Hiking in NJ - Trails Less Taken
Trail maps, photos, videos, and info for some trails in and near New Jersey that are less traveled.
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Belleplain State Forest - Woodbine, NJ
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Jenny Jump Trail - Hope, NJ
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Green Lane Park - Montgomery County PA
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Merrill Creek Reservoir - Washington, NJ
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Ramapo Mountain - Wanaque Ridge - Bergen County
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Great Swamp - Observation Center; Blue Trail
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Wawayanda State Park - Pumphouse, Red Dot, Hoeferlin
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Four Birds Trail - Splitrock Reservoir, Rockaway Twp.
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Sterling Forest - Bare Rock, Fire Tower
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Washington Valley Park - Somerset County
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Turkey Mountain - Morris County
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Mahlon Dickerson Reservation- Headley Overlook
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Sunrise Mountain- Stokes State Forest
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Skylands Manor - Ilgenstein Rock - Ringwood State Park
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Penn State Forest - Oswego Lake - Burlington County
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Ramapo Valley County Reservation - Bergen County
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Six Mile Run Reservoir - Somerset County
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Helyar Woods - at Rutgers Gardens, Middlesex County
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Watchung Reservation - Union County
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Cheesequake State Park - Blue Trail - Middlesex County
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Parvin State Park - Salem County, South Jersey
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Maurice River Bluffs - Cumberland County, South Jersey
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Four Birds Trail (North) - Farny Highlands
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Beaver Brook Trail - Mahlon Dickerson Reservation
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Long Pond Ironworks - Sterling Ridge and Jennings Hollow
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Hank's Pond - Bearfort Fire Tower - Pequannock Watershed
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Baldpate Mountain - Mercer County
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Sourland Mountain Preserve - Somerset County
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Apple Pie Hill - Batona Trail - Wharton State Forest
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Wawayanda State Park - Old Coal/Laurel Pond
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Musconetcong Gorge Preserve - Hunterdon County
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Point Mountain Reservation - Hunterdon County
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AT and Iris Trail Loop - High Point State Park
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Terrace Pond North Trail - Wawayanda State Park
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Echo Lake - Highlands Trail - Pequannock Watershed
Four Birds Trail - Splitrock Reservoir
Complete hike details on our Four Birds Trail page.
Four Birds Trail
Summary: An out-and-back section of the 19.4 mile long Four Birds Trail, along Split Rock Reservoir.
6.2 miles, on the harder side of moderate. Typical rugged Highlands terrain with multiple small elevation changes. Trail is marked but you need to keep an eye out for the blazes as they can be hard to spot.
Sterling Forest - Bare Rock, Fire Tower
Complete hike details on our Sterling Forest page.
Sterling Forest - Bare Rock
Summary: Sterling Forest is just over the NJ-NY border in New York, to the west of Harriman State Park. This loop takes in the Bare Rock Trail, an overloo of Greenwood Lake, 360 degree views from a fire tower, plus a few other viewpoints. You can also check out the Sterling Furnace remains.
Washington Valley Park
Complete hike details on our Washington Valley page.
Summary: Hike along Washington Valley Reservoir, East Branch Reservoir, Buttermilk Falls and a Hawk Watch in this Central New Jersey Park.
6.8 miles or 2.0 miles. Easy to moderate trail surface. Hard-packed and rocky, but with loose, smaller rocks… easy to slide on. Minimal elevation changes.
Turkey Mountain
Complete hike details on our Turkey Mountain page.
Summary: Moderate hiking across the road from Pyramid Mountain, with a view of NYC and a few other obscured views. Both Pyramid and Turkey Mountain offer easy access to decent hiking, and are good for beginner hikers.
5.4 miles. Moderate, minimal elevation gain.
Mahlon Dickerson Reservation - Headley Overlook
Complete hike details on our Headley Overlook page.
Summary:Hike to Headley Overlook with a view of Lake Hopatcong on the Highlands Trail , and then on Pine Swamp you pass the highest point in Morris County at 1395' before taking the easy Ogden Mine Railroad rail bed back.
Extensive trail system allows for all sorts of loops.
Stokes State Forest - Sunrise Mountain
Complete hike details on our Sunrise Mountain page.
Summary: Nice views of rural Northern NJ from Sunrise Mountain, plus hiking through a thick, secluded-feeling forest.
8.5 miles. Moderate - to difficult, typical rugged north Jersey trail surface. The AT is not as rocky here as it is closer to the Gap.
Skylands Manor - Ilgenstein Lookout
Complete hike details on our Skylands page.
Summary: Views of the NYC skyline (Ilgenstein Rock) and of Wanaque Reservoir (Erskine Lookout) are along this hike in Ringwood State Park. You can also tour the grounds and gardens of Skyland Manor.
