New route for Hilltop visitors to the loop road from the main western entrance at Courter Lane. During the past few months, there's been a lot of development activity in the North Caldwell section. Construction crews have cleared and graded woods on the western side for the road from Mountain Avenue. As soon as the new road has a hard surface, the crews will be using that road to access the site instead of the Courter Lane entrance to the park. Just last week, a portion of Sanatorium Road's asphalt was removed, where it crossed the lots of the planned North Caldwell homes on the cul-de-sac. The route visitors that have been used to taking up to the loop road is now partly dirt and mud, and may soon be impassible for the casual walker. The Hilltop Conservancy has been working with Essex County to define a new western route up to the loop road for park visitors, one that avoids the development area. This new route leverages old gravel roads that were once used for hauling yard waste up to a leaf composting site on the Hilltop. The new route zigzags in a north-easterly direction through the reservation, goes around the large Verona water tank, and re-connects up to the loop road by traversing the southern section of the mown meadow area. Small signs will be posted at turns in this route to help guide first-timers to connect with the loop road. In the near future, the County will be clearing brush and overhanging branches, and applying new gravel to this route, although we don't have a definite date yet. Please take this route the next time you access the Reservation via the Courter Lane entrance. It's a less direct walk than the taking the former Sanatorium Road to the loop road, but it only takes about 5 minutes longer.