Revised July 14, 2005

Hike along North Brook Length: approx. 2.0 miles round trip

This hike takes you along the shoreline of a beautiful rushing brook (although water tends to dry up in summer). Start at the far end of the parking lot, just to the right of the dam, and look for three rectangular trail blazes, green tulip-tree-leaf on white. This is the start of the newly renovated Old Guard Trail. Follow the gravel camp road and watch for more of these blazes, which will appear one at a time.

The trail immediately crosses a wooden bridge over Fox Brook, the outlet of Lake Vreeland. When the lake is very full, the water pours over the dam spillway in a cascading waterfall. On the right is the dining hall, and on the left is a path across the dam. Continue on the camp road and you’ll see beautiful views across the lake. The Camp Council Fire Ring is on the left, followed by the Library Building on the right. You’ll pass the path to the outdoor chapel on the left as the road curves away from the lake.

Continue to follow the 2” x 3” blazes as North Brook comes into sight on the left. Soon, a wide camp road, “Shortcut Road” starts off to the left but you will continue straight, as the camp road starts to climb. After you pass Verona Cabin, watch very carefully for two blazes, one above the other, with the top blaze leaning to the left. This is your signal to turn to the left (whenever you see two-same blazes, the top one leans in the direction of the turn).

Here, you’ll leave the gravel road and you’ll now be on a footpath which moves closer to the brook. The Schuber Trail (orange blazes) soon comes in from the left over a wooden bridge built as an Eagle Scout project in 2004. Continue straight, following the combined trails (the path now has blazes for both trails), and you will soon turn right at a clearing in front of Tindall Lodge. Both trails soon turn left to reenter the woods. The path now follows along the edge of a swampy area, with ferns on the left and rock ledges on the right. When you come to some stepstones, watch carefully for a spring which flows from beneath the rock and crosses the trail. Climbing higher to avoid the swamp, the path soon turns left alongside some fallen trees. The brook reappears close by, now winding through a more rugged area, as the path climbs over some rocks to an overlook about ten feet above the brook. Continuing, you’ll soon come to a spot where the two trails split up.

Here, turn right and follow the orange blazes as the trail gradually moves uphill. In about 100 yards you’ll come to a three-way intersection of gravel roads. Turn sharply to the right, no longer following the orange blazes. Continue south on this gravel road, which is the route of the historic Cannonball Road, until you again pass Tindall Lodge. Soon you’ll start to see the green-on-white Old Guard blazes, which you can follow directly back to camp.