Walk Across New Jersey Part X - Preview

In Walk Across New Jersey (WANJ) Part X we abandon, for the rest of the series, even the pretense of semi-wilderness (as experienced in the Watchung and South Mountain Reservations on the previous two hikes) and head into the heart of megalopolis.  We still have pleasant parks to traverse, but with more of an urban park character.  Additionally we will be walking through elegant pre-automobile age suburbs and old working class neighborhoods and lively commercial districts.  And past old factories, warehouses, Superfund sites, beautiful old churches, schools, cemeteries, etc. - a plethora of stuff almost too great to describe.

The hike begins with the pleasant railroad suburb of South Orange and ends seriously urban upon reaching Newark's Broad Street Station.  

The old firehouse (1926) near the South Orange train station.

There are many old factories in Orange - "hatmaking capital of the world", including a few where hats were made.  But my favorite is this art deco pile where Monroe calculators (those old fashioned things with lots of moving parts) were manufactured.

Starting at the historic South Orange train station we head north into the City of Orange with its distinctly more blue collar ambiance. A consequence of its industrial heritage - especially the manufacture of hats. Boasting some 21 or more (numbers vary from different sources) hat factories in its prime, including the original ones of of the Stetson family who went on to iconic western hat fame.  We'll see a few extant old factories along with elements of the ongoing transformation of this sometimes gritty formerly industrial zone into the "Valley Arts District" (click here).

Sad rivers of northeastern New Jersey.  We cross the almost imperceptible high ground between the  watershed of the Rahway River  (on the left)  draining into the Arthur Kill and  that of the Second River (on the right) draining into Newark Bay (via the Passaic River).  Both just below their headwaters in the Watchung Mountains.

Some of the giant light bulbs strewn about in West Orange - these in front of the municipal building.  Commemorating Thomas Edison who lived the latter part of his life and died in West Orange.  We pass by the entrances to his gated community and his laboratory.

Next, crossing from the Rahway to the Passaic River watershed, we visit West Orange - land of light bulbs thanks to its most famous resident, Thomas Edison (who actually "invented" the light bulb elsewhere - in Menlo Park visited on WANJ VI where we saw a much larger light bulb).  The hike passes through three of the four Oranges - only East Orange is missed.

As you can see from the sign, there are spaces available in Rosedale Cemetery. Should you be looking for a final resting place among New Jersey's captains of industry, you will be out of luck on the hike as the office will be closed.

Then beautifully landscaped Rosedale Cemetery - one of the oldest and most historic in the state.  New Jersey's industrial graveyard whose permanent residents include the founders of Colgate, Merck, Upjohn, Johnson & Johnson and A&P along with famous architect Charles McKim, pioneering tennis star Althea Gibson and a few other famous people.

This 1920's last of the bow bridges over the Morris Canal was still present March, 2014 and will certainly still be there when we do the hike.

From Rosedale Cemetery we make our way to the Morris Canal in Bloomfield.  Having used the Delaware and Raritan Canal for much of the early WANJ, it is  essential to include at least a snippet of New Jersey's greatest and most innovative (if much less well preserved) canal as well - and this is it.   There is not really any canal left here but there is a pleasant park along the alignment including a historic bridge slated for demolition (but still there at last check).  

Cherry blossoms in Branch Brook Park on April 16, 2013 - indications are that we should have them close to peak on the day of the hike.  Let's hope.

Just before reaching the end of the hike at Broad Street Station, we pass the very large Newark Cathedral - impressively sited on the highest natural elevation in the city,

A bit more street walking takes us to the north end of Newark's Branch Brook Park where the cherry blossoms could well be spectacular.  Ostensibly too late, a recent NJ.com article forecasts the peak to be one day after the hike. We'll walk through Branch Brook Park right the way down , then on to Broad Street Station passing a more few historic sites including the impressive Newark Cathedral. 

For a map showing all the Walk Across and Ramble Across New Jersey hikes completed prior to this one, click here.  WANJ hikes are in red, the alternate WANJ route through the Plainfields in pink, and RANJ in green.

