Description

From the trailhead, follow the red-blazed Coppermines Trail uphill. Just past the trailhead, a trail to the left leads to the lower mine. Continue ahead, passing the ruins of a stone building to the left -- the remnants of a mill that was built in the 1800s to process the copper ore. Although there is evidence that the Dutch explored the area for copper in the 1600s, and copper was mined here from the mid-1700s to the early 1900s, none of these mining ventures was commercially successful.

In 0.2 mile, a branch of the blue-blazed Kaiser Trail leaves to the right. Continue ahead on the red-blazed Coppermines Trail. In another 400 feet, the barricaded entrance to the upper mine is to the right of the trail.

The trail now heads into the heart of a beautiful hemlock gorge. After crossing the brook on a wooden bridge, the trail begins to climb again. It ascends a switchback and then follows directly along the gorge. The magnificent gorge, with its hemlocks and rhododendron and its series of waterfalls, is below on the right. Finally, just beyond the end of the gorge, another blue-blazed trail leaves to the right. This trail will be your return route. Continue along the red-blazed Coppermines Trail as it levels off, crosses the brook again, and proceeds through a more open woods, typical of the Kittatinny upland. There may be some seasonally wet areas here.

About two miles from the start, after a brief descent, the Coppermines Trail ends at the white-blazed Appalachian Trail, just south of Camp Road and Yards Creek. At this junction, turn right (south) on the Appalachian Trail and climb steadily, steeply in places, up the ridge of the Kittatinny Mountains. A little over half a mile from the junction, there is a broad east-facing viewpoint to the left of the trail, and there is a second viewpoint to the left 500 feet further along the trail. Then, after another mile, you'll come to a series of open grassy areas, with views to the left over the Lower Yards Creek Reservoir, directly below.

About half a mile beyond these open spots, the trail descends briefly. Just before the trail begins to climb again, look for Kaiser Road, a blue-blazed woods road that comes in diagonally on the right. Although this road will be your return route, you should continue ahead on the Appalachian Trail for another 0.7 mile, over a series of rises, to the wide-open summit of Mt. Mohican, where there are good views of the Delaware Valley and Pennsylvania to the west.

After enjoying the vista, retrace your steps back to Kaiser Road, now on your left, and follow this blue-blazed trail downhill. After about a mile of easy walking, you'll come to a trail junction. Leave the road here and turn right, following the blue blazes. You'll cross two brooks and rejoin the red-blazed Coppermines Trail in about 0.2 mile. Make a left here, begin your descent into the gorge you passed through earlier, and follow the red blazes back to the trailhead