Great hiking there as usual. Took short hikes up to the Appalachian Trail…read more Saw some trail magic, so added to it for through hikers.

SHOTWELL -- I camped at a lean-to at Showell camp grounds. The shelter was great, had plenty of…read morespace for my queen sized bed and my double seater folding chair. I used my small portable generator for power/lights. Wood purchased at the ranger station seemed to burn better than any wood I found around the campsite so I used purchased wood to start camp fires then used wood found around camp. What I didn't like was the shower facilities are at another camp entirely, Lake Ocquittunk, and that kind of sucked especially when I went looking for it at night. It's about 6 miles away but it gave me the opportunity to pull off at the gas station for some snacks, still it's location is super inconvenient. This place is great for winter camping and although the shelters are relatively close to each other, it's so cold that nobody is out bothering anyone. I plan on visiting this place in the summer to see how the tent sites are but I'll bring a portable toilet since the bath rooms are relatively far from the better more private camp sites.

We ended up completing this hike right after it had snowed the day before. They ended up closing…read moreall the main roads leading to the falls, but even walking along the road was scenic itself. The trail is lined with a bunch of trees and continually crossed by a bunch of streams and rivers flowing from the Delaware Water Gap. The Buttermilk Falls are definitely a must see and with half of it frozen, it definitely gave me some white walker vibes. Overall the hike is pretty easy and scenic throughout so I'd definitely recommend (although I'd definitely check weather and road conditions before going).

Its super quiet. Barely anyone is there on the weekends. Trails can be a little difficult.read more

Rented a medium-sized pontoon for half a day. The staff was plentiful, courteous and professional…read more The boats were all in amazing shape. Ours looked brand new despite the hours logged. The outboard was only a 50 however, but with only 2 adults and 2 children on board it wasn't terribly underpowered. Pricing was competitive for the area. The marina was a bit tight but nothing I haven't seen before. There is very little traffic around their cove which makes for a quick departure and docking. I like that it's at the end of the lake which gives you an opportunity to do a full stretch without a lot of backtracking. The store was fully stocked with bait and tackle. This was one of the best boat rental experiences I've had in years and I would absolutely use them again.

I've used them a couple times and really can't imagine using a different boat rental company. They…read moreseem to have the best prices. I like to go for the fishing boat with motor because I don't want to paddle or pay too much but there are different options depending on what your doing. I would have preferred to make a reservation but the rentals are on first come, first serve basis so make sure you get there early. I wasn't sure how long I wanted the boat for so they let me book 2 hours and then settle up when I got back. I was a little nervous because the boat didn't tell me how deep the water was beneath me, but we didn't get stuck so it's all good. I was happy I brought my radio. I did get lost a little but was able to pull up a map on my phone. They have a lot of fishing equipment for you to buy as well. I had to take a "safety course" to be able to rent the boat but it didn't take long and wasn't a big deal. They didn't even give me a hard time about crashing into the wall on my way out. The steering took a little to get used to, especially in reverse. The first time I was here, I dropped the anchor in the water but it wasn't tied to the boat so it just dropped to the bottom.

Looking for a half day trip, I think this place fits the bill. The most unique part of this park…read moreis that there is an airport here, you heard that right. It's a mini airport with small planes and even planes with propellers back in the days. It's about a mile hike to the airport Runway, there are a couple of benches next to the runway gate that allow you to watch airplanes take off and go. The river is right next it so there is a river walk type of path. Bountiful parking in the lot. Andover diner is about 10 min away, it's a good trip.

Nice Suunny Sunday morning, so returning to Kittatinny Valley State Park I explored walking trails…read moreand relaxed by the store of the beautiful lake. Talk about peace and serenity. Great time was had... BUT - apparently there is a new custom for dog walkers to leave there little bags of dog lying around. I counted a dozen bags on my short walk. Disgusting and detracts from the experience

Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge was established to conserve and enhance populations of…read morewildlife and their habitats, to protect and enhance water quality, and to provide opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation and research. The refuge conserves the biological diversity of the Wallkill Valley by protecting and managing land, with a special emphasis on forest-dwelling and grassland birds, migrating waterfowl, wintering raptors, and endangered species. The North American Waterfowl Management Plan identifies the Wallkill River bottomlands as a priority focus area for waterfowl management within New Jersey.

