The Black River



The Black River, Cooper Gristmill (8/30/2009)

This is hike #19 ("The Black River") in Hiking New Jersey: A Guide to 50 of the Garden State's Greatest Hiking Adventures (1st edition). We hiked along the Black River way back in May, 2005. At that time we did a 3.5-mile out-and-back from the gristmill to the environmental center and back. Today we covered much more ground via a nearly 9-mile lollipop which incorporated, as one part, the path from the earlier hike. This time we hiked much further along the Black River and took the spur to visit the remains of Elizabeth Kay's cottage. We arrived at the Kay Environmental Center from the south this time before heading back to the gristmill along the Black River trail. We had lunch on the bench inside the Butterfly Garden at the environmental center, where we watched bumble bees flit from flower to flower.

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Turbine outside the gristmill

Cooper gristmill

Millstones

View from tunnel




16' high waterwheel

First view of the Black River

 

Gristmill from the trail

Central Railroad bed

Kay's Pond

Path along the pond
 


Reflections in Kay's Pond

Dam at Kay's Pond

The dam

Dam waterfall
 


Black River


Tiny trail mushroom

Bridge to Natural Area
 



Descending to Kay's cottage

Inside Kay's cottage

 




[Photo by Laura]

 


Rear of remains


View through arch

 


On the dam [photo by Laura]

Waterfall dam at cottage

Steps at cottage

Red Patriot's Path blaze
 


Abandoned bathtub!

Black River


[Photo by Laura]
 



Beautiful pines

Where are we?

Tangled trees
 


A car door!

Busy bee

On someone's front lawn!

Entrance to Environmental Center
 


Squirrel

Farm nearby

Road to the center

Private residence
 




Kay Environmental Center

Fountain
 


The Butterfly Garden

Two moths

Our lunch spot

A bee's lunch spot
 



Cone flowers

Butterfly Garden and center

Moth
 


Patriot's Path post

Bird house in rear

Self portrait

 


Remains of bridge

Black River


Kay's Pond
 



RR bed and pond

Lots of tree roots

Cooper gristmill
 

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