Orange Reservoir Perambulation

Orange Reservoir from the north

I'm sure it is well known to regular visitors to South Mountain Reservation (Essex County, NJ), but has snuck up on me that Orange Reservoir, which sits at the north end of the reservation, is now generally open to the public and full of recent and upcoming "improvements".  Built in the late 19th century to supply water for the City of Orange it was abandoned for that purpose in the late 1990s (I venture a reason below).  Till a few years ago, one had to sneak through a fence to have a look.  Its long dormancy between water supply and public access was due to political and financial fights between the City of Orange, the Township of West Orange who own most of the property, and Essex County who has wanted it for its "South Mountain Recreation Complex".  Anyway, around July of last year things were settled at least to the extent that the county could lease the property and start to do things with it. I think the township is still grumbling about taxes, but I am not sure. It seems to have become one of County Executive Joseph DiVicenzo's favorite projects.

I decided to check it out about a week ago.  It is definitely a work in progress and definitely different from the rest of South Mountain Reservation (the reservation is adjacent to the reservoir - although I am not sure if the reservoir is technically part of the reservation, the two are so tightly coupled and both are managed by Essex County so it is probably best to think of them as a single entity).  

"Amenities"

While the reservation proper is dominated by rocky trails and unpaved carriage roads - more of a hiking experience if not an especially difficult one - the reservoir is looking much more "civilized", with paved paths, lighting, etc.  I'm of two minds.  With Turtle Back Zoo and the skating arena and all the other nearby amenities, I can see why Mr. DiVicenzo would want to expand recreational opportunities around the north end of the reservoir. And I won't complain about linking it all in a pedestrian friendly manner suitable to people with limited hiking skills or experience - it might even encourage some of them to walk ... a bit.  I just hope he does not go too far.  In any case, I like to walk just about anywhere and I found walking the new paths around the reservoir an enjoyable experience. And the serious hiking trails of the reservation proper are just a stone's throw away.


Path extending around the west side of the Reservoir.

Pedestrian Bridge over the Rahway River at the north end of Reservoir

Mr. DiVicenzo's new bridge on the way (I think the one on the left is already done)

As I said, it is also work in progress.  A county goal is a paved path circumnavigating the reservoir which means bridges to cross the Rahway River West Branch where it enters north and exits south.  The northerly bridge - at the busy end of the reservoir - is already in place.  The county has grand plans which are prominently displayed on giant posters for the bridge at the south end.   We saw the work taking place.  One of the news articles I found said it would be open April 2014, but this seems ambitious.  We'll see.



Muddy tracks at the end of the paved path on the east side

We started out by heading south on the east side of the reservoir.  The paved path soon turns to a muddy mess - presumably the old service road - the muddiness exacerbated by the recent thaw.  While we saw no restrictions to continuing, it was easier to turn back and head down the west side where we wanted to be anyway. And where the paved path is complete all the way down to the dam. 

Giant Mute Swans spotted by the Orange Reservoir

On the way we spotted waterfowl. The reservoir is good this time of year for waterfowl although this may be diminishing with all the recent development.  We saw a normal assortment of ducks - nothing special.  It was the Mute Swans which caught our attention.  Seems this aggressive Euro-invasive is evolving into a giant subspecies in its new home.  A bigger bird for a bigger country.  Someone suggested it was something in the water.  Perhaps the reason the City of Orange abandoned it for water supply?

Dam at the south end of the reservoir

The paved path on the west side ends at the dam.  It is quieter down there and I hope it will stay that way even with the new bridge.  A lonely old water tank hearkens to the municipal water supply days.  In the distance you see the workers building the new bridge.  Till that is finished you can't walk right the way around without fording the Rahway River - probably possible but the water was high and our plans took us deeper into the reservation.  From the dam a short road walk takes you to the Lenape Trail and the rest of the South Mountain trail network.  It all gets much wilder very quickly.

Given the newness of it all, many hikers familiar with South Mountain will not have walked the reservoir.  Many may not really want to given its relatively civilized character.  But for me it is interesting and pleasant enough and provides the sort of variety I look for in my perambulations. Most likely I will include it as part of our South Mountain traverse with the NY Ramblers in the third of the "Ramble Across New Jersey" series in April. 

Finally a note about public transit access.  The common and obvious way the car-less and car-adverse get to South Mountain is via the Millburn train station.  Which is great but lands one pretty much at the opposite end of the reservation.  Community Bus (Coach USA) route no. 77 provides reasonably frequent service, including weekends, directly from PABT.  Take it to the "West Orange Arena".  The bus stops just a few hundred yards from the north end of the reservoir.  Go into the arena/skating rink if it is open and you want to use the restrooms.  A useful alternative to the Millburn train not only for the reservoir but also for connecting many other interesting dots in the northern reaches of the reservation.  Complaints about this bus service might be noted (click here) but it was fine ... the one time I used it.