Indian Falls is a small waterfall at Hedden County Park in Morris County. Spanning Mine Hill, Dover, and Randolph, Hedden County Park features a handful of hiking trails, but the highlight is easily Indian Falls. Indian Falls is only about 10 feet tall, but it is along a scenic gorge trail and is an easy walk from the parking lot. Read on to learn how to get to this Morris County waterfall.
Explore North Jersey Review: Surprisingly nice small waterfall, but in an extremely busy park
Hedden County Park
Parking: 18 Ford St, Mine Hill Township, NJ 07803 or Hawthorne Ave, Randolph, NJ 07869
Price: Free
Hike Information
Distance: 1.5 miles
Ascent: 280 feet
Difficulty: Easy
This hike can be shortened to about a half mile by just going to the waterfall and back
The Hike
To reach Indian Falls, begin at either the Ford Street parking area or the Hawthorne Avenue parking area. I recommend starting at the Hawthorne Avenue parking area if visiting on a summer weekend because the park tends to close the Ford Street entrance for crowd control. The Hawthorne Avenue has multiple smaller lots. It does not matter which one you choose, but note that it is a slightly shorter hike the further into the park you drive.
If starting from Ford Street, walk along the softball field until you cross a small bridge, where you will see the Green Trail.
If starting from the Hawthorne Ave parking area, walk down Hawthorne Ave until you reach a picnic area. Take the trail from the picnic area and cross a small bridge until you see the Green Trail.
Indian Falls
Height: 10.7 feet
Waterfall Coordinates: 40.876506, -74.583359
Begin the Green Trail, which works its way up Jackson Brook, where you will quickly reach Indian Falls. Indian Falls is a small waterfall that can be difficult to get a good view of because of a large boulder in the middle of the falls. This boulder causes the two drops to face away from each other before dropping into a large pool. There are multiple areas to cross Jackson Brook for better views of the falls.
From Indian Falls, you can return the way you came or continue walking along the Green Trail. The Green Trail passes a few small rapids before meeting the White Trail. You can take the White Trail to continue on Jackson Brook until you reach the park boundary. Continue on the White Trail until you reach an intersection with an obvious gravel road. Turn left on this road to return to the parking area. There are a few other trails at Hedden Park, but none of the other trails are very interesting.
GPS Route
Attached is the route as described above for reference. Additionally users can download the route to use on their preferred GPS. How to use the GPS routes on your phone.
Additional Information
- Hedden County Park is extremely popular. The Morris County Park Commission closes the Ford Street entrance occasionally in the summer to prevent overcrowding, and there have been entire extended park closures in the past.
- A note from the Morris County Park Commission:
Please Keep Jackson & Wallace Brooks Natural
Damming waterways damages the stream ecology by:
- Disturbing the stream bed; trapping sediment and stirring up silt and mud
- Blocking the movement of fish and invertebrates
- Warming the water and reducing the oxygen levels needed for aquatic life
- Altering stream flow and increasing bank erosion.
Please enjoy this natural area without altering it or leaving trash behind.
Leave a Reply