COURSE PREVIEWS

WILD GOOSE COURSE PREVIEWS

Friday July 19 and Sunday September 1

Want to check out the trails for the Wild Goose Trail Festival? Join us for these free, no-drop group runs! We'll meet up on Friday July 19th for a night run and on Sunday September 1st for a morning run. These group-runs are open to all paces of runners.

TRAIL PARTY DETAILS

July 19th - NIGHT TRAILS

Let's get some night trail miles on Friday July 19th! We'll be running the 4.75M Checkered Loop for the Wild Goose Trail Festival. This is a no-drop event - all paces of runners are welcome. Headlamps (or waistlamps) are required. Sunset is at 8:30pm so you will get great practice with transitioning from dusk to dark. Please RSVP for this free event!

SEPTEMBER 1 - morning miles

We'll head back to Wawayanda to see the rest of the course on Sunday September 1st. This is Labor Day Weekend, so we need to start early! Please arrive at the Main Park Gate by 7:45am so you are ready to get in when the gate opens. If you arrive after 8am, you may not be able to get into the park because it is so busy that weekend. We will preview the 6M Blue Loop and then the 7.75M Pink Loop. Please RSVP for this free event!

LOOP DESCRIPTIONs

The 4.75M Checkered Loop is the most mellow and has the easiest terrain out of the three loops for the Wild Goose. No big climbs or descents and no technical sections! We’d say the 6M Blue Loop is the most technical due to that 0.8 mile stretch in the front of the loop. Other than that, the rest of the trails are rolling and doublewide gravel/dirt. The 7.75M loop has a bit of everything–doublewide mellow trails, rolling singletracks, boardwalks and a bit of road. This loop definitely has the most varied terrain for the entire course and arguably the most beautiful of the three loops.

BYO-EVERYTHING

Bring whatever you'll need to self-support your run/hike! You'll want to have a pair of trail running shoes (or hiking boots if you prefer), a water bottle or hydration pack and food/snacks. Headlamps (or waistlamps) are required for the night run on July 17th. Please make sure your headlamp works and is loaded up with a fresh set of batteries! There are restrooms at the start/finish.

park fee

Wawayanda charges $5 per vehicle to enter the park. Carpooling is encouraged to save a few coins!

wildlife

There are bears at Wawayanda State Park (we had several runners/hikers see a bear during the Wild Goose last September). We will be staying together in a group so it is unlikely that we will come across a bear during the run. However, if we do see one, it's important to stop running and slowly back away. Make yourself big and loud. Yell, "HEY BEAR!"

GETTING TO THE MEET-UP

Please read the parking directions carefully: Okay, here’s where you really need to read the fine print and pay attention. The address to the main entrance is 885 Warwick Turnpike, Hewitt, NJ. This will bring you to the entrance on Warwick Turnpike, where the park office is located. This entrance will always be open. This is the only way you can enter the park. PLEASE look at your phone GPS to make sure it is taking you to this entrance and not the Auxiliary Entrance. If you are unsure, you can also plug in the "Warwick Drive-In Theater" to make sure you get on Warwick Turnpike. The park entrance is a few miles from the Theater.

The Auxiliary Entrance is located at 120 Wawayanda Road, Highland Lakes, NJ. This WILL NOT BE OPEN! When you enter the park through the main entrance on Warwick Turnpike, follow signs to Wawayanda Lake/The Beach. It will take about 5 minutes to get there from the entrance on Warwick Turnpike.