Shady hike in a pretty hemlock forest featuring nice cascades and a cemetery dating to the 1800s.
2.0 or 0.9 miles, total round trip. Dirt and roots, some rocks, wooden bridges. Bit of a steep hill coming back up from the Lower trail. Suitable for kids about 5 and up.
| 2.0 miles | This hike guide: Detailed instructions, photos, and video follow below. |
| Shorter | 0.9 – Skip hiking to Walpack Cemetery. Noted below. |
| Longer | 7.3 – Add Red Eft (formerly Red Maple) Trail, accessed from the upper area of the ravine; to the Appalachian Trail and Blue Mountain. Noted below. |
| Nearby | –Add a 2nd short hike at Silver Spray Falls or Van Campens Glen. –Stop at Buttermilk Falls too (can be seen from the lot, without a hike). |
| Nearby | Blue Mountain Loop – Lower; Culvers Gap to Blue Mountain; Stony Lake Loop; Sunrise Mountain; Blue Mountain Lake Loop; Crater Lake and Hemlock Pond Loop; Crater Lake to Blue Mountain. |
Our two cents:
Short hike through a shady, hemlock-lined ravine. It’s worthwhile and enjoyable to include the hike to Walpack Cemetery – but it can be driven to if you’d like to see it without hiking (and you’ll drive by it depending on how you come in).
One of the highlights is where water rushes down a slanted rock and swirls into a natural rock bowl called the “Teacup”. The ravine will be more impressive after consistent rainfall.
Extend your visit with a stop at nearby Buttermilk Falls (can be seen from a parking area, without a hike) and/or add a 2nd short hike at Silver Spray Falls or Van Campens Glen.
Updated: 9/2026 – Edits and improvements, re-hiked. Older change log at page bottom.
Hike Info:
Map/Books:
Detail of the area is now on the park map, print ahead or pick up at the office. The trail is on Kittatinny Trails (2026), but it’s small. Follow along on your smartphone with our Interactive Map link above.
NOTE: Stokes is changing the color of some trails in the park. Based on maps posted at the trailhead, the GREEN CIRCLE on WHITE to the cemetery will become black and white – but was still GREEN the day we hiked.
Bonus historical map: Historical Tillman Ravine Map, 1962 – via Rutgers Special Collections. Brief entry in Kittatinny Trails.
Parking:
“Tilman Rd, Branchville, NJ 07826” goes a point between the upper and lower parking lots. Google shows the road with only one L in Tillman, but on the park map the road is “Dimon”.
The hike directions start from the “upper” lot but the lots are linked by a trail, so park at either lot.
N41.15842° W74.85861° [Upper lot – GPS: “Tillman upper parking“]
N41.15678° W74.86218° [Lower lot – GPS: “Tillman Ravine“]
Related: Waterfalls in NJ / Best Waterfall Hikes in NJ
Restrooms:
Rustic latrine at each parking lot.
Hike Directions:
Overview: WHITE – GREEN CIRCLE on WHITE (park is changing it black/white at some point in the future) – WHITE
NOTE: If only doing Tillman Ravine and not the cemetery, follow WHITE the entire hike, and turn back where noted below.
This is more of a “meander around” short hike and it would be overkill to give specific step-by-step directions.
Overall, the area is small with an Upper and Lower Trail (both marked WHITE) in a sort of figure-8 loop, with the Cemetery Trail leading off past the Teacup.
From the Upper parking lot, start following WHITE Tillmans Trail in the left corner of the lot.
Follow WHITE as it turns RIGHT at the intersection with GREEN-ORANGE (Red Eft) trail (formerly Red Maple Trail). Follow along Tillman Brook.
// Optional extension, makes a 7.3 mile loop, or 8.3 with the cemetery: GREEN-ORANGE (Red Eft), formerly called Red Maple, leads to the Appalachian Trail. Turning RIGHT on that goes to Blue Mountain. Retrace from there, or continue on the A.T. to an unmarked woods road and turn right. Follow that back and turn LEFT back on Red Eft. //
At a sign for Upper and Lower trails, turn LEFT. Head down a long section of wooden steps to reach the edge of the water.
Looking back up those same steps with summer vegetation, Aug 2026.
Follow the Lower trail over a series of bridges along Tillman Brook.
This section of bridge was newish in 2019:
The trail keeps meandering along Tillman Brook.
Lots of water cascading over rocks all through the ravine (unless it’s been dry…)
Continue ahead towards the Teacup. The trail towards right leads to the lower parking lot. This sign is at the midpoint of the “figure-8” if you’re looking at a map.
Bit of a climb up a crack in a short rock face.
At the sign for the Cemetery trail and the Teacup, check out the Teacup first – a swirling cascade. (Of note – we didn’t see this sign on our last hike. Either we somehow missed it while looking for photo angles, or it’s no longer there).
The “Teacup” – Spring of 2019, lots of water.
Close up of the swirling water pooling in the Teacup.
The Teacup with less water flow, Fall of 2015.
The Teacup in late August 2026. The “cup” was full to the brim, but just a trickle going into it.
From the Teacup start following the Cemetery trail until reaching a dirt road. This was still GREEN CIRCLE on WHITE but may be some combo of black and white by the time you hike here.
// Shorter option, 0.9 total miles, round trip: Instead, turn back on the WHITE trail. Head uphill, taking it to the LEFT when it splits. Follow WHITE into the Lower lot (stop if you started from here!), walk through the lot to pick up the trail at the other end of the lot. Continue following WHITE back. Veer LEFT at the intersection (Teacup/Lower Lot sign) to return to the Upper lot. //
Turn RIGHT and walk a little bit down the road to the Cemetery.
Headstones date to the 1800s.
Large headstone for Tillman family.
When done at the cemetery, retrace the route back to Tillman Ravine.
Once back near the Teacup, start following WHITE again, taking it to the LEFT when it splits.
Follow WHITE uphill to the Lower lot (stop if you started from here!), walk through the lot to pick up the trail at the other end of the lot. Continue following WHITE back. Veer LEFT at the intersection (Teacup/Lower Lot sign) to return to the Upper lot.
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Hiked: 8/29/26. Tillmans (not cemetery) after Red Eft to A.T. to Blue Mountain; 7.3 total.
Hiked: 10/31/21. Partial for photos; with Buttermilk and Van Campens.
Hiked: 4/13/19. Tillmans only.
Hiked: 10/18/15. Trail Blog: “Tillman Ravine in Fall“
Hiked: 5/1/11. Trail Blog: “Tillman Ravine and Walpack Cemetery in May“
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Updated: 3/2026 – Minor edits, not-re-hiked. 6/2025 – Minor edits. 10/2021 – Partially re-hiked for photos. 7/2021 – Page refreshed, not re-hiked. Enhanced parking info. 4/2019 – Re-hiked Tillmans only; added photos after heavy rain; updated description, blazes are all rectangular with no triangles now; added GPX/Interactive Map; archived outdated map photos to 2015 trail blog. Update 8/2017– New park map link added.