Farny State Park
Directions
To south end of Splitrock Reservoir to access Split Rock Loop, Four Birds Trail and Wildcat Ridge areas:
- Take I-287 to N.J. Route 23 North to Newfoundland, turn around via the U-turn system at LaRue Road to head south on Route 23. Turn at the first right onto Green Pond Road. Travel past Jacobs Road and Timberbrook Road. Shortly after Timberbrook Road make a left turn onto Upper Hibernia Road, then a left onto Split Rock Road. Follow it across the Splitrock Reservoir Dam. The parking area is on the left. Parking along the road at this location is restricted. Park only at the designated area east of the dam; illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed. GPS Coordinates: 40.962442, -74.457992
To Timberbrook Trail trailhead: Take first left from Green Pond Road onto Jacobs Road, and then come to a T-intersection at Timberlake Road. Turn left and drive 0.3 mile to a small parking area on the left just before the Winnebago Scout Reservation. GPS Coordinates: 40.998933, -74.456776
Park Overview
Located in the central portion of the Farny Highlands, Farny State Park connects watershed lands and includes a segment of the 20-mile Four Birds Trail -- so named to symbolize the biological diversity encountered along the way.
Trail Overview
- "Four Birds Trail" [white; 19.4 mi] takes hikers from Hibernia through Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area, Farny State Park, and Newark watershed lands to Route 23.
- Advisory: hiking in the Newark watershed at the northern end of this trail [Riley's Rise to NJ 23] is by permit only from the City of Newark. See Pequannock Watershed for permit details and fee schedule.
- "Splitrock Trail" [blue; 7.8 miles] passes through the high country to the south and east of Splitrock Reservoir and completes a loop with the Four Birds Trail. Terrain is rockier and more abrupt compared to the western side of the reservoir, and trails steeper.
- "Timberbrook Trail" [yellow, 0.8 mile] leads from the Winnebago Scout Reservation to the Four Birds Trail near Timberbrook Pond, and where this trail connector terminates in the Pequannock Watershed [note advisory above].
Click to see detailed descriptions of hikes in this park.
Park Description
Farny State Park
This forested wilderness connects watershed lands and is crossed by an old logging road. Streams, mixed oak-hardwood forest and swamps comprise the park. Trail entry is through the Farny Natural Area. Splitrock Reservoir is adjacent to the Farny State Park.
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In early 2015 the NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres Program announced the purchase of 1,500 acres of pristine watershed buffer land from Jersey City, providing permanent protection to land that surrounds the city’s Split Rock Reservoir.
The preserved tract is a greenway connector, linking the state’s Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area, Farny State Park, and Buck Mountain. The land is primarily forested, with hiking trails and fishing access, and includes a wide range of plant and animal species – including threatened and endangered species. Click for additional details.
The park is managed from the Ringwood State Park office (web link, phone number under Contact Information on this site).