Elmdale Trail
Photo: Hello Turkey Toe, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 2.4 mi
- one way
- 479 ft
- climb
- 544 ft
- high point
- Point to point
- route
- Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct
- best months
Elmdale Trail is a 2.4-mile easy hike in South Mountain Reservation on county land in New Jersey, about 0.1 mile from the West trail. The route climbs from 173 feet to 544 feet, with a one-way elevation gain of 479 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.85 miles in. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Canoe Brook weather station show May highs around 72°F and October highs around 66°F, while July runs to about 86°F and January highs sit near 39°F. Several other routes start close by, including West Ridge Trail at 0.5 miles and the South Mountain Reservation climbing area at 0.7 miles. Eagle Rock Reservation, about 5 miles away, and Great Brook, roughly 10 miles off, are also within easy reach.
Local outfitters
- Pier 13 Hoboken15 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- WestHikingPhoto: Hello Turkey Toe, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.1 mi
Orange TrailHikingPhoto: Hello Turkey Toe, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.3 mi- Rahway Low ExtHiking0.5 mi
West Ridge TrailHikingPhoto: Doug Orleans, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)0.5 mi- South Mountain ReservationRock climbing0.7 mi
- Eagle Rock ReservationRock climbing5.1 mi
- Great BrookCanoeing9.6 mi
- * bouldering Northeast NJRock climbing9.9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Orange TrailHiking · Next doorPhoto: Hello Turkey Toe, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Turtle Back TrailHiking · ~1 min drivePhoto: Doug Orleans, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Liberty - Water GapHiking · ~6 min drive
- West Ridge TrailHiking · Next doorPhoto: Doug Orleans, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Summit TrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: Doug Orleans, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Oakdale TrailHiking · Next doorPhoto: Hello Turkey Toe, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Yellow TrailHiking · ~10 min drivePhoto: P_Linehan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- TurtlebackHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: Hello Turkey Toe, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Lenape Trail - SmrHiking · ~3 min drive
Red TrailHiking · ~10 min drivePhoto: P_Linehan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Elmdale Trail
Best months: April–June and August–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
39° / 22°
9 wet
Feb
42° / 23°
8 wet
Mar
50° / 31°
10 wet
Apr
62° / 40°
11 wet
May
72° / 50°
12 wet
Jun
82° / 60°
11 wet
Jul
86° / 66°
11 wet
Aug
85° / 64°
11 wet
Sep
78° / 56°
10 wet
Oct
66° / 44°
10 wet
Nov
54° / 35°
9 wet
Dec
44° / 28°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Canoe Brook, NJ, 2.6 mi away at 180 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Route details
- Distance
- 2.4 mi
- Climbing
- About 479 ft
- Summit
- 324 ft
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 1 hour
Questions about this route
How long is the Elmdale Trail on Nook Hill?
About 2.4 mi.
How much elevation gain is on the Elmdale Trail?
About 479 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Elmdale Trail?
It is rated easy.
How long does the Elmdale Trail take?
About 1 hour round trip.
Conditions and forecast on Nook Hill
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
