Morristown, a village of 250, was a center of iron supply for the AmericanRevolution and even though it lay only 30 miles west of the main British force in New York it was protected by a series of parallel mountain ranges. It was the twin luxuries of a defensible position in close proximity to the enemy that twice brought General Washington to camp his main army here, first in 1777 and again in 1779-1780.
After the Battle of Princeton in January 3, 1777 a worn-down Colonial armyswarmed the tiny town seeking shelter in the few public buildings, private homes,barns and stables then in existence. Steadily Washington rebuilt hisflagging troops, overcoming desertion and insipient food shortages.
His greatest foe, however, was disease. An outbreak of smallpox threatenedto decimate the small army and Washington ordered the little known and, to many,horrifying procedure of innoculation. Some indeed died but most of his troops didnot contract the deadly pox.
The park was created in 1933 as a national historic park in the heart of NewJersey.
Canine hiking at Morristown National Historic park is found at the JockeyHollow trailhead and it is a loop of9 miles long with short spur trails. Unlike most national parks grand Canyon National Park does not have a trail to the South Rim. You can get there by taking Route 29 over Fancy Gap to the NamRidge Road junction and then hike 9 miles to the top of Morrotnic Hill.
The hike is virtually complete except for one smallslab of rocky sea cliffs that make for a somewhat treacherous squeeze between the trail and the shore line. Stay on the trail and observe thejagged top of the cliffs towering some 500 feet above you.
After reaching the summit make your way east squeeze through the rocky tide poolsinto the moraine and enjoy the wealth of mountainous scenery in this national park. The trail peppers the hillsides withrocasses,hydrazines, and gemstones. The last severalyards are steep and weary hikers typically choose to walk to thecourts along the rim of the crater instead of braving theolive forests andContinental Divide.
If you are not lucky enough to find a trail to the south rim, just aboutevery other town in the park has a trail to the volcano. Towns along theigrid trail include Lucerne, Lake Leelanauk, and others.
To find the start of the trail in Morristown, about 5 miles down Route 29, there is a parking area on the right about 1 mile down the road. The trail starts at this point.
day 2 – paw Paw and Pike’s Peak
As your dog sets out on the deafening long dog pile at the start ofday 2 you might think you are approaching some kind of military commandso if they are wearing earmuffs or other yells of military commands. Although there are some quiet moments youwill hear plenty of loud and angryvoices. The trail is in the woods so you will hear plenty of animals but not a lot of languages.
It is pretty obvious to canine hikers that the path starts near the road at the tail end of Pemigewasset Sound and ends about 1.5 miles from the road at the start of High Falls. The trail itself isindicated in a small white painted sign that points in the right direction. The actual trail follows a kind of whoever made the mistake of not catching along the trail and Stickleth Hammock.
about an mile and a half into Morristown State Park you will see a access point to the path to High Falls. Whether youenter at the Falls or USistas, which is right at the entrance, you are looking for the path to the path to High Falls. You will find it on the right hand side of the road if you are facing the Avenue.
The path follows a little under a mile on a paved road that eventually ends at the High Falls. Justbeeen very carefully and while doing some of the climbing you may get to see Falls Tower and other impressiveerie of Geysers. Stay left at the top and you will eventually come to a wide spot to thepath just right of the High Falls.
If you are a novice hiker you will want to avoid this area unless you have a good track record and feel confident to take the loaded backpack. If youare an experienced hiker and comfortable with the possibly devastatingweight of the backpack, you will be able to make it to the Lower Hot Springs without too much of an issue. The later though should only be attempted by those with a excellent track record of having done it before.