One of a very good falls near NJ .. it is about 1.30 hrs or 2 hours drive from central Jersey but…read moreit is worth the drive . We have been to this place few years back but now it became toooo crowded and sometimes it takes a lot of time to go through the crowd . Well maintained pathways . There are 3-4 different loops and based on the time you have you can choose one path .. yellow loops are average difficulty .. it does have some path which is a little steep steps, but not difficult for middle age people.. might be a little stressful for elderly people with knee pain issues.. there is also a red loop which is a lot more of Walk and takes more time.. there are maps showing each path and approximate distance.. parking is a bit crazy, especially near the entrance.. parking is free.. tickets are about $21 which isn't too bad . Liked it overall .

I saw pictures of Bushkill Falls and thought it would be a must-see while visiting the area. The…read moreentrance is easy to find with clear signage, and staff were very friendly. Tickets are $22 per person, which feels a bit pricey, and bags are checked before you go in. The grounds have shops, picnic areas for lunch, and even a mining gemstone area for kids. Bathrooms are available, though they could have been cleaner. The experience itself isn't a typical hiking trail -- instead, it's a series of wooden walkways and bridges that guide you to each waterfall. The views are beautiful, but be prepared for crowds. On weekends especially, it can feel shoulder-to-shoulder most of the time. I'd only recommend bringing very well-behaved or small dogs since there isn't much room to move around people. We ended up leaving earlier than planned because of how packed it was, but I could see Bushkill Falls being a nice day trip, especially during the week when it's less busy. The waterfalls are definitely worth seeing, just go with the right expectations!

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is absolutely stunning and encompasses a huge area…read more There are many trails and lookout points so find a map and choose where you want to see before heading there. This review is specifically for the Mount Minsi Loop Trail. There is also a lookout point you can drive/easily park at a few minutes away. The small parking lots here fill up quickly, but if you can snag a spot it is worth the visit. There is a small trail around Lenape Lake; the fall colors around the lake are beautiful. There is also a picnic table near the lake. This area is part of the Appalachian Trail making it a great spot for hikers and nature lovers alike. You do not need to be an avid hiker to enjoy the easy trail here. There are no restrooms facilities here and parking is very limited.

This is one of the best parts of the State of New Jersey. It's a huge state park with mountain…read moretrails and the scenic Delaware Water Gap rolling right in the middle of it all. I've never been one to go hiking but the park is beautiful especially during the fall. The leaves change quicker up here so it starts in September. The fishing is pretty good as well, visited here to fish many times as a kid. It has a nice visitor center with picnic tables and rest rooms. New Jersey gets a bad rap. Most critics don't know about the better parts of the state such as this one.

For an inexperienced party of hikers, this trail might not be the best choice, but we had a…read moregrueling and fulfilling hike. With ample breaks (~10 short water breaks and 3-4 longer breaks to admire scenery), we finished in 5.5 hours. If a short but rough bit of rock scrambling will be a challenge, make sure to bring gloves and proper hiking footwear, and durable fitted clothing. The path we took had varied terrain and tended to go up and down in elevation. Definitely download a hiking app that works without good phone service since there are multiple trails and we had multiple instances where we had to choose the correct direction. We brought 2 bottles of ice water each, but decidedly towards the end we should have really brought 4-5. Didn't see any wildlife except a hawk/falcon, plenty of millipedes, and a weird alien-like squirming worm sticking straight out of a tree looking like a stubby branch. Pathing: we started at the parking lot and followed the blue state line trail (which apparently leads to Maine, informed fellow hikers). We probably missed any views until we changed to the yellow trail (the beginning is denoted by three yellow squares, as well soon learned). On the yellow trail, we were soon treated with a small, private feeling view of a pond next to a campfire pit. The next viewing area consisted of a closeup experience of the same pond from the ground level. After another hour of hiking, we had our best view yet, a canopy high view of the river and small houses across, with trees as far as the eye can see. Seemed worth it after four hours of rocks and mud. Terrain: Short easy walking portions are split between rocky paths with the occasional climb up or down. Having a stick really helped during both parts. Watch out for slick mossy rocks. Weather: matters! We luckily came on a cloudy cool summer day (70-80F) and with shade and breeze it was very pleasant. I could imagine running out of water in the first two hours if it was sunny and hotter. Unluckily, it rained during the last hour as it became afternoon. It will be very hard to hike this trail without sunlight. It also became frigidly cold. Crowdiness: crossed about 10 hikers during the five hours, could be due to the rain warning, but still much less crowded compared to any other spots I've been to. Also saw almost no trash, thumbs up to all the hikers here. Danger: heard about snakes, never saw any. Most dangerous thing on the trail is probably the dwarves that surely live in the trees with the little doors, and slick rocks along with unsure footing. Few scrapes and bruised backsides can be expected for amateur hikers like us, especially when it rains. Feels amazing after we finished, my last hour of the journey nearly blank with desperation to reach the end. Good meal and foot massage ahead! tl;dr fairly difficult trail with ups and downs and rock scrambling, bring more water than you think you need, a hat, gloves, sunscreen if you like, a stick, good shoes, and a tested hiking app. Views depend on the trail you take, we got the best views on the yellow trail. Be careful and enjoy being nearly alone on the trail. Don't stay til dark, and run from the rain.

Medium level hike with great scenery. Not much elevation but part of the trail is rocky. Wear your…read morehiking shoes instead of sneakers, otherwise you will get a foot massage like I did today =) It's a good 3-4hours hike. Parking lot is 50 meters away from the entrance. Hiking might require hands at some points but overall it's smooth and agreeable. Following white trail, then at the crossing of white trail and yellow trail (2.5hours hike), you will enjoy the great view from the top of the mountain. Then follow the yellow trial for 30mins, surprise lake is right in front of you. It's surrounded by the forests with the branches of the trees touching the water. A soft breeze from the lake is very refreshing after a long hot hike. Follow the orange trail, you will get to the entrance nicely and easily. Def worth a visit if you like hiking.

It was a very long but fun hike and I think that you should go to the hike even if you have little…read morekids

It's located in the upper northern area of New Jersey and is part of the Appalachian Mountain…read morechain. Part of the 2100 mile and 14 state Appalachian Trail runs through the park. At 1803 feet, it has the highest Atlantic white cedar swamp population in the world. It is also the highest point in New Jersey at 1803 feet above sea level. From the top of the monument which was built by the Kusers to honor all of New Jersey's war veterans, you can see the Pocono Plateau (Pa.), Port Jervis (NY), Catskill foothills (NY) and Sussex farmlands (NJ). IFrom Memorial day to Labor Day the cost is $10 per vehicle during the week and $20 on the weekends and holidays. After Labor Day and before Memorial Day it is free. The monument has been refurbished relatively recently. . The spiral staircase is physically challenging and if you fear heights it could be a problem. The stairs can be damp if not outright wet. Cross country skiing, snow shoeing, snowmobiling are available through a private contractor. Some people dog sled. There are 10 miles of trails. Ice fishing and other types of fishing require a NJ license as does hunting for deer and bear. Hunting is done in limited areas of the park. Boating on lakes Sawmill and Steenykill requires an electric motor or the old fashion paddle. Lake Marcia has lifeguards, great restrooms and changing facilities. There are camp areas, picnic BBQ grills at the park headquarters and an Interpretive center with displays. Get a map because the trails can be tricky, Some people horseback ride. Bring Deep Woods Off there are ticks. And do not bring alcohol, it is prohibited. There are concession stands open during the season and restaurants on Route 23, Port Jervis, etc..