We hadn't gotten to much snow this year, so when I heard there was a snow fall in the northern…read moreportions of New Jersey near the Delaware Water Gap several weeks ago, Oatie and I headed north for some hiking. I think Oatie enjoys the river and mountains as much as I do. Climbing Mount Tammany, 1,526', is bout a 1-1.5 hour hike from the trailhead which is located on the west bound Rt.80, Dunnfield Creek parking lot. The red trail is much steeper than the blue trail. Most people do the red trail to the summit and come back down on the blue trail which runs along an brook that has numerous small waterfalls. In this area of New Jersey, the Appalachian trail, 2,180 miles and runs from Georgis to Maine cuts through New Jersey. The Deleware River is located on the east bound side of Rt.80. Along the river you will find the Kittatinny Point Visitor Center. The visitor center has Lenni Lenape artifacts, photos, wildlife displays, souvenirs, a ranger information booth and three NPS passport stamps. It was not open the day I visited. There are clean restrooms, boat, kayak and canoe launching sites. In the summer there are numerous people on tubs sailing south on the river. I kayak during the Summer, photograph the kaleidoscope of Fall leaf colors, and hike Spring and Winter.

This is basically a rest stop along Rt. 80 in New Jersey just before you cross over into…read morePennsylvania. There are clean bathrooms open all year round and a small visitor center which has artifacts and photos about the Indians who lived here and the wildlife that is in the area. It looks like it is popular with hikers and I believe the Appalachian trail either runs through here or is pretty close. The views here are awesome.....the Delaware water gap flows through the stop and the views of the mountains especially in the fall are amazing. Being from northeast jersey this is about as deep in the woods that I will venture. If your driving by here stop and take a look.

This preserve was easy to find and had ample parking. The trails were marked with colored markings…read moreon the trees. The trails were mostly flat and not a difficult walk. The creek was relaxing, with some mini falls, and ran parallel to most of the trail. The preserve was quiet and not busy, which was nice. There are no bathrooms on site. Overall, highly recommend if in the area!

My family really enjoyed the Rail Gap Pocono Creek Nature Reserve! The parking here is super easy…read more The flat walking trail is perfect for a relaxing stroll. The scenery is beautiful here and the path follows along the creek. It's a great spot for families or anyone looking to enjoy nature without any tough hikes. There are rocks you can sit on if you need a break but no benches along the path. There are no restrooms here.

This place is absolutely beautiful, highly recommend. It's super popular, so the parking lot gets…read morepretty full. Come early! It's 3.5 miles, 1,250 feet elevation. You get a pretty good cardio workout as you traverse across the rock scrambles. It's a somewhat strenuous hike. For an easier time, go up the Red Dot trail and come down the Blue Dot trail. It's a loop! If you're looking for a less strenuous hike, you can go up and down the Blue Dot trail, but you'll miss a good view on the Red Dot trail. The Red Dot trail has an amazing view of the Delaware Water Gap and Mt Minsi. As you go further up, you'll reach the high point. Going down the Blue Dot trail, you'll eventually come across beautiful waterfalls and hike right by the river. Absolutely gorgeous! Don't forget to bring plenty of water!

This is one of the better hikes you will enjoy, never a dull moment, you get lots of rock…read morescrambling on top of a view. I thought this trail would be overridden by tourists and post Covid new hikers but I was shocked it wasn't crowded - went on black friday, maybe everyone was shopping and it was a little chilly. After thorough research, best route up is by taking the red trail and taking the blue trail back. The red trail up to the top is all rock scrambling, constant climbing up rocks till you get to the top. The blue trail back is not as much scrambling and a gradual decline down rather than a straight up climb. I can't imagine taking the red trail down, it would take longer and is definitely harder. There are multiple parking lots so beware of where you park though the lots are close by walking distance. McDonald's is 7 minutes away without traffic so that can be a great incentive to come, grab grub right after. When I finished hike around 1, parking lot was quite full.

The lake itself is BEAUTIFUL!!! I would definitely come back and hang out by the lake. However, we…read morewalked the 7 mile Bruce lake trail and THAT was crazy .... It took 4 hours. We saw bears, listened to a thousand mosquitoes in my ear, and walked single file through a jungle like setting. However, the lake itself is gorgeous. I would definitely come back to just enjoy the scenery NOT for the crazy hike!

Bruce Lake is a natural area located in Delaware State Forest. It offers a multitude of natural…read moreterrain for great hiking and views along the way. There are lots of bears so get loud on your hike so the bears see/ hear you coming. Enjoy this slice of mother nature.

Great hidden gem in East stroudsburg nice overlook.You can sit and see Camleback…read more Give it a try

A nice trail to hike when in the area. The paths can be hard to see/follow when all the leaves are…read moreout. It is dog friendly and nice we were able to bring the dog along. It's a take in take out - meaning all trash you take in you take home with you. There's no garbage cans anywhere.

