State to revitalize trail network at the former Jungle Habitat
West Milford. Among the goals is to facilitate greater connections to nature and recreation, promoting health, well-being and a stronger sense of stewardship for the natural environment.
| 24 Aug 2020 | 04:36
Hewitt locals Joe Janisheski and Steve Lynn on the trails at the former Jungle Habitat. Photo by Tom Hennigan.
The New Jersey Park Service is revitalizing the trail network at the former Jungle Habitat in West Milford. The project will improve trail conditions and connectivity as well as contiguous trails in Long Pond Ironworks State Park and northern Norvin Green State Forest.
The project will:
● Adopt and map existing trails, reroute current trails and add new sections of trail.
● Increase access to the region’s open and green spaces.
● Facilitate greater connections to nature and recreation, promoting health, well-being and a stronger sense of stewardship for the natural environment.
● Promote additional use of existing trails and engender support for their maintenance and improvement.
● Ease navigation along currently unmarked paths in the area, leading to less lost hiker incidents.
● Bring more legitimate trail users to the area, discouraging the existing and prolific use of public land for illegal ORV riding and trash dumping.
● Ease vehicle crowding seen at nearby trailhead parking areas.
Project partners include The Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association and New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. Both trail group partners specialize in volunteer-led trail work from layout and design to construction and maintenance.
Background
New Jersey purchased the 800-acre Jungle Habitat property in 1988 for $1.45 million.
In 2007, under the direction of Ringwood State Park, the Ramapo Valley Cycling Club (a chapter of the Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association or JORBA) performed a cleanup of the park, with 70 volunteers contributing. Brush was cleared and trash was removed.
More recently, under the management of Ringwood State Park, JORBA built single-track trails designed for bicycle, equestrian and foot traffic. There were 11 to 12 miles of single-track trails by 2008.