New Jersey

I stumbled upon the Sunflower Maze by accident when I was driving through NJ and was quickly distracted by the enormous yellow flowers. So of course, I had to check it out! It opens at 9AM and last admission is at 6PM. The maze is only open from around August to October for the flower bloom. 3 miles...

Drive 5.2 miles north on Route 29 from the center of Stockton, NJ and you will come across a very small parking lot on the left side of the road. If you park your car there, walk back south on Route 29 about 50 feet, and cross over to the woods-side of the road. There you will find the trailhead to ...

Nestled within the more urban and suburban communities in Northern New Jersey, you can escape back to nature at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The name says it all - this place is the perfect opportunity to get up close to a variety of different wildlife that call this protected land home. Co...

One of New Jerseys best kept secrets has to be the Ken Lockwood Gorge. If you are looking for a relaxing, beautiful, and nature packs place then this area is perfect for you. You can access the gorge from two different points, either by driving down Raritan River Rd. and parking right before you ent...

This is a relatively easy hike through Hacklebarney State Park that is great for families with younger children, rock scrambling, photography, and just hanging out in nature. There are two different ways to explore Hacklebarney, either by staying on the packed gravel path or by following the banks o...

Bearfort Mountain is a great weekend morning hike that borders NJ and NY. Parking can be tricky as the entrance to the lot looks like it is Greenwood Lake Marina's boat storage area. Once parked, find the trail entrance at the top of the little hill and continue to the blue on white marked trail. As...

This popular hike starts out on the Appalachian Trail (AT, white blazes). You begin on a boardwalk that crosses over a marsh, then you leave the boardwalk and enter a forested area. At around 1.4 miles, follow a bicycle path, Canal Road, then turn right, cross over a bridge, and take a left through ...

If you're on Kingwood Stockton Road, there will be a dirt road with a Lockatong Nature Preserve sign before it (going north on Kingwood Stockton Road, the sign will be on your left. If you're driving south, the sign will be on your right). Just drive all the way until the end of the dirt road and pa...

This is a fun hike that is great for the entire family. The trails are really well maintained and Tripod Rock is a pretty amazing feature to check out. You can hike to the rock and follow your steps back to the parking lot for a 3 mile round trip or continue along the trail for a 4.4 mile loop. It's...

This is a short but strenuous hike to a bluff overlooking the Delaware River and surrounding mountains and hills. The summit makes a good spot for a picnic or just for relaxing and watching the sunset. The entire hike also has plenty of beautiful photo ops, especially in the Fall. Find the trailhead...

An 8-mile network of maintained trails traversing this Preserve, Mountain Lakes North, John Witherspoon Woods,parts of Tusculum (private) and Community Park North makes a variety of loop hikes possible. Pathways include a boardwalk (over wetlands) and paved bicycle roads. Click here for a trail map ...

The easiest way to access this loop hike is by parking at the Palisades State Park Headquarters. This is just off exit 2 from the Palisades Interstate Parkway. Parking here is free and it is a short walk down a road to the Closter Dock Trail. The Closter Dock Trail is more of a wide fire road but it...

Apart from the rock, there's more trail to follow for a stunning overview and a great spot to hang out and relax. The view is a must-see, it is so much better in person. The hike is not challenging at all, it is basically a straight trail. Climbing some medium sized rocks might be required, but it i...

There is plenty of potential for activity in New Jersey's largest state park. Wharton offers Mullica River for boating, as well as three other rivers for canoeing. Hikers can follow the 50-mile Batona Trail, which connects Wharton to the Brendan T. Byrne and Bass River State Forests. Other trails ar...

There is two ways to access this loop hike. The first is from the Englewood Picnic area just off Exit 1 from the Palisades Interstate Parkway. Parking here requires a fee of $5 May through September. The second is to drive past the Englewood Picnic area turnoff on Henry Hudson Drive and continue unt...

The Sourland Mountain Preserve stretches from Hunterdon County all the way into Somerset County. The trails referenced here are on the southwest side of the preserve in Hunterdon County. They are accessible from an on site parking lot at 233 Rileyville Road in Ringoes NJ. There are several trails at...