Cushetunk Trail

nice hike with great view.

wonderful trail

Awesome trail

Nice trails great secenry

Very nice place. $10 parking fee so bring lunch and enjoy a nice view of the water.

This is a beautiful area to hike, but be weary of the upper white trail as it is not well marked and it's easy to wander off the path. The $20 entry fee (holiday weekend) was very steep, but the views were worth it. The main red blazed trail (Cushentunk Trail) is an easy trail in my opinion with gentle elevation changes. The high side of the white trail gets a little more technical with some rock scrambling.

Did this hike with my dog for the first time and she loved it. The hike wraps around the entire lake so the down side is if you don't have it in you to hike 20+ miles you'll have to head back the way you came. Other than that the lake is gorgeous, and there are a ton of spots to stop and enjoy the water.

I think is a really good trail for bikes BUT if you're an expert at that cause Im actually a beginner and was extremely hard and exhausting for me
I've been at Six mile run and I thought maybe Im ready for this but NOPE not yet
2.5 miles in the red trail and i was done already
Had to take the road to get back at the parking lot cause to tired
Definitely going again when I get in better shape and more experienced

There was a $10.00 fee to enter the park. Just turned around and found a free trail.

If you're looking for a place solely for hiking, and a trail where you feel like you've gotten away from civilization, then Round Valley is not the ideal place. For the first 3-4 miles, you're never far away from main roads or houses. Round Valley is also a popular place for mountain bikers, so again you don't really feel away from it all.

With that said, if you're looking for a place in NJ for an overnighter where you can pitch up a tent, get a campfire going (with plenty of fallen wood), and where the campsites are decently separated, then Round Valley is actually quite nice for that. Plus many of the campsites are within a stones throw of the reservoir which makes for a nice setting. So I'd say 3 stars for hiking, but maybe 4 stars for camping.

Good training loop for M.U.T. folks

Perfect for a light Sunday morning hike with pretty scenery

Great trail and seasonal changes

Always a lovely time at Round Valley.

The trail that starts and ends at the end of the bridge is untouched, we had a difficult time finding out way though the trail the first time since the trail gets so thin and over grown at some points, besides that, it's a great place to walk.

super Trail for mountain Bike

The Cushetunk Trail was great!

Loved it!

Love the Cushetunk Trail. Hilly, Tough, and Technical. Love the additional short trail in the woods (before Dam on way out) that was added and the trail improvements. I horseback ride here frequently during the off season and the trails are usually busy with hikers and bikers (thank you all for sharing the trails!)

A fun hike, especially nice view with the lake. Perfect when you can stick yout feet in to cool off!

If you're looking for a trail run this is a great work out. the elevation change is very challenging and constant. very easy to get your heart rate up. Trail running shoes are ideal as there are very little smooth surfaces along this track. Go in the morning. Since most of the trail is in the shade this made for a really nice run.

Am I the only one that was nearly run over by bikes? Once a biker had to lay his bike down as he was speeding down a hill to avoid running into me. Another time a biker turned a corner totally unaware that a hiker may be walking toward him. I actually helped him stop by holding his handlebars. When I reported the careless riding to the rangers they told me to take another short trail where bikes are not allowed. I guess the shave the right of way. It is a pretty hike but be careful!

Nice groomed wide trails with a couple off the beaten path. The lake is beautiful, dogs love swimming and kids love throwing rocks. Not sure why it says "trail is only recommended for very experienced outdoorsmen".....

decent trail, though be warned it isn't well marked about 7 miles in, and then it just stops. Turns out that the loop no longer exists, and the area has been fenced off almost entirely. Ended up crossing into restricted area, and getting escorted out by the rangers.

lots of up down, lots of rocks, the views can be pretty, but only at certain times of the year.

Sorry, this hike sucks. Unless you're getting to one of the campsites, there's no need to kick your ass on this trail. There's a lot of steep ups and downs with no significant views after all your labour. If you want a good asskicking, at least go up north or to the Water Gap to get some significant views for your sweat equity.

This hike gets two stars because at least once you get to the sites, it's a nice place to camp. (You can do this via canoe, which I think is a better way to go.) Also, when I went here years ago, there were rows and rows of wild raspberry bushes near the campsites.

Absolutely loved this place! Went with a friend and was shocked at how big the reservoir really is. Trails are pretty well maintained and the hills are a good moderate challenge. I enjoyed this place so much I had to bring people back 2 weeks later to share it with them. Definitely recommend this place for hikers and MTB!

Did nearly 15 miles out and back and around a bit as a season-warmup last weekend. Moderate difficulty, a few places of more challenging terrain. Spotty snow/ice on the ground made for some interesting slopes :) Overall a good interesting warm-up hike.

Great trail. Rocky terrain but it adds to the challenge. We hiked a total of ten miles, it's not a round about so in and out. We took the cushetunk trail in for five miles, on the way back we used the camping trail. It sits lower easier terrain and more scenic. Not crowded more MTB than hikers. 18 miles total that is our next challenge at round valley.

A very good hiking trail which gives very pretty views of the reservoir. Not as difficult as this website suggests though it is long and there are spots it gets a bit difficult.

The trail starts at the parking lot with very good views of the reservoir. The first 5-10 minutes on the trail is quite pretty and if you are walking with youngsters this alone makes a good place to take them.

As you continue you enter into the woods more with few sights to see. Occasionally I see a fox who near where the power/gas lines first crosses over the trail.

As you continue along the trail you eventually start to see the primitive camp sites. There is potable water at these sites but be forewarned that recently there have been e-coli issues with the water. Normally there are plastic signs warning you about this attached to the spigots if there are issues but they aren't always there. Bring your own water just in case.

After 3-4 miles in you should start to see the reservoir again and be able to walk down to the water's edge. Not a bad place to take a panorama shot if you like.

The trail also splits off into an upper and lower trail around here. The lower trail obviously gets you closer to the water's edge. You can take the lower edge and come back the upper trail (around the 6 mi point near the beach).

At around 6 miles you will come to a clearing where there is a 'beach'. It is a small bit of sand along the water. Not really big enough to be a beach but some of us call it that as a joke. It is easy to spot since there is a light tower (to warn boaters of bad weather) nearby.

As you continue you will see more primitive campsites and get some decent views of the reservoir. If you plan to camp over here take a look at the various campsites you would like to camp at so you can reserve it later.

As I said it isn't a difficult trail but there are a couple of sections that can be a bit strenuous. Probably the worst part coming back after passing the southern dam. There is a steep climb over dirt/stone mix along the power lines.