Has anyone explored a lot of this area? I used to pheasant hunt there as a kid, but I haven't been back there in about 4 or 5 years. We used to head back by Lake Success and try to find a way around the lake, but I was always to afraid to get anywhere near the shoreline. The sugar sand looked like it would swallow you whole and I didn't have a winch or a buddy to yank me out. Does anyone know if there is a way around to the back of the lake? Also, I always wondered about the high tension lines that run through there, is it legal to drive along them? We used to go back there a lot but mostly our trips consisted mostly of getting a full tank of gas and driving down what seemed like endless sandroads and most of the time either going in a big circle or ending up out on 539 or one of the other surrounding roads. We also on occasion would stumble onto Lakehurst Naval Air Station's property without really knowing it (didn't see any signs or fences), I remember once being out there and seeing a large clearing down a road so I decided to follow it. Once I got to it I realized that it was some sort of "junkyard" with some large old planes that looked like some sort of cargo or support aircraft. Needless to say I got out of there pretty quick, and this was also pre 9/11 so I'm sure things could have ended differently today. Sometimes we would turn right at the entrance instead of going straight in past the first lake and travel along a road that eventually paralleled the fenceline of the old BOMARC missle base that can be seen from 539. I remember it actually running right into 539 a little further down but on the other side of the road I think there were no tresspassing signs because it was all government/military land. I honestly never found anything interesting back there like ruins and such but then again I was young and dumb and wasn't really looking. Does anyone know if there are any foundations or other relics to be found around Colliers Mills? This summer I'd like to do a little exploring down there if my plans to pick up a beater 4x4 pickup pan out. If anyone who knows the area well is up for it I'd love to meet up and see the good stuff I missed before.
Colliers Mills WMA
- Thread starter Badfish740
- Start date
The only ruins to be found in the area would be the town site of Success (which I believe is under water) and perhaps one of the old race tracks at Colliers Mills (which might not be in the WMA area.)
I have wanted to go around the lake but like you I am afraid to do it solo. I have an idea in the back of my mind to plan a hike around the lake sometime this spring or early summer. It would be a pretty long hike though.
I have wanted to go around the lake but like you I am afraid to do it solo. I have an idea in the back of my mind to plan a hike around the lake sometime this spring or early summer. It would be a pretty long hike though.
I believe the BOMARC site is somewhere in Collier's Mills. You don't wanna be caught around there....especially with the plutonium in the ground, although they've started cleaning it up.
Some kid took us back there a few years back, and we ended up getting his crappy 92 Dodge whatever stuck in the sand. Took about 30 minutes of digging & putting planks under the tires to get out.
Some kid took us back there a few years back, and we ended up getting his crappy 92 Dodge whatever stuck in the sand. Took about 30 minutes of digging & putting planks under the tires to get out.
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=18&X=689&Y=5542&W=3&qs=|Colliers+Mills|NJ|
Right now I'm looking at this view which is basically Lake Success right in the middle of the closest resolution. The road that goes around the east side of the lake kinda scares me since it's literally right on the shoreline. That's definitely winch/strap territory since the sand is probably pretty sugary.
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=18&X=2774&Y=22174&W=3&qs=|Colliers+Mills|NJ|
If you keep panning to the east and then slightly northeast you come to where the unpaved road meets the two lane highway. Anyone want to take a guess as to what road that is? Once you get that far in the aerial photograph you can't switch over to the topo map. That whole area just sort of puzzles me though. The main entry to Colliers Mills is way over to the west of the lake, so why push out a road complete with randomly spaced fields to the east of the lake? Granted there is a way to get there from the other road, but it just looks like a break in the trees, no sign, gate, etc... Then east of those fields you have what looks like cranberry bogs maybe?
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=18&X=2774&Y=22168&W=3&qs=|Colliers+Mills|NJ|
If you look here you can see some man made channels that connect with a creek that ties into the lake.
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=18&X=2774&Y=22165&W=3&qs=|Colliers+Mills|NJ|
Go just a tad south and you see what looks like a large area of impounded water, or at least I think so. Also just to the east it looks like there were some man made fields that have been slowly growing back in. Of course to the south is Lakehurst but I would imagine that the bright white band of sand you see is the perimeter so I guess the area north of it is fair game. I'd love to explore that area one of these days...but that would be a hell of a long hike. I'd be up for driving in from the road to where that channel crosses it (should be easy to find) and then hiking to the south to see whats there. I have spring break from March 24th to April 3rd if anyone is interested in getting together for a day of exploring in Colliers Mills...
Later,
Matthew
Right now I'm looking at this view which is basically Lake Success right in the middle of the closest resolution. The road that goes around the east side of the lake kinda scares me since it's literally right on the shoreline. That's definitely winch/strap territory since the sand is probably pretty sugary.
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=18&X=2774&Y=22174&W=3&qs=|Colliers+Mills|NJ|
If you keep panning to the east and then slightly northeast you come to where the unpaved road meets the two lane highway. Anyone want to take a guess as to what road that is? Once you get that far in the aerial photograph you can't switch over to the topo map. That whole area just sort of puzzles me though. The main entry to Colliers Mills is way over to the west of the lake, so why push out a road complete with randomly spaced fields to the east of the lake? Granted there is a way to get there from the other road, but it just looks like a break in the trees, no sign, gate, etc... Then east of those fields you have what looks like cranberry bogs maybe?
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=18&X=2774&Y=22168&W=3&qs=|Colliers+Mills|NJ|
If you look here you can see some man made channels that connect with a creek that ties into the lake.
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=18&X=2774&Y=22165&W=3&qs=|Colliers+Mills|NJ|
Go just a tad south and you see what looks like a large area of impounded water, or at least I think so. Also just to the east it looks like there were some man made fields that have been slowly growing back in. Of course to the south is Lakehurst but I would imagine that the bright white band of sand you see is the perimeter so I guess the area north of it is fair game. I'd love to explore that area one of these days...but that would be a hell of a long hike. I'd be up for driving in from the road to where that channel crosses it (should be easy to find) and then hiking to the south to see whats there. I have spring break from March 24th to April 3rd if anyone is interested in getting together for a day of exploring in Colliers Mills...
Later,
Matthew
Stu said:
It is. If you take a right off of Hawking Road (I think) instead of going straight you'll find yourself on a road that Bruset and TeeGate had posted about. You'll eventually find yourself along the fenceline of the base itself. My grandfather used to tell us that the deer glowed in the dark around there...lol I wouldn't worry too much about it though. What actually happened was a missile caught fire in its silo during refueling which melted the nuclear warhead. About 60 grams of plutonium melted and was then washed into a drainage ditch during the firefighting operation. As a result hundreds of cubic yards of soil were removed and the area around the accident was capped with concrete and blacktop. As long as you stay outside the fenceline I would imagine you'd be just fine, besides just about everything will give you cancer these days... I might think twice about eating fish caught from the lake though.
Later,
Matthew