9.5 miles. Moderate. Typical rugged Jersey trail surface.
Bearfort Mountain - State Line/Ernest Walker
Complete hike details on our State Line page.
Summary: An enjoyable hike with fantastic views as the Ernest Walker Trail follows a ridge overlooking Greenwood Lake, then head to Surprise Lake, then some more views. The trail is interesting... rugged with a few decent scrambling sections.
Rugged, with some decent scrambling areas. The initial part of the trail up is steep. Choose routes from 2.0 to 7.6+ miles.
Norvin Green - Lake Sonoma/Overlook
Complete hike details on our Lake Sonoma/Overlook page.
Summary: This loop contains two newer trails, Lake Sonoma and Overlook. It's a pretty trail with some nice overlooks located in the northern section of Norvin Green State Forest.
8.1 miles. We'd rate it on the low end of "challenging".
Shorter: for about a 4 mile loop, go to Overlook Rock and back on the ORANGE trail.
Penn State Forest - Oswego Lake
Complete hike details on our Penn State Forest page.
Summary: Penn State Forest consists solely of sand roads through 3,366 acres of undeveloped wilderness in New Jersey's Pine Barrens, and contains an area of "pygmy" pine trees referred to as the "pine plains".
8.7 miles. Easy, level, wide sand roads.
Ramapo Valley County Reservation
Complete hike details on our Ramapo Valley page.
Summary: Popular park in Bergen County. This hike goes past Scarlett Oak Pond, climbs to Hawk Rock viewpoint, then continues around to Bear Swamp Lake where you'll pass a few old ruins of summer houses.
Head back past MacMillan Reservoir. Parts of this trail around the Reservoir and Hawk Rock are VERY popular.
Six Mile Run Reservoir
Complete hike details on our Six Mile Run page.
Summary: Nice little park located in Somerset County. Trails pass through forests, pines, open fields and along Six Mile Run river. This is a multi-use park.
Moderate trail surface, some small hills.
Helyar Woods at Rutgers Gardens
Complete hike details on our Helyar Woods page.
Summary: A small parcel of woods (43 acres) adjacent to Rutgers Gardens and Westons Mill Pond, in New Brunswick, mainly used for dog walking and light walking. The gardens are very nice to wander through as well, and include a small bamboo forest.
2.5 miles. very easy, little elevation gain.
Watchung Reservation
Complete hike details on our Watchung Reservation page.
Trail Summary: A large chunk of woods surrounded by an urban environment with a surprising number of trails, including the 11-mile long Sierra Trail. Hike on pleasant trails, go through the deserted village of Feltville and along the shores of Lake Surprise.
11 miles. Moderate trail surface, moderate-to-difficult due to length. Extensive network of trails makes it easier to do a shorter loop.
Cheesequake State Park
Complete hike details on our Cheesequake State Park page.
Trail Summary: Cheesequake State Park contains a diverse mix of hardwood forest, Atlantic white cedar swamp, and pineland. This short route passes near Hooks Creek Lake, onto the Blue Trail to Perrine Pond before picking up the Green trail.
4.3 miles. Easy, with some rolling hills, a few minor steep sections. Trail surface is not too rocky, and there are many boardwalks over muddy or marshy areas.
Parvin State Park
Complete hike details on our Parvin State Park page.
Trail Summary: A short, easy loop around Parvin Lake through South Jersey's pinelands and Atlantic white cedar swamps.
3.3 miles. Easy. Trail surface is flat, and no rocks.We did this trail in about 1.5 hrs and that was with stopping for photos and video.
Maurice River Bluffs
Complete hike details on our Maurice River Bluffs page.
Trail Summary: A short, pleasant loop through pinelands along the bluffs by the Maurice River. This park is in NJ's Coastal Plain. If you are used to hiking in northern NJ, this is quite a change in scenery.
2.6 miles. Easy. Trail surface is soft, pine needle covered, rock free, and somewhat sandy.
Four Birds Trail (North)
Complete hike details on our Four Birds Trail - North page.
Trail Summary: This route uses a northern section of the 19.4 mile Four Birds trail in the New Jersey Highlands region. Nice views of Charlotteburg Reservoir early on, pass through some wonderfully secluded forest, then arrive at Timber Brook Lake.
7.2 miles. Out-and-back. Moderate; the first part of this includes some easy woods road, the second half becomes more like rugged highlands terrain.
Beaver Brook Trail - Mahlon Dickerson
Complete hike details on our Beaver Brook Trail page.
