Great way to get out of the city with no thought or planning on your part…read more Found this group through zozi. One 8 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail later, I'm very grateful. Yes, you're paying someone to pick you up, drive you to the trail head and lead the hike, but be honest.... you weren't gonna get in that hike you've been meaning to do between you and your measly zipcar subscription. I loved using this service and I would do it again. That they pick up three blocks from my house certainly didn't hurt... Our hike to Sunfish Pond in NE Pennsylvania was gorgeous, especially on the way back as it crossed a winter stream several times and my knees and hips started to ache, in the good way. But the best part was that I made some great friends. Really interesting New Yorkers tend to click on "Buy" under "8 mile winter hike". Who knew?? As much as I knew I'd like the hike, I ended up liking the company as well which was worth even more. We stopped for food at a great restaurant called (not kidding) "Beer from Here, Food from Near." Recommend the Session Stout though all four of my brand new friends got the Blonde Ale and loved it. There was traffic on the way back... and I wasn't driving! Yay.

I love Living Adventure Tours!…read more The first trip I went on was back in May--a friend had found an offer through a deal site and sent on the link. And--miracle of miracles, since I feel talking about things is one thing, but actually getting people to commit can sometimes feel impossible--three of us actually signed up. I'd been on a few trips through Discover Outdoors, so I imagined it'd be similar ... but it wasn't. It was way, way funner. The leader, Vaughn, is low-key and funny and makes it clear that he really WANTS to be out there, leading hikes. I always felt that the Discover Outdoor guides were kind of hiking snobs who were only leading a group of New Yorkers because they had to. And while Vaughn definitely knows his stuff, you can tell he really digs introducing newbies to hiking. The hike was fun, and the winery was RIDICULOUS. We had an awesome tasting, then everyone in the group bought bottles of wine, and pretty much got tanked. People were talking to each other, sharing snacks, and it was a really, really fun afternoon. And then Vaughn brought us to a cute farmstand AND dealt with everyone being loud and ridiculous in the van ride home. I went on another hike this fall, and it was just as good. Vaughn is flexible to the needs/wants of the group (we ended up doing two hikes, since the original itinerary was to a place affected by Sandy) then stopped at a cute NJ brewery for dinner. I've gone with friends both times, but it's not necessary. Vaughn is so friendly and good at facilitating conversation that you'd have a good time solo. But if you'd prefer to chill with your friends, as long as you're friendly to the rest of the group, that's fine, too. It's not like, mandatory hand holding and Kumbahya singing--just good people, good times, and a great way to get out of the city for the day. I will absolutely be going on more adventures!

medium sized county park with a roughly 1 mile blue blazedxloop trail leading from the north end of…read morethe parking lot to a small waterfall and then up to a peak with a view of Rockland County (closeup are is a very scenic industrial park LOL).. waterfall was quite unimpressive on Thanksgiving Day 2016 due to the recent drought, i gather from photos I saw it is much better after a big rain or spring snowmelt.. when you go up the blue blaze trail after descending from peak you will see a gravel road turn right and follow white blaze back to parking lot.

I love the outdoors , but this hike was not my favorite :( it has an absurd amount of insects…read moreand YES I know it's a forest , but it not even well kept when it comes to markers on the trees for hikers . You can easily get lost because there's barely any markers or directions . The view from the summit is ok but even that doesn't have a sign either . They have bathroom signs to bathrooms that don't exist . Parking to a lot that says private lot .. nature is beautiful . But I wouldn't recommend this place , the pictures posted here are the ONLY thing to see . DO NOT RECOMMEND !!! There are other beautiful hiking places ..

Norvin Green is one of my absolute favorite places in NJ to hike. It has a tremendous variety of…read moretrails with different terrain, difficulty level and unique environments; if the mood strikes you, it's possible to hike up and down a few mountains with gorgeous 360-degree views, or something much easier that involves exploring some of the mines on the eastern side of the forest, closer to the reservoir. There's something for virtually any type of hiker, and because so much of the area is rugged, you're not likely to find too many ignorant young hiking pups wandering aimlessly without water or a map. I usually get out here at least a few times every year, and most recently stopped by with one of my chums two Saturdays ago for an 8.1-mile hike. If you're approaching Norvin Green from 287, I would strongly recommend stopping by the Quick Chek on 511 - the bathroom options are pretty much non-existent in the forest (apart from strategically placed foliage), the employees there are always very pleasant and you have a lot of hiking snack options if you haven't had time to preplan that aspect of the adventure. We did a circuitous route beginning at the Weis parking lot up the green trail, past the natural pool to the kiosk, then up blue to Wyanokie High Point, back down and continuing on the blue trail to Carris Hill, then taking the yellow trail from there down into the wetlands, turning west onto the blue trail, past Chik Falls and over to Otter Hole. At that point, you can either take the green Otter Hole trail back to the kiosk (I think that's about 6 miles), or turn west again in .2 miles onto yellow and up Buck Mountain, meandering along the ridge until you hit the woods road (subjective term) and can follow it back to the green trail/kiosk. Deciding to incorporate Buck Mountain adds about two miles to the trip, so if your haunches aren't up to it, just keep going north on green. You'll still get a workout in, regardless. The climb up to Wyanokie is fairly strenuous. I'm in very good hiking shape and can do it without any breaks if needed, but you're definitely earning the views once you ascend past the main tree line. The view on top has to be one of the top two or three in the state; on a clear day, you can see the NYC skyline (that's true as well for the top of Buck Mountain and several points along the yellow trail before it descends), as well as the mountainous regions to the north and west. It's gorgeous, and the only damper on this particular day was the obvious effects of the seasonal drought - tons of brown foliage and several of the water features were dried up or close to it. Especially down in the wetlands, you're usually hopping over a small stream or two. Not on this day, and Chik Falls was a barely discernable trickle. The Buck Mountain climb is one of the toughest in the area - if you can do it without taking a breather, god bless. It's something like an 800-foot ascent in .1 miles; it doesn't require actual rock scrambling or climbing, but it's probably in the tier right below that. But as with Wyanokie, you're getting amazing views for the sweat expended on the incline, and because it's a nastier section of the forest, there isn't nearly as much foot traffic. It's not unusual to get some solid wildlife sightings up on the ridge. This particular hike certainly had its share of wildlife. We saw either a garter or ribbon snake with Pittsburgh Steelers coloring, a skink, AKA the corgi of lizards, oodles of small frogs (presumably panicking over the lack of water), and met two canine chums, Nala and Argo. A very solid crop, and not out of the ordinary for this area. I couldn't recommend this place more highly. Nearby Wanaque doesn't have a lot of great eating options, so given that you've more than earned your calories from tromping around in the woods, I'd venture a little further south to sup on scrumptiousness.

I think this place is a hidden gem. There's not a lot of natural lakes that you can swim in. Of…read morecourse when I went, they were closed for swimming and they even have a dock with boat rentals, which was also closed. I'll be sure to come back to swim in the lake and maybe take a boat around. I don't think the boat is quite big ending for a boat ride that will get my adrenaline flowing, but a canoe or paddle board would be cool. But even closed, this is a great place to go for picnicking or hiking with free parking. There's picnic tables, a jungle gym, bathrooms and I'm sorry I didn't check to see if the showers were working if you wanted to use them. Now, this is important. I started walking around the lake, around the lake wound be going to the left, but the trail went right. I went left, there was a rock wall and I figured I'd follow it and it would bring me back to around the lake. It didn't, I ended up crossing into New York and wandering around Sterling Forest until I eventually found my self on the main road. After walking about 3 more miles, I was actually able to find a trail that lead back to the lake, of course when that trail reached the road for the lake, I walked a mile in the wrong direction, my point is FOLLOW THE TRAIL! The lake is in Ringwood state park and right by the NJ Botanical Gardens and also Skyland Manor.

The lake itself was beautiful and the kayak, row boat and peddle boat rentals were reasonably…read morepriced. It was a nice excursion on the water except for the constant gun shots from skeet shooting taking place nearby. If you can drown out the noise from that it is a very serene experience. The staff at the boathouse was friendly and helpful.

