Voorhees State Park

From the parking lot walk back across the park road to the footbridge and cross over following the teal diamond blazes of the Highlands Trail.  After a short distance, come to a T-intersection and turn right.  Follow teal/white/orange then keep left on teal/white when the orange-blazed Brookside Trail leaves to the right.  For the next mile and a half the Highlands Trail will follow the white-blazed Cross Park Trail but you will be seeing more teal diamond blazes than white trail markers.  The trail meanders through mixed hardwood forests with multiple rock hops over small creeks.  1.2 miles into the hike, the trail turns right in a power cut, follows the power cut briefly, then leaves to the left back into the woods.

At the 1.5 mile point, the white-blazed Cross Park Trail ends at a paved park road.  Continue following the teal blazes to the left along the park road for a short distance then turn right on the Vista Trail, blazed infrequently with pink markers.  The teal blazes, however, will guide the way until a fork with a cairn in .3 mile when the Highlands Trail leaves to the right.  Keep left at this fork staying on the Vista Trail but there won’t be any markers for a while.  Unless there is deep snow, the trail should be well defined enough to follow.

Although named the Vista Trail, it seems the vista is not that easy to find.  When the leaves are down, there are obstructed views through the trees along this trail.  The Vista Trail will start to ascend towards an old stone wall.  Just before this wall, a trail not on the map comes in from the left.  Turn right here and you should see a pink marker a short distance ahead to confirm you are on the right path.  The pink markers become more frequent now.

You may do a double take in .2 mile when the trail passes between two piles of rocks.  Take another look - the piles are actually a seating arrangement of matching armchairs made out of rocks!  

In another .2 mile the Vista Trail ends at the paved park road.  Turn right and walk along the park road keeping straight at the intersection.  In just under half a mile turn right on the drive leading to the observatory, then left before the observatory to pick up the Solar System Trail.  Several interpretive signs line this half-mile long trail.

Once again arrive at the same park road only this time in a parking lot at a picnic area.  Turn right in the parking lot for a spectacular view of Round Valley Reservoir.  You can see how high up the reservoir is situated from this viewpoint.

Continue on the park road in the direction you were heading watching to the left for the start of the multi-use Hill Acres Trail at a large sign across a small field.  This trail will soon cross a power cut and then turn right at an unmarked intersection on a woods road.  Keep following the Hill Acre Trail signs and blue trail markers until you arrive back at the junction with the Highlands Trail.  Turn right on the Highlands Trail and cross over the footbridge back to your car.

The park includes:

• Hunting
• Cross Country Skiing
• Nature Trails
• Camping
• Mounting Biking / Biking
• Hiking / Walking
• Fishing
• Viewing Points
• Playground
• Picnicking