Hiking Through Huckleberry Forest, Lenape Ridge and Port Jervis
When we found out that we could basically hike from our home and go all the way to Pennsylvania and NJ, we had to do it. We completed most of the Long Path and SRT in sections and didn’t even know it until we looked at our completed trails. While we still have a section to go and complete for other trails, we can say we at least got to Port Jervis, on foot. Hiking though the Huckleberry forest, Lenape Ridge and Port Jervis was exciting and beautiful and we can’t wait to do it again.
Huckleberry Ridge to Lenape Forest
Our journey started at the Shinhollow Rd parking area. We parked our car, walked over the old bridge and went into the trail to the right. The trail starts off good and then soon you’re fighting branches. This does not look like a well taken or traveled section and they seem to be working on clearing it out. In one section we couldn’t continue on the trail and had to jump on by the train track side. If the area was dryer, we would have bushwhacked our way to the path.
Once you get over the less-traveled path, the journey gets smooth. You’re mostly on a green moss path and in the forest hiking along the train tracks. The trail does change often from sooth moss path to leafy ground to rocky path covered in leaves. So, yes, you can easily get hurt and twist your ankle. Just be careful, enjoy the scenery and pay attention where you step.
When we reached Old Mountain Road we had to walk along the highway a little. Then you get back on the trail, up a steel hill. The hardest part of the journey was walking on paved roads. Your feet and calf’s just don’t like it and prefer the dirt and rocks instead. It took us about 20 minutes of walking on the side roads to get to the trail marking. Be sure to pay attention because we missed it the first time and only realized it when we opened the Avenza app.
Hiking on the Streets
Once we got to Greenville Turnpike parking we had to walk the road to Port Jervis. Along the walk we got to see old toll sign and enjoy the pretty houses. The walk was almost an hour long, walking on the road down the hill into the town. We’ve been to Port Jervis plenty of times but this time we got to walk through it a little. Once you get back on the trail, your feet will thank you. You’re back to the forest, where soft moss, rocks, leaves and branches, crunch under your feet.
We followed the trail to the Lenape Ridge Forest. We kept glancing at the road below us and the trail across us that we just completed. It’s truly amazing how roads connect and where they can take us. As we got closer to connecting back to the HRSF it was getting darker. It was getting harder to see the trail marks and we missed our turns at least twice. When we were about half an hour away from the car we decided it was time to just walk along the train track. It was impossible to see the trail markings and it was getting to dangerous in the forest with all the loose rocks.
Our hiking journey started at around 10:30am and we finished by six o’clock. It was a long journey but a beautiful one through Huckleberry forest, Port Jervis and Lenape Ridge forest.
