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| Clinton Road: West Milford, New Jesrey |
I thought it might be a festive idea to take a cycling trip out in West Milford, NJ on Clinton Road, a famously haunted road in Passaic County, New Jersey.
First of all, Clinton road is a desolate 10 mile stretch of twists and turns. Although most of it is paved, there are some streteches where the road can be quite rocky. So bring your mountain bikes for this venture... and a friend. I would recommend beginning at Route 23 and biking all the way to the end of Clinton Road, and then turning around and biking it back to Route 23.
There are several scenic features of Clinton Road including the Clinton Reservoir and Greenwood Lake. Despite all of Clinton Road's negative attributes, these places are actually quite lovely and any biker who enjoys landscapes would appreciate their natural appeal.
This road has been featured in Weird NJ for several reasons. Clinton Road's history begins in 1905 when a writer cautioned people from traveling on the road. The writer reported rampant banditry as well as witchcraft in the area.
Clinton Road is also home to Satanists, Ku Klux Klan members and Wiccans. The Wiccans claimed to have built shrines in the area and cast spells. Lots of people hike out to the area to investigate the remains of Cross Castle. Many of these people have reportedly suffered seizures, unexplained bruises and have had distrubing visions after their visit.
There are several other legends of Clinton Road which include: the ghost boy at the bridge, the druidic temple, a ghost truck, strange animal hybrids and the Iceman. The Iceman was actually discovered by a cyclist in 1983 who noticed vultures feasting on a dead body in the woods. Yikes!
At any rate, whether you beileve in these folklores or not, Clinton Road makes for a very festive trip and an exciting 20 mile trek.
For the record, I definitely don't recommend cycling this road at night as it is very dark and therefore unsafe!
1. Weird New Jersey
http://www.weirdnj.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58&Itemid=28
2. Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_Road_(New_Jersey)
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