Hike #91
At Merril Creek Resevoir
Hike 91
5/18/3
I had been putting off leading an official long hike beginning at Merril Creek Resevoir and
doing other trail sections on the way east for some time, and because this was the Oxford
Heritage Day again, and Tea Biscuit’s Sundays were still screwed up due to community
service, I decided that we would walk a route there on this date. Bill Bill decided to join
us only for the Resevoir loop part.
Merril Creek Reservoir, Perimeter Trail
At Merril Creek Resevoir
Main dam, Merril Creek Reservoir
View into Stewartsville from main dam of Merril Creek Reservoir
Main dam of Merril Creek Reservoir
Perimeter Trail, Merril Creek Reservoir
Atop Scotts Mountain, Merril Creek Reservoir
Atop Scotts Mountain, Merril Creek perimeter trail
Waterfront trail, Merril Creek Reservoir
Ruins of Cathers Farm, Merril Creek Reservoir
I had hiked here previously, even before the Merril Creek Resevoir existed, with my
grandfather. Prior to this resevoir, the Ingersoll Resevoir existed with a smaller concrete
dam.
Bill Bill drove us up to the boat launch parking area, and we began walking the Perimeter
Trail, which begins passing through some cedar filled fields, and then into the woods on an
access road. The road also takes the trail across dike #1 out to the main dam. Tea Biscuit
climbed the gate not realizing that there is a walkway through. There was a partial view of
the Stewardsville area from atop the dam.
After the dam, the trail became narrow, and we continued along the west shore
northbound to another dike where there is a view of the Delaware Water Gap and Wind
Gap. Continueing across yet another dike the trail follows the original route of Fox Farm
Road, then goes along a narrow stretch of the resevoir to the inlet, then heads along
Merril Creek before crossing it on a bridge.
After crossing the creek, we walked along more of the perimeter on Waterfront
Trailthrough woods and some open areas, passing by the ruins of the Cather Farm. No
buildings stand, but there are foundations and a lime kiln. There’s also a site of a pond.
Some of the trail can be wet, so there’s a nice puncheon as well.
Boardwalk on Waterfront Trail, Merril Creek Reservoir
Merril Creek Reservoir
Ruins of Lower Beers Farm, Merril Creek
We soon made out to the Visitors Center, which is nicer than many in the State Parks.
After wandering about in the Visitor’s Center, we headed across the parking lot to the
next section of Trail, and to the Orchard Trail, where Bill Bill cut out to go home.
Ruins of Lower Beers Farm, Merril Creek
Fields in Montana NJ
Montana cemetery
Reservoir at Roaring Rock Park, Washington
Ascending in Roaring Rock Park
Roaring Rock Park meadow
Tea Biscuit and I continued through the old orchard area and across the main access road
to Eagle Trail. This trail led us to the ruins of the Lower Beers Farm. Some of the
buildings were more there than they were at the Cather’s Farm. Rather than being
removed, some of these simply collapsed. We next followed a side trail to a wildlife
observation blind. After a brief stop, we continued along the trail downhill. This section
has an abundance of berries in the Summer, unfortunitely we were a bit early for that.
We made a right when we reached the creek trail, and followed Merril Creek through a
much lesser used section of the preserve. As we followed the beautiful creekside, we came
to a new orange blazed trail, called Pond Trail. We decided to follow it across Merril
Creek on a bridge, which took us out to a dry pitiful excuse for a pond. The trail ended
here, but an obvious old road turned right, we followed it out to the intersecion of
Harmony/Montana Road, Richline Road, and Allens Mills Road. We followed Allens Mills
Road east. Near the end of the Road we reached Montana. This area called Montana
Mountain is beautiful with rolling hills and farmland. We walked into the old cemetary
where we found graves from the Beers family who we assumed might be related to, or
were the farmers from the Lower Beers Farm we passed through. Also in Montana, we
saw the old church and schoolhouse.
At the top in Roaring Rock Park
When we reached Couty Route 547/Harmyony-Brass Castle Road, we followed it all the
way to the Roaring Rock Park.
We entered the park and checked out an abandoned resevoir, then followed the white trail
across the brook and up to the top of the hill where there was an interesting clearing. The
trail seemed to loop around a bit before reaching the highest elevation, then we continued
on another field atop a small ridge. There were some obscured views, toward Oxford area,
and down toward Meadow Breeze Park in Washington.
Abandoned former route of Brass Castle Road
Abandoned barn
Abandoned barn
Abandoned barn
We descended the hillside and made our way along Roaring Rock Brook back to
Harmony-Brass Castle Road downhill to the old abandoned alignment of Brass Castle
Road, which we followed north across the current road, and into a wooded section before
rejoining the current route. Soon, we reached some abandoned barns on the left, in some
state wildlife management property. We of course had to go in. The barn was in bad
shape, but not a terrible state of decay. There were some missing stairs so we had to pull
ourselves up. The floor on the second floor was particularly bad, but we still wandered
around a bit. The farm area was beautiful, there was a pond with a ruined dock on it’s
shore. We continued north on Brass Castle Road.
Abandoned barn
Pond in WMA land off of Brass Castle Road
Along part of the old Oxford Iron Mines Railroad
Next, we reached the intersection of Jonestown Road, and the Roaring Rock Inn, a bar
and restaurant. We stopped in for some lunch. I did’nt eat, but Tea Biscuit had a burger
which he said was really good. I think I might have had a beer.
After our break, we entered Griffith Woods and Lake Marguerrite area, and followed the
trail back to Jonestown Road further down. We took the road a short distance to the
Oxford Iron Mine Railroad, which we followed toward the mines, which we did’nt do the
previous visit. ATV trails led us along the right of way, with ties still in place. We
continued reaching the old mine area and a lot of old buildings. We walked behind the
buildings and found what might have been remnants of an old switchback railroad that was
supposed to have been there before the later conventional railroad.
Plaque that used to be in the stone work above the tunnel in Oxford
We followed one of the old woods roads to a field, and wandered the field to the right for
some time. We got pretty lost, and I had no idea where we were. I think somehow we
found our way back to Jonestown Road and walked through the cemetary. We soon
reached Oxford for the tail end of the heritage festival.
We walked around the Shippen Manor, and stopped in the Boy Scout funnel cake sale
again. We chatted with Dale Olsen, who was one of the parents involved in the troop
about the time I left the troop. I think we also stopped in to see our friend from Jordan at
Rita’s General store, but I can’t remember where else we wandered to, other than the
liquor store where I got us some Molson Ice. Our next move was to walk to the DL&W
railroad south to Washington. I don’t know how, but somehow we were’nt tired and
did’nt want to go home yet! When we reached Jackson Valley Road, we walked over to
the Warren Hills High School, then into Fairway Estates. We were a bit tipsy, and we saw
Dale Olsen again at his house. We chatted a bit more, and we both suspected he knew we
were intoxicated!
Washington, our friends Jeremiah and Abbey's front yard
Next, we reached Belvidere Avenue and walked through town, which was full of “Mark
Bond for Freeholder” signs. I knew Mark Bond as he and I were both members of the
Washington Historical Society. We stopped at Jeremiah’s house on Belvidere Ave (he
later moved to State Street), but he was’nt home. Soon, we reached Quick Check and
walked about in there. Inside, we saw our friend Sherry, who Tea Biscuit met in High
School, and she knew we had been drinking, so she gave us some gum.
Next, we walked to Rt 57 and followed it back to Washington; we may have stopped in
Family’s Pizza along the way too, but I can’t remember!
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