Trail Summary: Explore the remains of a Revolutionary-era Ironworks plantation at the start of this loop, then check out old open mine pits, scramble to a viewpoint, walk over the NJ/NY border, and pass by a swamp on the return trail. This route mixes easy woods road with rugged Highlands terrain.
Long Pond Ironworks - Sterling Ridge/Jennings Hollow
Complete hike details on our Long Pond page.
Trail Summary: Explore the remains of a Revolutionary-era Ironworks plantation at the start of this loop, then check out old open mine pits, scramble to a viewpoint, walk over the NJ/NY border, and pass by a swamp on the return trail. This route mixes easy woods road with rugged Highlands terrain.
Hank's Pond - Bearfort Fire Tower
Complete hike details on our Hank's Pond page.
Trail Summary: Moderate loop in the Pequannock Watershed that passes Hanks Pond and Bearfort Fire Tower. Pass along some interesting rocky outcrops along the Fire Ridge Trail.
5.8 miles. Moderate trail surface, some woods road, some rocky outcrops. Minor elevation change in a couple spots, minor scrambles.
Baldpate Mountain
Complete hike details on our Baldpate Mountain page.
Trail Summary: Small Central Jersey park (that you’ve probably never heard of) located in Mercer County, near the Delaware River and next to Washington Crossing State Park.
Park contains the Kuser Estate House and the Ridge Trail passes old farm buildings. There are about 10 miles of trails total.
Sourland Mountain Preserve
Complete hike details on our Sourland Mountain page.
Trail Summary: Small park in Somerset County offers pleasant, easy hiking. Mountain biking, horseback riding and bouldering are also allowed.
Easy to moderate trail surface. “Ridge Trail” is rocky, and there is some minor elevation gain. Even though it's called the "Ridge" trail, there are no views from any of the trails. Shorter trail options are 1.4 mile “Maple Flats” (Triangle), and .5 miles Pondside (Circle).
Apple Pie Hill - Batona Trail
Complete hike details on our Apple Pie Hill page.
Trail Summary: Located in the “Pine Barrens” of Wharton State Forest, this out-and-back follows the Batona Trail from the Carranza Memorial to Apple Pie Hill fire tower along level sand trails through pine forest and skirts a cedar swamp.
Climb the 60’ tall fire tower for a panoramic view from the highest point in the Pine Barrens (a whopping 209 feet above sea level!). Bonus in August: wild blueberry bushes are along most of the trail.
Wawayanda State Park - Old Coal Trail
Complete hike details on our Wawayanda - Old Coal page.
Trail Summary: Pleasant, easy hiking in a really beautiful setting. This route follows woods roads, passes Lookout Lake, skirts Wawayanda Lake, goes to Wawayanda Furnace and returns via Laurel Pond Trail and Old Coal Trail.
Wawayanda’s trails are mostly level, woods roads so the hiking here isn’t as rocky or rugged as is usual in the Highlands, or in the Kittatinny range in NW Jersey.
Musconetcong Gorge Preserve
Complete hike details on our Musconetcong Gorge page.
Trail Summary: Small park in Hunterdon County with a pretty waterfall/stream area and a section of the Highlands Trail.
Not a lot of long trails here, but good for a quick hike to a nice waterfall and stream.
Point Mountain Reservation
Complete hike details on our Point Mountain page.
Trail Summary: Small park in Hunterdon County with a nice overlook and a trail by the Musconetcong River.
This is a local park more suitable for someone looking for scenic easy/short hikes under 4 miles, for a short hike to a viewpoint, or stroll along a river. This is not the park for a hiker looking for a challenge.
AT and Iris Trail Loop
Complete hike details on our High Point - AT/Iris page.
Trail Summary: 9.1 miles. Very rocky start on the AT but moderate after that; a couple minor steep areas, mostly rolling elevation changes. Several nice viewpoints along this figure-8 loop. The return is on the IRIS trail, which is a easy woods road.
Terrace Pond North Trail
Complete hike details on our Terrace Pond North page.
Trail Summary: Moderate, rugged trail along a ridge with many nice views of Greenwood Lake and toward the east, including NYC. Goes thru a fun scramble through a rock crack. Arrives at lovely Terrace Pond.
Note: this is not the popular trail head for Terrace Pond, this is an alternate route that appears to be little used. It was overgrown in spots and hadn’t been blazed in quite some time; the blue blaze was quite faded and hard to see in spots so it was a bit of a challenge. (potentially frustrating for beginners; fun for experienced hikers)
Echo Lake - Highlands Trail
Complete hike details on our Echo Lake - Highlands Trail page.
Trail Summary: Mostly level hiking on moderate trail with a few minor changes in elevation, plus a lot easy woods road walking.
This area isn’t so much a park as a large area with several parking areas to access a network of trails. A permit is required.
