A wonderful fall hike, Lify Island

October 14, 2020| Recreation

By: Marty Kane

If you are looking for a wonderful lake activity this fall, why not take a walk to Lify Island? 

Fortunately for all of us at Lake Hopatcong, Lify Island and the surrounding lands were acquired by Jefferson Township in the 1990s, preserving this wonderful natural resource.  Today you can park at the Prospect Point basketball court and enjoy a very pleasant 25-minute walk on the Jimmy Leach Trail to the bridge which connects the mainland to Lify Island. 

The trail is a Lake Hopatcong Foundation Trail spur and is well blazed, making it easy to follow.  Crossing over to the island is like taking a step back in time to a much earlier Lake Hopatcong.  Along the path and on the island, you will notice the massive boulders unmoved for some 17,000 years since the last Ice Age.  The island itself has been relatively unchanged and remains the most natural spot at the lake.  Rows of stone and some well structures mark the former site of a 1920s Boy Scout camp.  Debris can still be seen from Pete Peterson, the island’s lone summer inhabitant for decades. 

Go on a weekday and you will be struck by the quietness and beauty of the native trees and plants.  On weekends you may run into some fellow hikers but it is still a real treat.  To learn more about Lify Island’s history, visit https://lakehopatconghistory.com/lify-island/ for information courtesy of the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum.