High Point State Park

High Point State Park in Sussex County, New Jersey, is a great destination for outdoor recreation and excellent views. 

As the highest elevation in the state, it offers visitors a unique blend of natural beauty, history, and year-round activities. Nestled atop the Kittatinny Ridge at 1,803 feet above sea level, High Point State Park is a jewel in New Jersey’s park system. 

Whether you’re seeking solitude on a wooded trail, family fun by the lake, or awe-inspiring views from the monument, High Point State Park delivers. It’s a destination where history, nature, and recreation converge—making it one of New Jersey’s most treasured outdoor escapes.

Spanning more than 16,000 acres, the park is best known for the High Point Monument, a 220-foot granite obelisk dedicated to New Jersey’s veterans. From its summit, visitors enjoy panoramic vistas stretching across three states—the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, the Catskills of New York, and the rolling valleys of New Jersey.

For recreation seekers, High Point offers an abundance of options. The park boasts over 50 miles of trails, ranging from gentle walks to challenging hikes. These trails accommodate not only hikers but also mountain bikers, horseback riders, and, in winter, cross-country skiers and snowshoers. 

Seasonal changes transform the landscape: spring wildflowers, lush summer greenery, fiery autumn foliage, and serene snow-covered ridges make every visit distinct. Winter transforms High Point into a snowy playground. With trails open for snowmobiling, dogsledding, and skiing, the park becomes a hub for cold-weather recreation. Even in the chill, the monument and surrounding ridges remain accessible, offering crisp, clear views that reward those willing to brave the season. 

Water enthusiasts gravitate toward Lake Marcia, a spring-fed lake perfect for swimming in summer months, fishing, or enjoying a peaceful picnic by the shore. Families often spend the day at the designated beach area, while anglers cast lines for trout and bass. 

The park also features campgrounds, making it a favorite spot for weekend getaways under the stars. High Point is more than just a natural escape—it’s a place of discovery. Visitors can engage in geocaching adventures, explore historic sites, or participate in educational programs hosted by the Friends of High Point State Park. 

Wildlife enthusiasts will find deer, foxes, and a variety of bird species thriving in the park’s diverse habitats, offering ample opportunities for photography and quiet observationThe Tourist Checklist.

Hiking Through New Jersey 200 Years Ago

If you are up for a weekend to hit the trails, maybe you will want to see New Jersey as it was 200 years ago. 

Okay, this is not a time travel story. The New Jersey stretch of the Appalachian Trail (AT) starts in the northern-most corner of the state at High Point State Park at Route 23 and extends down to the Delaware Water Gap. This is another one of those areas of NJ that will surprise even natives - you will forget that you are in NJ, or you will realize (as with our beaches) that we compete very well with other states that are more known for their outdoor recreation and scenery. 

Some sections of the AT look very much as they did 200 years ago. That was not colonial days, and NJ had become more industrialized and cities were growing, but this part of the state was still mostly undeveloped.

Most of us will never be the full AT. "Through-hikers" that do the 2000-mile Appalachian Trail across the tops of the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine are a unique breed of hiker. More people hike the trail in sections, and the 72 miles of it through New Jersey can be further divided into some great one-day hikes.

The NJ AT is intersected by country lanes or Park roads about every 5 to 10 miles, which makes it easier to do the trail in stages. The trail is well-maintained by volunteers.

Pochuck Boardwalk, AT in Glenwood

If you are doing a section of 6 or more miles, you should have decent hiking boots (thick soles and high enough to give ankle support) that allow for some heavy socks and swollen feet. Dress for the weather and the bugs of the season (bring some spray). A light pack (the kids' school backpack can do for a day), lunch, and some trail snacks (trail mix is not required!),  and a good supply of water. A fully charged cell phone is a must these days.

The New Jersey stretch of the Appalachian Trail is 74 miles long and begins at Abram S. Hewitt State Forest in the northernmost point, running west and south through Wawayanda State Park, High Point State Park, Stokes State Forest, and ending at Worthington State Forest.

Wawayanda Mountain to Warwick Turnpike (6 miles) is a good one-day hike. Wawayanda State Park extends across 13,000 acres of wild land. It is a remote plateau covered by rhododendron bogs where bears forage, craggy cliffs where coyote and bobcat make their dens, and hemlock ravines through which fast-moving streams surge and plummet. 

This mountain boasts some of the oldest bedrock along the entire AT. Go back 200 years? This area has a history of habitation that stretches back 12,000 years.

Sunrise Mountain and High Point at 17 miles is a more challenging one-day hike. (There are camping opportunities on sections of the trails.) The northern Kittatinny Ridge rises in an uninterrupted rampart, climbing to 1803 feet at High Point, the greatest elevation above sea level in New Jersey. This rugged AT ridge walk is punctuated by craggy ledges, far-reaching vistas. There are also manmade features, such as the Normanook Fire Tower, Sunrise Mountain Pavilion, and High Point Monument.

SOME SITES FOR INFORMATION & MAPS

http://www.AppalachianTrail.org

http://www.trails.com/activity.aspx?area=10129

http://www.njskylands.com/odhikeaptrl.htm

http://www.appalachiantrail.org and New Jersey focus from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

https://www.greenbelly.co/pages/appalachian-trail-shelters

Bobcats, Sussex County, NJ

A nice post, report and a clear video of some bobcats sighted (a rare enough sight in NJ) while hiking the Cedar Swamp Trail in High Point State Park by the folks at NJ Hiking. 

And it wasn't reported as being a mountain lion!

see njhiking.com/bobcats-new-jersey

New Jersey State Parks

The end of summer doesn't mean the end of visits to outdoor areas. In fact, with foliage becoming a major tourist attraction in many area on the East Coast, the cooler months of autumn are increasingly times for outdoor travel vacations.

Though it may be only weekend visits for families with kids, for others the less crowded fall season has advantages.

Last year I bought my lifetime senior citizen National Parks Pass for $10 and my wife and I have since visited several National Parks and plan on visiting many others. But we don't have to leave the state to see parks and forests.

The State Park Pass is available for New Jersey residents at $50 (Non-Resident $75) and means free entrance for one calendar year to the state parks and forests facilities that charge daily walk-in or parking fees. If you are a frequent visitor to the state parks, the purchase of the State Park Pass can mean a substantial savings over the payment of daily walk-in or parking fees. The pass does not cover camping fees or guarantee entry when facilities are filled to capacity or for special events. That same application also entitles New Jersey residents age 62 or over and people who are totally disabled to free admission and free parking upon providing adequate verification of their status. They also receive a $2 per night reduction in campsite rates.

There are 40 New Jersey State Parks and forests. Here are just a few options to consider this autumn.

High Point      Flickr - Thomas Hannigan 

High Point State Park is known for its High Point Monument which, at 1,803 feet above sea level, offers a great panorama of rich farmland and forest, soft hills and lush valleys in three states. The Delaware River is a blue line that marks the ridges of New Jersey from those of Pennsylvania.

But High Point also offers trails for walkers, hikers and skiers, and quiet spots for campers and anglers.

The land for High Point State Park, donated by Colonel Anthony R. and Susie Dryden Kuser, was dedicated as a park in 1923. The landscaping was designed by the Olmsted Brothers of Boston, a prominent landscape architectural firm of that time owned by brothers who were the sons of the eminent Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park.

www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/highpoint.html

Island Beach State Park is a narrow barrier island south of Seaside Park that stretches for 10 miles between the Atlantic Ocean and the historic Barnegat Bay.

Island Beach is one of New Jersey's last significant remnants of a barrier island ecosystem that once existed along much of the coast and is also one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches on the north Atlantic coast. Over 3,000 acres and 10 miles of coastal dunes remain almost untouched since Henry Hudson first described New Jersey's coast in 1609.

