Appalachian National Scenic Trail and New Jersey

Most people who are not hikers probably don't think of New Jersey when they hear talk about the Appalachian Trail.

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the A.T., is a marked hiking trail in the Eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. The trail is about 2,200 miles (3,500 km) long. A beautiful 162-mile segment of the Appalachian Trail passes through the New York-New Jersey region.

final section of the AT through NJ

Probably equally surprising to even people living in New Jersey is that there are 10 National Parks in New Jersey.

1. Appalachian National Scenic Trail
2. Delaware Water Gap National Rec Area
3. Edison NHS
4. Gateway National Rec Area
5. Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Rec River
6. Middle Delaware National Scenic River
7. Morristown NHP
8. New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route
9. New Jersey Pinelands
10. Paterson-Great Falls

Since 1916, the National Park Service has been entrusted with the care of our national parks, which they do with the help of volunteers and partners.

New Jersey is home to 72.2 miles (116.2 km) of the trail. The trail enters New Jersey from the south on a pedestrian walkway along the Interstate 80 bridge over the Delaware River.

It ascends from the Delaware Water Gap to the top of Kittatinny Mountain in Worthington State Forest, passes Sunfish Pond, continues north through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Stokes State Forest and eventually reaches High Point State Park,where it turns in a southeastern direction along the New York border for about 30 miles (48 km), passing over long sections of boardwalk bridges over marshy land, then entering Wawayanda State Park and then the Abram S. Hewitt State Forest just before entering New York near Greenwood Lake.

In New Jersey the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference maintains and updates the Appalachian Trail.

If you want to explore our Jersey section of the A.T., here are some resources to get you started.

• https://www.nps.gov/hfc/carto/PDF/APPAmap1.pdf   map of AT  
• https://www.nps.gov/appa/ 
• https://www.nynjtc.org/park/appalachian-national-scenic-trail 
• planning your visit  https://www.nps.gov/appa/planyourvisit/
• doing section hikes is one way to cover the trail in NJ-NY or even the entire 2000 miles. For example, Crater Lake Trail to Buttermilk Falls Trail and the NJ Park Boundary at Blue Mountain is 4.5 miles of mostly moderate hiking difficulty.  https://www.nps.gov/dewa/planyourvisit/appalachian-nst.htm 
• https://www.nynjtc.org/view/hike
• Jersey-centric view of the A.T. http://www.princetonmagazine.com/hiking-the-appalachian-trail-national-scenic-trail-in-new-jersey/