picnic area, and the start of the preserve's main path which stretches about a half mile along the east side of Haledon Reservoir. A few small, unmarked trails extend west off the main path, leading to the shore of the reservoir and part of the system of dikes extending out into the water. The main path also runs through a few areas of exposed volcanic basalt, lava that erupted to the surface 200 million years ago as the super continent Pangaea rifted apart during the early Jurassic. The largest outcrop occurs along the northeast corner of the reservoir, forming an approximately 50 foot wide ‘basalt beach’ that extends from the water's edge to the tree line. The other entrance to the preserve is along Ewing Avenue, near where the road crosses the outlet of a swampy pond. There is no parking lot here, and access must be gained by foot. The entrance leads visitors onto a path which extends across the large, western dike structure projecting into the reservoir's waters. Many spots along the dike have been cleared for fishing, and excellent views of nearby High Mountain are possible from multiple locations. Trailblazing As of early 2012, the New York–New Jersey Trail Conference has blazed trails in the preserve. The preserve's main path, which previously only ran along the eastern shore, has been extended to make a complete loop around the reservoir. It has since been named the Preserve Shoreline Loop (White Trail). An additional trail, the Island Bridges Trail (Blue Trail), has been blazed across the dike complex which projects into the reservoir. This trail was initially discontinuous between the western and eastern dike sections due to two channels that cut through the dike structure. However, in October, 2013 two floating bridges were constructed across the gaps, allowing the Island Bridges Trail to extend completely across the lake. High Mountain Connection In the summer of 2013, High Mountain Park Preserve's Red Trail was extended along the sidewalk of Reservoir Drive to connect to the Preserve Shoreline Loop (White Trail). This newly blazed section crosses High Mountain Road (Bergen County Route 89) at its intersection with Reservoir Drive, entering the nature preserve through a recently created opening in the perimeter fence. A painted crosswalk and accompanying signage to alert motorists to pedestrians were installed at the intersection to facilitate safer passage over the busy county road. Activities Fishing Bird Watching