***2 1/2 stars***…read more Wallkill was the site of our First of the Year hike this year, on a warmer than usual January 1 with some decent sunshine. We picked this based almost solely on location - in recent years, a Sussex native has been trekking all over the state to participate in this noble event so a nearby spot was selected as a gesture of good will. Our specific sojourn took place exclusively on the Wood Duck Trail, a back and forth hike that was about three miles in total (perfect mileage for this event). The parking lot is easy to spot, just off 23, and while the lot itself does not have a port-a-potty, the spiffy QuickChek nearby does - and for what it's worth, the bathroom there was pretty clean and the employees very pleasant. I am always warmly received in the Kingdom of Sussex. It absolutely could have been the time of year, but this place seemed super desolate and not conducive to decent optics. It's a lot of marshy/swampy areas off to the sides of the trails, which can be spooky under the right circumstances (maybe they could do some kind of Halloween hike over here with lanterns?) but after a while it's just repetitive. At the end of the trail (very easy to spot - it's literally gated so you have no choice but to turn around), there's a pleasant little off-shoot where you can get pretty close to the Wallkill River and admire the water features. Our Honorary Young Pup scampered down to the edge and played around there for a few minutes before we headed back. There were also one or two wooden bridges to cross over little streams, which were nice enough. However, they were a bit slippery - all of us watched the Honorary Young Pup skip across them with gritted teeth, but she stayed upright. I don't know if that's just the result of recent thawing and the prior day's rain, but something to keep in mind if you're tromping around there in similar weather. Once or twice we also encountered lookout points ostensibly to view birds and other wildlife, but they were not interested in making themselves known on January 1. Our only wildlife sighting of the day was a cardinal hopping around on the ice nearby. It would have been improved if this trail permitted pooches, but alas - only service animals are allowed, and they were off doing their duty elsewhere on this particular day. I don't see any reason why the powers that be couldn't at least allow leashed canines here - I can't imagine a tethered retriever doing any damage to the waterfowl, but I don't make the rules. On the positive side, the trail IS pretty well maintained. Part of that could be the minimal brush along the edges (there were a few sticker bushes but nothing that really hindered our journey), but it was very easy and straight-forward to follow, and even on a morning where everything was still in the process of drying out, I was impressed by how solid the path was. I'd anticipated navigating around a few puddles, and there really weren't any to speak of. Also in that regard, it's very young pup friendly. Our Honorary Young Pup is now a cagey veteran of this event and was comfortable frolicking by herself further down the trail and had no issues completing this adventure. This wasn't terrible by any means, but personal preference-wise, I prefer hikes/trails that are more interesting.

Park is well kept and clean. The fields and landscape is nice . The playgrounds well kept and safe…read moreequipment and roomy. Beautiful duck pond near the picnic grounds . Plenty of parking.

Easy to moderate short hike down to a beautiful set of falls. Well worth the less-than half-hour…read morehike. Spotty cell-service and dogs prohibited on the trail--but we were the only ones in the parking lot!

I have been coming here for years and it has always been so beautiful. I love morning hikes…read more Seeing the water falls and hiking through the trails is so picturesque. It's a great cardio workout. We climb up trail stairs and down. We go up some hills and down. It really depends on the direction you decide to take. Fall is my favorite time of year to come here when the weather is a bit cooler and there is not as much people around. The trails in this this park is very clearly marked and you can see trails that were created by the parks department plus some that were created by people who wanted to adventure off the regular trails. There are some very very small caves if you look around hard enough. I see them take a quick peek and I am on my way. I am not that adventurous, lol. This is definitely a fantastic place to visit if you are in the area. Just a couple of things to remember. Bug spray is your friend. Spray yourself, ticks are not fun and also be careful when running your hands on the wooden handrails because there may be splinters. I now take tweezers with me just in case splinters or ticks but this park is still a fantastic place to visit.