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Near Sunfish Pond |
After a steady 1050-vertical-ft. and 3.7-mi. climb, the AT pulls up in front of Sunfish Pond. Its boulder-lined shore, abrupt cliffs, and surrounding hardwood forest remind many hikers of New England, with good reason. This is the southernmost glacial lake on the AT. About 15,000 years ago the Wisconsin glacier scooped a basin in the bedrock to form this mountaintop pond.
In 1992, we saw beaver playing here. They have moved on since, but tree-cutting evidence is visible where the AT makes its way among boulders along the left (west) shore of the lake. Watch where you put your feet. This is a favored spot of dozing rattlesnakes. The little five-lined skink, a native New Jersey lizard, also catches the rays here. You'll probably find the sun-warmed stones appealing, too. With most of your climbing done for the day, stop for lunch. But resist the urge to dive in; rangers ticket illegal swimmers.
The AT crosses the pond's outlet at 4.0 mi. A cascade tumbles away into the woods and down to meet the Delaware River. In a few hundred feet the blue-blazed Garvey Springs Trail comes in from the left. This pretty 1.2-mi. trail descends to the Douglas Trail parking area next to Worthington State Forest headquarters along Old Mine Rd. beside the Delaware River. For those who can't arrange a car shuttle, the north end of Sunfish Pond makes a good out-and-back turnaround point, resulting in an 8.0-mi. hike.
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