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.

**We just did the boardwalk then into the woods. We did not continue on to the Stairway**…read more I've lived in NJ over 30 years and I'm still pleasantly surprised when I find new places. My NY plus size hiking group stuck to the Jersey side last weekend and hit the boardwalk. It rained 2 days before so some of the older sections were mighty slick. All Trails reviews warned of dog poop and bugs everywhere but I was doused in OFF and people were cleaning up after their pets. Highlights: The vegetation was gorgeous. NJ has so many landscapes. Loved it. The suspension bridge - very cute but once you get to the middle prepare to sway baby! The woods - the trees were singing but unfortunately one half of the loop was submerged so we called it a day early and then went for beer lmao The Boardwalk is accessible to a point. Strollers, wheelchairs, etc will be good until the suspension bridge. Lots of bench seating along the way. Loved! Things to Know: Parking rules. This is in a neighborhood so park on the main road and main road only. Get there early for a spot. There's a farm right up the street - I was counting on apple cider donuts but we opted to go to a brewery on the NY side so we skipped that. Boo. I'll be back for the stairway one day. And the donuts.

I did the Stairway to Heaven hike and let me tell you. It was a tough one. I parked in one of the…read morelots that was across the street from Heaven hill farm. If you search up this particular trail and look up its difficultly. It is listed as moderate but to me it was more hard. What made it difficult was the extremely rocky sections which there were a lot of them. The whole hike is pretty much rocky. Not only that there were steep sections during this hike. This hike definitely made me realize that I actually need to invest in proper hiking shoes and not just sneakers as well as hiking sticks. I'm not the only one who thought this hike was difficult. I went with a hiking group and we all thought it was challenging. Once we made it to the top the view was definitely beautiful. We decided to relax for a bit and enjoy the view before heading back down. I came prepared and I enjoyed my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and my iced lemon water. Both were hitting the spot after the hike up. I will admit going down was just as hard because you had to deal with steep terrain. If you aren't careful you can definitely roll an ankle. Overall a challenging hike but the view and then getting my goodies from heaven hill farm was a plus.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Happy Sunday my fellow Adventurers!…read more This is a relatively new hidden gem that I just found. From what I know it was a swimming hole back in 1989 however they closed it down when it was used for a water resource until recently they decided to bring it back to its original roots. (Please fat check this) It has the brand new man made beach complete with what seems to be quarry sand that is course and not like beach sand. Its a beautiful white and lovely when the sun hits its crystalline in texture. The beach itself is small relatively compared to say a lake community beach. There are two lifeguard stations and several rotating guards. The small beach has four areas with noodle ropes in order for you to make sure you are swimming in the right spots. They offer swimming lessons which is really good for the local communities. They also have a platform in the middle which is about 11 feet deep which is reminiscent of the 'Blob' Movie. I half expected that the Blob would come especially if you sneak in after hours. (I don't recommend this lol) You basically pull in and park either on the grass or follow the road to the concession stand. You can purchase a day pass for $10 with no residential requirement for the area. I believe you can purchase an annual badge which I think runs $25-35 per person. You fill out a form that is all legalities and liabilities in order to get the badge or wristband for a day pass. The staff are really helpful and accommodating for any questions you may have. They have very clean porta-potties that are frequently serviced. As well as a concession stand that offered hotdogs, hang burgers, and various other carnival like foods. They sometimes run out of items like sauerkraut with no compensation of any sort which I get they can't help but it's a small area and was open at 11 am, we got there by 12. Always purchase back ups in order to provide for your customers. The hot dogs are pre-grilled and wrapped in aluminum so don't expect a fresh dirty water dog. The overall experience is a really nice one considering you battle tons of traffic going the shore versus the short ten minute drive from Hamburg and $10 fee. It's also really brand new and still working itself out.

Nice, clean park. Dog friendly place to walk. Fun local events. Very nice children's area.read more