| Apshawa Preserve | |
|---|---|
 Butler Reservoir in the Apshawa Preserve | |
 | |
| Type | County park |
| Location | West Milford,New Jersey, U.S. |
| Area | 576 acres (233 ha) |
| Created | 1928 |
| Operated by | Passaic County and New Jersey Conservation Foundation |
| Open | Year round. Dawn till dusk |
| Hiking trails | 3 loop trails. 5 connector. ~5 miles total |
| Website | Official website |
TheApshawa Preserve is a 576 acres (233 ha)nature preserve in thehighlands of northernNew Jersey, United States. Located off Northwood Drive inWest Milford, the preserve is managed by theNew Jersey Conservation Foundation and byPassaic County.[1] The preserve is mostly wooded with oak and maple.
The Apshawa is a brook, atributary of thePequannock River; it flows through the preserve and is dammed to form the 40 acres (16 ha)Butler Reservoir within the preserve. Thereservoir once served to provide water toButler.[2] Apshawa Preserve includes a network of hiking trails and a 43-acre reservoir.
Since 2010 part of the preserve is protected by a gateddeer fence to protect native plants that otherwise would be decimated by a high density deer population.[2]
In September 2014, 22-year-old student Darsh Patel was mauled by a 300-pound (140 kg) black bear in the preserve and died. He was the first known person in New Jersey history to be killed by a black bear.[3]
The Apshawa Preserve is open year round from dawn to dusk for recreation, and can be accessed from 4 Macopin Road, West Milford.[4] Onsite parking is provided in a gravel parking lot that is located off Northwood Drive (turn off of Macopin), where hikers will find a kiosk with trail maps as well as trailheads. Apshawa Preserve cannot yet be accessed via public transportation.[5]
There are about five miles of marked trails including three loop trails (Red 1.6 miles; Green 1.7 miles; Yellow .5 miles). There are five other connector trails which create a variety of possibilities. The red loop trail goes all the way around the Butler Reservoir and is accessible by the 1 mile blue trail from the parking lot.