I found this business through Groupon trying to find fun things to do around the area for my last…read moreday in/near the city. I believe Groupon offered a cheaper price than what the business typically does so if you're trying to get an extra discount - look at Groupon and they're willing to price match. It also helps them as well since I think Groupon takes a fee from them. Nevertheless, this establishment was the first place to pop up and I have nothing but good things to say. My fiancée and I had an incredible experience. We did a walk-in with no reservation, and the young woman who greeted us at the front desk named Mia was very kind and respectful, got us in very quickly with no hassle and while waiting on a guide she asked some questions about our life and it made everything feel so much more personable. They also had a friendly dog but he usually stays in the other room if that's not your thing. Our guide Chahin met up with us after we watched the safety video and took us on our tour of beautiful NYC views, he was also a very friendly guy and talking to him felt like talking to a buddy or old buddy you're meeting up with again from like high school or something. If we were to have changed anything about the visit, we probably would've got the picture package (we're cheap but a picture explains the amount of fun over words can!) and we rode together and would likely take separate jet skis (but we did take turns half way through!). The experience was still a 10/10 and would be a must-do the next time we're near! Thanks again to the owner of the business, our guide Chahin, and Mia! And my fiancée who I'm so lucky and grateful to have joined me for this experience despite her fear of open water - love you bby xoxo

I had an absolutely awful experience and strongly recommend looking elsewhere for a jet ski rental…read more Beyond the actual ride, it was a massive waste of time--they require you to arrive 30 minutes early to set up, yet my original 4:00 PM appointment was delayed until 5:15 PM because of broken jet skis, and then we were made to wait even longer for missing group members. Right from the start, I was dealing with Mia, who originally promised to give me free photos and videos to compensate for all the delays. ​When we finally got out, less than five minutes into the water, my jet ski completely stopped working. Because of the broken ski, I couldn't accelerate and was stuck in the back. Phil, the guide, was leading up front and flew right by without even noticing I had stopped. Sitting helpless in open water for that long was a major safety hazard, and I had to wait around 20 minutes in the water just for a jet ski swap. ​Before I left that day, I went to see Phil directly about the media Mia had promised, and he said he would send everything via WhatsApp as soon as he finished fixing the broken jet ski. He never did. When I called early the next morning and spoke with Mia and Corey (the owner), Corey gave me a phone number to call Phil directly. That number turned out to be completely non-working. I waited at their office until closing, called repeatedly, messaged on WhatsApp, and was ultimately ghosted. I never received my pictures, my videos, or the full rental time I paid for. Zero safety awareness, broken equipment, terrible organization, and non-existent customer service. Save your money and go somewhere else.

A summer favorite. There is the paved trail that is convenient to walk on or ride your bike. But I…read morelove the long path trail for a nice hike. It's about 2-3 miles total to loop around via long trail. There's lots to do here too. Miniature golf. Pool. Picnic and more. If you want to spend an awesome day in nature Definately give this place a try. Parking is $8. The pool is $20 for the whole day but you cant bring food inside. They do have plenty of food for sale tho.

What a great spot for a day hike. We love going to Tallman because of the diversity in hiking…read moreoptions. Our favorite spots are the picnic areas which offer ample parking, table and grills.

Located in the Village of Piermont on the west shore this small park offers a great vantage point…read moreto take in the grandness of the "Mighty Hudson River". Its a nicely groomed area with a small boardwalk covering the hundred plus feet of northeast facing riverfront. The park is planted with a few shade trees, a nice garden and outfitted with benches to sit and relax. From the Villages web site: "Frank Parelli Park - This park is located at the site of the former Mill beach and is named after a long time resident and 1st President of the Piermont Lions Club Frank Parelli. This park facing the Hudson River has a small boardwalk with benches and is used by both Village residents and our visitors." Parking is right across the street, the park is free for all to use and open till 9pm. BSE23

