7.2 miles | 820 ft gain | Difficulty: Easy | Rating ★★★★

I have mixed feelings about the cooler temperatures. On one hand, the crispness is perfect hiking weather. I love being bundled and even more importantly, not sweating. But on the other hand, the muted colors of grey dampen otherwise spectacular views. Not wanting to journey too far last weekend, we decided to explore Hemlock Falls in South Meadow Reservation. The falls were nice, but the discovery of a fairy village made the hike all the more worth it.

It was a beautiful park, right in town. As we neared the parking lot, we realized the Millburn train station was only a few minutes walk. Before we got a car during covid, we depended on transit-friendly hikes, but have since gotten so used to the car. There’s something relaxing about not having to drive, especially post hike, so we might opt for the transit route in the future.

The lot was fairly crowded at 10:30am, but cars seemed to be coming and going, so we easily snagged one of the few open spots. Starting on the yellow-blazed Lenape trail, we looped clockwise to the falls. We first traveled through a picnic area then moderately-steeply climbed to a large water tower. Continuing on the trail, we got our first view, overlooking the city and marked by a revolutionary war plaque.

Descending slightly into the woods, we continued through the wide forest, an abundance of fallen leaves making it slightly difficult to follow the trail. We wander through the woods for some time, taking in the forest around us, but without any particularly scenic markings.

As we approach Hemlock Falls, we climb some wide stone steps, then descend to the falls via switchbacks. Given the time of year, the falls were still relatively active, though small. There are some benches around the falls, perfect for a rest and snack.

After a short rest, we continued on the Lenape trail until we hit the white-blazed Rahway trail. Stopping to look at the map and familiarize ourselves with our surroundings, we noticed a fairy trail near the end of our loop by the parking lot and made plans to detour slightly.

After a short bit in the woods, the Rahway trail paralleled the river trail, a wide unmarked carriage road. We opted to stay on the carriage road for a bit to help pick up our speed. About a half mile from the parking lot, we dropped back into the woods on the Rahway trail where we started to see evidence of the fairy world around us.

The homes were camouflaged and beautiful. Being just a half-mile section of the loop going counterclockwise, or an easy mile out-and-back trail on its, own this wonderful surprise is perfect to explore with children. I hope we can bring our niece and nephew back sometime soon.