Celebrate National Trails Day with June 4 hike at Apshawa Preserve

WEST MILFORD - New Jersey Conservation Foundation will celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, June 4, with a two-hour guided hike at the Apshawa Preserve in West Milford. The moderately strenuous hike through the heart of the New Jersey Highlands begins at 9:30 a.m. Hikers will meet in the Apshawa Preserve parking lot on Northwood Road, 200 feet from the intersection with Macopin Road, and will be held rain or shine. Hikers will traverse rugged terrain on the way to the picturesque Butler Reservoir. Highlights include an overlook with views of the water, and a visit to a rocky peninsula jutting out into the reservoir. “National Trails Day celebrates America’s growing network of trails, and we’re pleased to offer this hike on some of the most scenic trails in the New Jersey Highlands,” said Ingrid Vandegaer, Highlands regional manager for New Jersey Conservation Foundation, who is leading the hike. “Apshawa is a beautiful place this time of year.” The fee for the hike is $5 for New Jersey Conservation Foundation members and $10 for non-members. Hikers under age 18 are free. Space is limited, and advance registration is required by contacting Carol Banhart at carol@njconservation.org or 908-234-1225. Participants should wear hiking boots and bring water - and a camera! For online directions and trail maps, go to www.njconservation.org/apshawapreserve.htm. The 576-acre Apshawa Preserve, owned by Passaic County and New Jersey Conservation Foundation, offers a diversity of habitats in the heart of the Highlands. The 40-acre Butler Reservoir is a scenic attraction for hikers and birdwatchers, and the Apshawa Brook flows through the preserve to the Pequannock River. Nearly seven miles of blazed trails traverse the preserve and are open to the public for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, nature study and fishing. New Jersey Conservation Foundation is a private, non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve land and natural resources throughout New Jersey for the benefit of all. Since 1960, the Foundation has helped preserve more than 120,000 acres of open space and farmland. For more information on the foundation’s programs and preserves, visit www.njconservation.org or call 1-888-LAND-SAVE (1-888-526-3728).