Not sure why there aren't more reviews regarding High Point, but it's a time when I really, really…read morewish I could post photographs (although there are some provided on the main page that give an approximation of the beauty of the place). My coming here yesterday was completely unexpected. I grew up in Wayne, down Rt. 23 (which is supposedly now known as "the heroin highway"), and I've had some exposure to this upstate region over the decades (I can just barely remember my father bringing me to Stokes State Forest as a kid; I went camping at "Camp Silver Lake" with "Indian Guides" when I wasn't much older--- I think the camp/lake was at Hardyston; and I went with family once to the spot near Port Jervis where NJ/NY/PA meet). I met up with an old friend, and we stopped at the Sound Exchange on Rt. 23 in Wayne. Spent money on CD's (Moby Grape for me; Johnny Thunders for him), and then asked each other, "What next? What do we do now?" I remembered that driving north on Rt. 23, once you get past the seemingly endless mini malls and the burgeoning congestion...usually up past Butler and Kinnelon...the scenery becomes quite extraordinary (I've been told the area resembles Scotland in parts) and...for me, at least...therapeutic. If I ever feel close to whatever God(s) might exist, it's invariably when I'm out enjoying the loveliness and grandeur of nature. It was brutally hot, though, and I was ready to pack it in at some point near Sussex (which resembled a ghost town), when my friend suggested, "We're close to High Point. How about High Point?" I wasn't enthused. He mentioned that he had been there with his ex-wife (I guess there's a reason we're hanging out bored together at a record store buying CDs like aimless adolescents and then driving numb up a scenic highway...2 middle aged men...on a glorious Summer afternoon; he's got ex-wives, I've got ex-girlfriends, we've got too much time on our hands, limited money in our pockets, just above a half tank of gas in the car, not enough interests or stimulating hobbies to occupy ourselves with, no noble, altruistic activities to inspire ourselves with..etc...etc...but I'm not entirely sure what the reason(s) is(are), and why depress myself further by continuing this line of thought? Why indeed?), and she (and he) had loved it. I replied, "Ok, Ok." I figured it was easier to comply than try to formulate a reason why we shouldn't. Did I mention how enervating the heat was? We drove up bucolic mountain roads until we reached a toll booth. My first thought was, "I'm not paying out money for this." But it was after 4pm, and there was no admission charged after 4. Again, we drove on rolling mountain roads, past people picknicking and cooking food (the smell was intoxicating). There was a beautiful lake surrounded by pine-covered mountains, with people swimming. And then we reached the area where the High Point Monument towered above. A steady breeze was blowing, and the brutally hot day suddenly felt Fall-like, even chilly, despite the sunshine (I have to wonder if it's like that all the time? I guess it is). Off to one side was PA. Off to the other was NY. Over that way was NJ. Which one was which? I couldn't tell; I had been completely disoriented by our ride. I figured the side with the little toy village down below (Port Jervis?) was probably NY. But it didn't really matter. We were presented with a panorama of splendid, natural beauty, awe-inspiring and majestic, stretching out as far as the eye could see. (By the way, there are "Tower Viewers" available if you want to bring the scenery in closer...they charge a quarter for about a minute of magnification...but you really don't need them.) Even the man-made tower jutting up into the sky inspired awe, and I'm less moved by the constructions of man than I am by the constructions of nature. The tower (or monolith, or obelisk) was closed, so we couldn't climb our way to the top, but that was fine (especially for my friend, who, despite his initial enthusiasm, did not want to climb several flights of stairs to the top of a stone tower). Still, I'd like to come back earlier some day and make that climb and see the view from the top. I can't imagine how much more impressive it could be, but I'm motivated now. We stayed for several minutes, enjoying it. What had started out as a day of half-hearted, desultory boredom had ended extremely well. And riding back down Rt 23 with Moby Grape playing on the car's CD player was the icing on the cake. A dull day had become one that I'll remember with fondness for a long time. I fully expect to come back here. And I recommend it to anyone with a beautiful summer day on their hands, and no idea of how to spend it. I also heartily recommend it to those who have better, more constructive ways to spend their time than I usually do. It seems like a great place to bring your family if you grow tired of the seashore (and its numbing traffic jams). In other words, check this place out.

Meh! The monument is cool but I'd only visit if you're camping nearby or live relatively close by…read more It's nothing grand so I don't have much to say about it.

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.

Crater Lake is a non-lifeguard private area that's tucked deep into the Delaware Water Gap…read moreRecreation Area. It's a two hour drive from Long Island and 3.5 hours when there's a fire that's closed down the Throgs Neck Bridge. But this lake, also near Blue Mountain Lake is amazing. A few years back you would have been hard pressed to find anyone else there but on a hot Saturday in summer, there were about 30 people and some families picnicing, lounging and boozing by the water. The water was warm and almost everyone was a local who had their own kayaks, rafts and floatation devices. We traded beers for rafts and sat in the middle of the lake for at least an hour. The park closes at 10pm but most people leave around sun down so if you bring music, BUG SPRAY, a lantern and flashlights, and the game Apples to Apples you can have yourself a private lake side party undisturbed from 8 - 10p. Downsides: It costs so much money to go over bridges now from NY to NJ make sure to borrow mom or dad's EZ Pass! DAMN! Again, bring bug spray. My legs are itchy, itchy, itchy now. WARNING: It is very easy to get lost coming to this lake. Your GPS may not know what you're talking about because it's hard to enter a town name for the location in Jersey. Here's how to get there (you can thank me later - just don't tell a lot of people) Take 80 to Exit 1 - the entrance of the delaware water gap rec. area. Ask for a map w/ the person at the visitor's entrance but basically you're looking for a general store that leads you down a windy road (past blue mountain lake) and veer left at the rocky path at the end of the road. There really aren't any signs so getting a map and coming in from Exit 1 is your best bet. ALSO BE CAREFUL if you get lost and someone points you to CRANDon lake. This is Crater Lake and that's what you're looking for. My friend got very lost because of his bad hearing.

This was my first time at Crater Lake. It was a Saturday at 1pm. It was part of a hike that passed…read moreBlue Mountain Lake and Hemlock Pond as well. Since this lake has a nearby parking lot, it was much more populated than the other two, although Hemlock Pond had a good share of visitors. There's a peaceful and back to nature type feel.