Slide show of Coppermines Trail

Photo: Copper Mine Trail's Cascading Falls

Coppermines - AT - Kaiser Trails Circular Loop

For a circular loop trip from the Coppermines Trailhead, I would recommend you go a little further south on the Appalachian Trail into Worthington State Forest to Mohican Mountain for a great view. Then return to the Coppermines Trailhead by the Kaiser Trail.

If you go north on the Appalachian Trail, you will shortly arrive at Mohican Road ( 10.3 Miles ) which takes you to the Appalachian Mountain Club Mohican Outdoor Center sponsored by the Appalcian Mountain Club. Directions to Mohican Outdoor Center by car. The AMC's primary sites are in the New Hampshire Presidential Range which includes Mt Washington.

You can go an visit the Center and either retrace your steps on the road back to the AT or connect with the AT via a very splendid side trail, the Rattlesnake Swamp Trail. But more later.

Catfish Tower

The AT will take you to Catfish Tower ( 12.6 Miles ) which provides an excellent view along the ridge line, western New Jersey and Eastern Pa. The hike along the ridge line is flat and through a grassy high ridge. You'll see farms of New Jersey, hear dogs and roosters from the valley below. To the west of you as you walk along the ridge north is a paralell road in the high valley called Rattlesnake Swamp Road. This road can be easily accessed by a parking lot on Millbrook Blairstown Road ( 13.6 Miles ) and can be combined with the AT for a circular route.

Rattlesnake Swamp Trail

The Rattlesnake Swamp Trail provides a different experience than the higher AT. Here the path is soft as you are walking on "moist" carpet that is filled with ferns, rodiadenduns, skunk cabbage and even towering helmlocks. A side road take you into Mohican Outdoor Center where you can see the secluded Catfish Pond. Rattlesnake Swamp Trail then reconnects with the AT at a lovely place to sit and look out onto New Jersey.

As one approaches Millbrook Blairstown Road, the AT will cross and be part of a road into the forest that leads to the Catfish Lookout and a Microwave Tower. When I was there, the cableman was realigning the antenna.

Thru hiker

One can meet may people on the trail and I was fortunate to met a thru-hiker. That's a person hiking the full Appalachian Trail. His name was Grasshopper and he had a wonderful story to tell.

A side car trip - Crater Lake and Buttermilk Falls

The AT then crosses Millbrook Blairstown Road RT602 where parking is available. RT602 takes you westerly to Millbrook which provides an old historical flavor. For those out driving, if you continue past Millbrook on the Old Mine Road towards Flatbrookville, you come to Blue Mtn Lake Road which takes you also up to terrific views on the ridgeline. You'll pass right by the AT and continue north to Crater Lake. There is an outlook to the east overlooking western New Jersey and Crater Lake provides a great place for a picnic.

Helmlock Pond

A short walk around the lake gives you lookouts on the AT ( White Blase ) to the west and the orange trail takes for for a 300 ft elevation drop to Hemlock Pond about 1 mile from the Crater Lake parking area.

If one continues driving north on Rt 615, one passes the NJ district Ranger Station and the Walpack Valley Environmental Ed Center. Once at the post office by Walpack Center make a right onto Brink Raod and once past the Cemetery, make a right turn and go west a little over two miles and there is a parking area to your right. Looking to your left, you'll see a beautiful waterfall - Buttermilk Falls. There are several steep but very well made wooden stairs that lead you to various lookouts up the falls and if you take the Blue Trail ( Buttermilk Falls Trail, you can go up to the Appalachian Trail.

Hidden Falls

If you backtrack on the road about 0.5 miles, on the east you will pass a small parking area marked by two wooden pole stumps. This trail takes you to the Hidden Falls trails for a waterfall in a deep woods.

Trout fishing for the diabled

Before we leave, just south of Peter's Valley on Rt 615 is the lovely natural fishing area. It has a parking area and a designated fishing area for the disabled so they can fish right by the stream. Now catch that trout. But now back up on the ridge and to the Appalachian Trail.

Rattlesnake Mountain

After crossing over Rattlesnake Mountain ( 1,492 ft ) one comes to an open ridgeline on Blue Mountain, one of my favorite vista views, which provides expansive views of Pennsylvania and looking north one can see Sunrise Mountain and the Kittatinny ridgeline extending to High Point. If one looks closely, one can see a tower and to its left the gray monument atop High Point Mountain and on a clear day the lower Catskill Mountains in the distance.

After the Rattlesnake ridge, one passes by Bird Mountain ( 1,497 ft ) and Woods Road which can be used to head back south to Helmlock Pond to Crater Lake one.

Stokes State Forest

The welcome mat for your entry into Stokes State Forest is a "No Camping for next 4 miles" sign. You have arrived. Don't worry, the access road to the Brink Road Shelter is only about 1 mile further and slightly downhill.