Our spring hiking so far was getting tripped up by weather, weekend obligations, and a vacation spent tooling around the Yucatan in Mexico (where the vast, flat expanses of trees reminded us of Jersey’s Pinelands!).
Finally we got some time free, and with some recent rain decided on two hikes with plenty of waterfall action. First up, a quick 2.0 miles at Tillman Ravine, followed by Millbrook – Van Campens Glen.
Tillman Ravine is flat out gorgeous and is an easy, short hike with a rushing stream, and plenty of water cascades. Read more…
Complete hike details, photos, and video on our Sunrise Mountain page.
Been wanting to do this hike for awhile, but Stokes is a bit of a drive for us (1.75+ hrs from central NJ), so it makes for a long day… but it was worth it for a great view from Sunrise Mountain and just some nice secluded forest hiking.
The first viewpoint on the Cartwright trail – as the trail starts to head steeply up – is fantastic. Sit on a rock and look out over nothing but thick green… you can’t see or hear a road… a rare treat in NJ. Look north (your right if you are looking at the view) and spot the High Point Monument in the distance.
Sunrise Mountain can be driven up, and there is a parking lot near the viewpoint – so expect some people there. There also is a pavillion with benches down the trail a bit, but the views are obscured some by brush. The first view is better. Read more…
For detailed hike directions, maps, photos and GPS coordinates, visit our Hikes in NJ – High Point AT/Iris page
High Point State Park is alllllll the way in the northwest corner of New Jersey, in Sussex County. It’s a bit of a drive even from central Jersey (2 hrs).Makes for a nice overnight trip, we hit two trails that way.
9.1 miles. This route is a figure-8: AT to where it crosses Iris, continue on AT, then where it crosses again, turn onto Iris and head back. Stay on Iris where it crosses the AT again.
Very rocky start on the AT but moderate after that; a couple minor steep areas, mostly rolling elevation changes. Several nice viewpoints.Iris trail on the way back is a mostly easy woods road, with some wet rutted areas. The trail skirts by Rutherford Lake but doesn’t go right up to the shore, and no swimming is permitted anyway.
This route seems not to be popular: on a perfect spring day we only saw a handful people: a few AT thru-hikers, another couple of day-hikers and 2 guys on bikes on the multi-use Iris trail (we managed to scoot an adorable little ribbon snake off the trail just in the nick of time – the bikes were heading right for him)
BONUS: Heading home on Rt. 23 in Sussex, there is a Dairy Queen on the left hand side. We recommend the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard.
(For detailed hike directions maps, photos and GPS coordinates, visit our Best Hikes in NJ – High Point page)
Located in Sussex County, all the way up in the northwest corner of NJ, this park is worth a visit even without doing a hike.
7.1 miles roundtrip. This hike follows the AT north for about a mile, then picks up the Monument Trail up to the monument. It also makes a loop within a loop by taking the Cedar Swamp trail through an Atlantic white cedar swamp (which looks more like the Pacific Northwest than NJ. At 1500’, it is the highest known swamp of this kind).
Return via the Monument Trail and the AT back to the lot. Lots of views along the AT and the ridge the Monument Trail follows. There is a viewing platform along the route for 360° views, and you can also climb up the monument.
This is a popular area – with good reason – so don’t expect solitude. It may be different on the trails however - we encountered few people on a beautiful sunny 70° day. (but we did get an early start, so we may have missed the crowds). We arrived at the monument at about 9:15am and there was no one there until we were almost down again, and even then it was just two guys. The one time several years ago we were at the Monument it was still closed for renovations, but I recall the area being quite crowded.
BONUS: Heading home on Rt. 23 in Sussex, there is a Dairy Queen on the left hand side. We recommend the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard.
Our spring hiking so far was getting tripped up by weather, weekend obligations, and a vacation spent tooling around the Yucatan in Mexico (where the vast, flat expanses of trees reminded us of Jersey’s Pinelands!).
