Orange Trail

Orange Trail is a short, easy hike in Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey, managed by the National Park Service. The trail is 0.6 miles long and rises about 111 feet from its starting point, which sits at roughly 584 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 0.44 miles, peaking at 595 feet before the trail descends slightly to a low of 472 feet. The route is a point-to-point walk rather than a loop, and it is easy to fit into a short visit. There is no fee to hike it, and the trail is not open to bikes or horses. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Canoe Brook show May highs around 72°F and September highs around 78°F, with July the warmest month at about 86°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. The Yellow Trail and the Aqueduct Trail both start within about a tenth of a mile, and the Blue Trail is about 0.4 miles away. For time on the water, the Passaic River is about 1.6 miles off.