Hike Description:

From the kiosk, continue ahead (southwest) for 100 feet on the gravel road, then turn left onto another gravel road and pass between two metal gateposts. You’re now following the route of the orange-blazed Hibernia Brook Trail. In another 100 feet (before reaching a locked gate), follow the orange-blazed trail as it turns right, leaving the gravel road, and enters the woods on a footpath. The trail proceeds through a deciduous forest with an understory of blueberry bushes. After a level stretch, the trail climbs to reach an exposed bedrock slab with glacial striations, and then descends. On the way down, it passes a rail with a pointed tip embedded in the ground to the left of the trail. This unusual feature once served as a boundary marker.

After passing through a valley, the trail climbs rather steeply, levels off, and crosses a woods road. It continues on a level footpath, then climbs a little to reach a T-intersection with a woods road. Follow the orange-blazed trail as it turns right onto the road. In 125 feet, you’ll reach a junction with the white-blazed Four Birds Trail. You’ll be heading north on this trail, but for now, continue ahead on the orange-blazed trail for 500 feet to the Hawk Watch -– an open rock ledge that provides a panoramic view over the Rockaway Valley below. During the fall and spring migratory seasons, volunteers record the numbers of migratory birds observed here. On a clear day, portions of the New York City skyline can be seen on the horizon to the left.

Even if you’re not a hawk-watcher, you’ll want to spend some time at this beautiful location. When you’re ready to continue, retrace your steps to the white-blazed Four Birds Trail and turn right, now heading north. The trail immediately crosses a gravel road (which, to the right, leads to a television transmission tower) and begins a long, steady descent. In half a mile, at the base of the descent, the trail traverses a rocky area, crosses a stream on a wooden footbridge, and begins a steady climb.

In another quarter of a mile, you’ll reach a junction with the red-blazed Beaver Pond Trail, which begins on the left (the triple-blaze marking the start of the trail is about 50 feet from the junction). Turn left and follow the Beaver Pond Trail, which climbs gradually. At the crest of the rise, a short side trail on the left leads to an interesting split rock, with a south-facing view through the trees during leaf-off season. The tower on the ridge ahead is the television transmission tower just north of the Hawk Watch.

The trail now descends slightly to reach the large Beaver Pond (which may be covered with water lilies in the summer). A beaver lodge may be seen directly ahead, with two abandoned telephone poles incongruously sticking out of the water. Here, the trail turns left and follows along the southern shore of the pond. Beyond the pond, the trail widens to a gravel road. After passing an abandoned stone building – a crusher from the Willis Mine that was once active here – the Beaver Pond Trail ends at a locked gate.

Continue ahead along the left side of the large, open gravel area. When you reach the gravel Upper Hibernia Road, you’ll notice a sign on the left marking the continuation of the yellow-blazed Wildcat Ridge Trail. Turn left and follow this trail into the woods. Soon, the trail begins to run along a mining berm that parallels a ditch (the ditch once carried a pipe that supplied compressed air to the mines).

After moving away from the berm, the yellow-blazed trail ends at a gravel road. Turn right onto the gravel road, then right again at the next intersection to return to the parking area where the hike began.