NjHiking.com's Blog – August 2015 Archive (5)

Small county park with a very nice trail system through a pine forest with several short, easy loops – or combine all for a 5.0 mile hike.

Trail surface: Very easy: level and soft pine needles, with boardwalks to cross brooks and wet areas. Some overgrown grassy areas after crossing Pleasant Valley Road.



Our 2-cents:…

Hikes in north New Jersey may get most of the attention, but the entire state has plenty of excellent hiking available. Hiking in Central Jersey is diverse – trails may head up mountains, across rolling hills, through forests and pine barrens, skirt fields and farmlands, and cross marshes on boardwalks. The trail surface is less rocky than up north. The area is also a great introduction to hiking…

A long route on mostly woods roads to a fire tower, or take it easy with short trails, picnic tables and playgrounds.

Trail surface: Moderate. Lots of level woods roads, with some steep sections. This park is multi-use.

• This route: 9.3 miles.
• Shorter: YELLOW, RED, and ORANGE are all under 1.2 miles each and can be used to for smaller…

South Jersey is often overlooked as a hiking destination but it offers unique and interesting hikes that every Jersey hiker should check out. The south is dominated by the “Pine Barrens” – over one million acres – so trails are usually easy, level, soft, sandy, and covered in pine needles as opposed to the the hilly, rock-filled northern trails. The south is especially striking in winter with the…

This moderately challenging loop combines pleasant forest walking with rocky scrambles and passes by pretty Terrace Pond.

4.8 miles – Rugged, rocky surface with some scrambling.

• Shorter option: Start with BLUE and go right to the pond and back, skipping the YELLOW and RED portions of the hike below. Keep in mind the BLUE trail heads uphill on the way…