I usually have to pump myself up to go over to Abram Hewitt; even for legit North Jersey hikes,…read moreit's super out of the way (at least 20 minutes from Route 23, with minimal post-hike eating options) and there's no way to avoid having to walk on the shoulder of a busy state highway for at least 15 seconds - and often significantly more if you don't get there before literally two other cars. This particular hike I did on Saturday IS one of my favorites though and a strong recommend. You can see in the attached pictures that despite a dreary day, the optics here are pretty fantastic. You have to earn the view, and when the sun actually decides to show up, it's arguably a top two or three optic in NJ. Yesterday I did about a 7-mile hike along the Bearfort RIdge, from the trailhead on the Warwick Turnpike, up the western side of the Bearfort Ridge Trail before making a left onto the Ernest Walter Trail before connecting up with the almighty AT for a few moments, then hopping onto the blue State Line Trail before reconnecting with Ernest Walter to the Greenwood Lake overlook before going south to hook up again with the Bearfort Ridge Trail (this time on its eastern side) back to the trailhead. The whole journey took about 4 1/2 hours for me, which includes moseying along for a while and a snack break at the overlook. The parking situation is rough; it's a huge reason you can't say this is an unequivocally positive hiking experience. There's a very small parking area on the shoulder of the Warwick Turnpike that can fit three cars. That's it. There's no signage to speak of, so unless you see one or two other cars there for context, it's not even clear you're allowed to park there for a few hours. Further down Warwick going toward Greenwood Lake, there's a bigger shoulder on the other side of the road that can probably fit 10 more cars but again, no signage and parking there requires you to walk alongside Warwick for a solid few minutes with not a lot of space to avoid vehicular traffic. Not pleasant, and I think they probably could figure out a way to make this much more hospitable for hikers. There's also no port-a-potty at any point in this hike, so I'd stop at the Dunkin or something in the downtown West Milford area beforehand. This is definitely not an easy hike, but the toughest part to me is the first half hour, where you're scaling up the ridge. I prefer to get the rough stuff over at the beginning as a warmup, but it's a fairly steep climb. Once up on the ridge, you're not really doing much more in the way of significant inclines (though there is more up and down, especially on the yellow trail where you have some legit scrambling), but the terrain is VERY rocky/rough, which is to be expected. It's a lot of outcroppings and hopping from one rock formation to the next. The final 2.5 miles or so on the Bearfort is comparatively easy; it's basically just a woods road, and the most annoying part of it was the bug situation, which was nastier than usual with some recent rain. I had some sweat-resistant Off, but it barely made a dent. By far the best part of this hike is the overlook area on yellow that has viewpoints going up and down the length of Greenwood Lake. The eastern side where Sterling State Forest is has some decent eye candy as well, but this is the gold standard because there's minimal foliage on the rock outcroppings; you can just on the boulders and see everything in front of you. There's no way to get up there without doing the work so it tends not to be as crowded as some of the nearby vistas in the area; an added bonus. The trail maintenance and markings are very solid and easy to find for the most part; they were either freshly painted on rocks/trees or actual physical markers nailed down (there's probably an official term for those). The blue trail has a few issues where it's super easy to lose your way because there's more than one possible option to turn onto; an extra rock cairn or two could go a long way here. Unfortunately due to the weather the canine chum situation was nonexistent, and so were the wildlife sightings. I saw/heard a few squirrels, but nothing to write home about. If this one is on your list, I'd recommend getting there early so you're literally one of the first three cars. Otherwise, your warmup is going to consist of exhaust fumes and sadness. Very cool hike though if you can make the time.

I did the Surprise Lake loop in Abram S. Hewitt State Forest this past weekend. I would say this…read morewas a intermediate level hike, there was a lot of rock scrambling. Nothing too crazy, but a few spots were a little tricky. The hike offered some challenges because of the torrential rains the previous day. The rocks were extremely slippery at some points. We carpooled to the parking lot opposite the marina. The parking lot can accommodate probably 10 cars. There was one porta potty at the parking lot, no other facilities. We started with the blue trail, followed it up to the yellow trail on the left. From yellow, we moved on to a portion of the Appalachian trail then backtracked to reach the blue all the way to the parking lot. The hike offers some great views of the Greenwood lake and the surrounding peaks and valleys from the top of the Bearfort mountain. We traversed the ridge line and arrived at the Surprise Lake where we took a break for lunch. Total distance covered was about 5 miles. We didn't spot any bears or snakes while hiking, but kept an eye out just the same as they are supposed to be common in the area. A good pair of hiking shoes will be useful on this hike, be careful while scrambling over the rocks if you're wearing sneakers. As always, carry sunscreen and map of the trail. Hiking map:http://www.nynjtc.org/files/u1/PettyHJH_chp24-SurpriseLakeLoop.pdf