonton Avenue, the less-visited Turkey Mountain section, at the eastern end of this Morris County park, has its own special features of interest. This 5.2-mile moderate hike, which should take about three hours, passes an old quarry and an attractive waterfall, and it climbs to a panoramic viewpoint and an abandoned stone cabin. The trailhead is about 30 miles from Teaneck, and it should take about 40 minutes to get there. For a complete description of the hike, go to https://jewishlink.news/features/58364-turkey-mountain
3. Franklin Lakes Nature Preserve. If you’re looking for a short, easy hike near home, this nearly flat, 2-mile hike, which circles the former Haledon Reservoir, is ideal. Although the hike is quite easy, it offers broad views across the lake, as well as of the nearby High Mountain. Towards the middle of the hike, the trail crosses the northern end of the lake on a dike with pontoon bridges. You’ll also pass some unusual rocks along the way. The hike is about two miles long, and it should take about one hour. The trailhead is about 14 miles from Teaneck, and it should take about 20 minutes to get there. For a complete description of the hike, go to https://jewishlink.news/features/58360-franklin-lakes
4. Palisades Interstate Park, New Jersey Section. This 2.2-mile, easy-to-moderate hike explores the northern end of the New Jersey Section of the Palisades Interstate Park, staying on top of the cliffs. For part of the way, it follows paths that have been designated by the park as “ski trails” but are open to hikers all year round. The hike has two steep climbs, totaling about 200 vertical feet, on stone steps, but is otherwise relatively easy, and it offers spectacular views over the Hudson River and passes by an historic monument marking the boundary between New Jersey and New York. The hike should take about an hour and a half. State Line Lookout is about 15 miles from Teaneck, and it should take about 20 minutes to get there. For a complete description of the hike, go to https://jewishlink.news/features/58361-palisades-interstate-park
5. Sylvan Glen Park Preserve. This 3.6-mile easy hike in Yorktown, Westchester County, traverses the 350-acre Sylvan Glen Park Preserve, the site of a granite quarry that opened in 1890 and was abandoned in 1941. In its heyday, it employed hundreds of workers, and its high-quality stone was used to construct such landmarks as the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan.
Operations at the quarry were terminated rather abruptly, with the result that much of the machinery, as well as discarded granite blocks, were left behind and still may be seen today. The hike should take about two hours. The preserve is about 45 miles from Teaneck, and it should take about one hour to get there. For a complete description of the hike, go to https://jewishlink.news/features/58362-sylvan-glen
