Gorgeous park that has the Black River as its centerpiece and is stunning in the fall.
3.7 miles. The trail surface is mostly easy but the trail along the river can be rough in sections, with large roots and rocks to negotiate.
| 3.7 miles | This hike guide: Detailed instructions, photos, and video follow below. |
| Shorter | The hike detailed below tries to make the longest available in the park with the least back-tracking… but it’s very easy to make shorter hikes and we’ve noted some options in the route below. |
| Nearby | Schooley’s Mountain; Kay’s Cottage Ruins; Black River – Cooper Mill; Voorhees State Park; Columbia Trail. |
Our two cents:
Trails here are good for a beginner or quick hikes, hiking with kids (lots to look at and never far from the car), picnicking (TONS of tables scattered throughout), or basically anyone who wants to experience a wonderful outdoor setting without a lot of effort.
There are only about 6 miles of overlapping trails available and a lot of that is paved/gravel – this is not the park for an experienced hiker looking for a long/challenging trail.
It’s also extremely popular so don’t expect solitude. Bonus: Within minutes of Hacklebarney Cider Mill so you can enjoy all things cider after your fall hike (mmmmm donuts…).
Updated: 12/2024 Minor edits. 10/2022 – Re-hiked, added photos, minor edits. Older change log at page bottom.
Hike Info:
Map/Books:
Print ahead, or the trail kiosk at the end of the parking lot may have paper maps. Of note, there seems to more signage since we last hiked here – many intersections had wooden arrow signs in addition to trail blazes. A variation of this hike is in Hiking the Jersey Highlands.
Parking: N40.75102° W74.73223°
“Hacklebarney State Park”, 119 Hacklebarney Rd, Long Valley, NJ 07853. From Rt 206 take 513 W. Just past the Cooper Gristmill make a left onto State Park Road (there are signs). Continue for about 2 miles and turn right after Hacklebarney Farms Cider Mill.
Park entrance on the left. Small parking lot with a monument just as you enter, turn left within that lot to head into the larger lot.
Related: Waterfalls in NJ / Best Waterfall Hikes in NJ
Restrooms:
Portable toilets in the parking lot in front of the ranger building while the restroom building is being redone (possibly 2025).
Hike Directions:
Overview: Main (WHITE) – Riverside (RED) – Windy Ridge (YELLOW) – Main (WHITE) – Haki (LIGHT BLUE) – Wintershine (ORANGE) – Riverside (RED) – Waterfall (PURPLE) – Main (WHITE)
0.0 – Main (WHITE) starts at the map kiosk and is paved.
Pass a restroom building on the right. Turn LEFT down the stairs to start following Riverside (RED). Cross over Trout Brook on a bridge.
0.3 – Pass a bridge with #2 on it, as well as the start of PURPLE (Waterfall) on the right.
Trout Brook Waterfall is just past and below the bridge. Either scramble down the rocks to get a look, or continue a bit on RED and take steps down to the water. Return to Riverside (RED) when done checking out the waterfall.
0.6 – Riverside (RED) curves around. [Pass the start of Wintershine (ORANGE) on the right.]
0.8 – Riverside (RED) curves down to the edge of the Black River, to follow along it. The trail can be very rocky and full of roots in spots.
Continue on Riverside (RED) as it hugs the water.
Continue on Riverside (RED) as it hugs the Black River.
1.1 – Riverside (RED) crosses a bridge with cascades on either side. [Pass Haki (LIGHT BLUE) on the left, after the bridge.]
// Shorter: After the bridge, on the right, instead take Haki Trail (LIGHT BLUE) to reduce the mileage. //
1.4 – Veer LEFT to continue on Riverside (RED). [Three Pools (BLUE) goes straight.]
// Shorter: Three Pools (BLUE) leads directly back to the Main Trail (WHITE) to cut it shorter. //
Cross bridge #6 with cascades on either side of it.
1.7 – At a T-intersection, turn RIGHT to continue following Riverside (RED).
Optional add-on: Instead, turn left and take a very short connector trail out-and-back to stone boundary markers for Susan Parker Borie and Hacklebarney, and a bench with a view over the river.
Beyond that is posted Private Property so you can’t continue further. Backtrack to the junction and continue straight on Riverside (RED).
1.9 – Cross a bridge. A tree has Riverside (RED) and Main (WHITE) blazes. [Riverside (RED) ends.]
Walk toward the small stone pillar, and turn LEFT to start following Windy Ridge (YELLOW). This heads steeply and steadily uphill.
// Shorter: Main (WHITE) goes to the right, take this for an easier and shorter route back. Riverside (RED) ends. //
2.4 – Make a sharp RIGHT on a short unmarked path, and then turn RIGHT to now follow paved Main (WHITE).
// Shorter: Instead of turning, continue ahead on Windy Ridge (YELLOW). In just a bit it merges into Main (WHITE). Take this for a much shorter route back to the parking lot. //
Shortly, curve very sharply LEFT to now follow Haki (LIGHT BLUE) downhill. [Main (WHITE) continues ahead.]
2.7 – Veer LEFT, to now follow Wintershine (ORANGE). Cross bridge #3, with more cascades.
Continue following Wintershine (ORANGE) along a ridge, with the river below on the right.
3.1 – Turn LEFT and now follow Riverside (RED) – this intersection was passed earlier in the day.
3.4 – Start following Waterfall (PURPLE) by turning LEFT to cross bridge # 2. After crossing, turn RIGHT to follow Waterfall (PURPLE) to where it ends at Main (WHITE).
3.5 – Turn RIGHT and follow Main (WHITE) back to the lot.
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Hiked: 10/16/22.
Hiked: 4/29/17.
Hiked: 10/27/12 – Trail Blog: “Hacklebarney State Park in the Fall“
Hiked: 04/26/09 – Trail Blog: “Hacklebarney State Park in April“
Updated: 8/2020 – Page refreshed, not re-hiked. 5/2017 – re-hiked, adjusted description for trail name/color changes, changed route to remove a section that is no longer a blazed trail, revised GPX/Interactive Map.
3/2017 – changed the link to the newer map: There is a pink “Upland Trail” loop now where there was just a connector to ‘wildlife viewing’ – which doesn’t affect the directions below.
2015: The park page now has a map. The trails are colored different than the map we scanned several years ago. Both are linked in the resource box above. 12/2012 – Trail description updated, new photos, video, and revised GPX.