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Pochuck Boardwalk, Waywayanda State Park

June 12, 2020

I HAVE RETURNED! But it was for good cause. I forced my family (and both dogs) to enjoy my passion with me on a day hike at Pochunk Boardwalk (on the AT) in Waywayanda State Park. It was ridiculously busy on a Sunday afternoon. I should have known better. But what a spectacular day for a hike through the wetlands! I managed to cattle drive everyone for 5 miles. They only complained for 3.5 of those miles. I KID! I KID! But because they were such great sports, I did treat them them to ice cream at Heaven Hill Farm afterward. A job well done, family and canines!

Pochuck is really one of my favorite places to wander. You walk through a scenic mixture of hard packed trail through deciduous forest, boardwalks through wetlands, over railroad tracks and bridges, and through a legit cow pasture (look out for patties). And, if you continue to head east from here, up and away you’ll go on the Stairway to Heaven to Pinwheel Vista. All this along a stretch of the Appalachian Trail. I recommend you park in the middle of the boardwalk section at the Canal Road North parking area (off of Prices Switch Road) and walk west to see the boardwalk and suspension bridge, and east to RR X’ing, cow pasture and Stairway to Heaven.

As for you, fellow Explorer, I will encourage you to visit Pochuck Boardwalk despite the crowds once again. Wear a mask as the boardwalk is not but 4’ wide and you can’t be socially distant as you pass by others who are going in the opposite direction. And I’m also going to encourage you, oh responsible fellow Explorers, to bring a bag with you to pick up trash that the general public leaves in their wake. The ecosystem is very fragile and to see the amount of discarded masks, water bottles and garbage is bad for the environment. Bring plenty of water, too, as much of the boardwalk is exposed and hot, even on nice days.

This is a great place to bring your canine friends, but watch the heat of the boardwalk… on very sunny days it can get so hot that their pads can burn, and it is frowned upon to have them walk on the wetlands to either side of the boardwalk. We found out the hard way on this weekend visit that there are more people on the trails who are afraid of dogs than who like dogs. One little girl let out a screeching scream in my dogs face as he walked by her…. he didn’t even look at her as he passed (he’s too old to care about others - he just wants to walk in the woods) but she still screamed in his face. I’ve had better experiences on walks with my dogs, for sure. It could have been that particular day, or it just could be that way all of the time because of its popularity. I almost never hike on a Sunday because of people. In fact, this photo gallery is rinky-dinky because it was tough to get a photo without another human in it. But that’s ok. I was with my family is a really spectacular place, and that is really what it’s all about. Amiright?

If it’s photos of Pochuck you’re looking for, head over to my Waywayanda State Park page and scroll through the “Northern Section” gallery. You’ll find plenty more pics of the park there!

According to nynjctbotany.org, The name Pochuck comes from the Lenepe word Putschek. It means “out of the way place”