The dunes and white sandy beaches offer habitat to maritime plants and diverse wildlife in the dunes, thicket, freshwater wetlands, maritime forest and tidal marshes.

The state's largest osprey colony calls this park home and there are also visiting peregrine falcons, wading birds, shorebirds, waterfowl and migrating songbirds.

Island Beach is nationally known as a unique resource with over 400 plants identified, including the largest expanses of beach heather in New Jersey.

http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/island.html

Like High Point, the best known spot at Cape May is the lighthouse. It is a great attraction for many visitors to the area, but the park’s constantly changing shoreline, dunes, freshwater coastal marsh and ponds, forested islands and varied uplands make it a well-known location for viewing the fall bird migration.

Located on the southern tip of New Jersey, Cape May Point State Park is a key site on the NJ Coastal Heritage Trail, with an environmental center that houses a classroom for interpretive programs and a museum on the area's natural and historic features.

http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/capemay.html

Check out the Official Facebook page for New Jersey State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites at:
www.facebook.com/NewJerseyStateParks

Family-Friendly Outdoor Activities at HPSP

High Point Monument

What's the highest point in New Jersey? That's a really easy question to answer if you know anything about our state parks. It is within High Point State Park in Sussex County, the northernmost of New Jersey’s 40 state parks.

The 15,413-acre High Point State Park is well-regarded for its hiking and skiing trails, as well as locations for camping, fishing and numerous other activities.

Established in 1923 in the state’s Skylands Region, the park also is home to the High Point Monument, the highest point in New Jersey. High Point is the highest elevation in the state at 1,803 feet (550 m).

High Point is the highest peak of the Kittatinny Mountains. Three states – New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania – can be seen from the top.

At the peak is the High Point Monument, a 220-foot (67 m) obelisk, built in 1930 as a war memorial. From the monument, there is a spectacular panorama of hills, valleys, lush farmland and more in the 3 states.

High Point is the site for some activities this month for adults and children. Ranging from storytelling, games and crafts focused on nature during wintertime, to outdoor exploration and trail walks at the park.

Many people stay indoors more in winter, but it can be a great time to get out, explore nature, and enjoy the scenery at our state parks and forests.

To learn more about the programs below or to register, email register.highpointprograms@gmail.com or call (973) 875-1471.

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January 7, 14, 21 and 28, 10:30 a.m. to noon
Nature in Winter Walk: A guide and participants will look for tracks and signs of wintering wildlife, as well as dormant trees, plants, insects and more. A limited number of snowshoes in child and adult sizes are available, and must be reserved by 4 p.m. the Friday before each walk. Use of snowshoes will be weather-dependent. Reservations are required and locations vary. Ages 7 and up.
Fee: $2 per person for the walk, $5 per person to borrow snowshoes

January 12 and 26, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
January 13 and 27, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Fledgling Naturalists: Children’s curiosity will be encouraged through hands-on outdoor activities involving stories, games and crafts. For children ages 3 to 5, with an adult partner. Each adult may bring a maximum of two children, not including infants. Children or siblings over age 5 may not attend. Registration is required by 4 p.m. the day before the program.
Fee: $5 per adult/child pair, $2 for additional children ages 3 to 5.

January 13, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Homeschool Naturalists: Hands-on activities will give homeschooled children an opportunity to explore the natural world and interact with peers. Suggestions for additional study and resources will be provided. Registration is required by noon the day before the program. For children ages 6 to 10 in grades 1-5 with some ability to read and write.
Fee: $5 per child (must be accompanied by an adult)

January 14, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Snow and Ice: Games, crafts and experiments will be utilized to teach families about snow, ice and winter weather. A guide will explain how park wildlife survives frozen temperatures, and participants will be able to cut their own snowflakes. The free program is both indoors and outdoors. Ages 6 and up.


To learn more about High Point State Park, visit: www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/highpoint.html