Appalachian Trail - New Jersey Active and Adventure Travel Guide

Appalachian Trail - New Jersey Active and Adventure Travel Guide

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Appalachian Trail - New Jersey Active and Adventure Travel Tips

By Toby Gohn
  • Trail Stats: 72.2 Trail Miles, 7 Hiker Shelters
  • Like other Mid-Atlantic states, the Appalachian Trail (AT) in New Jersey involves many miles of ridge walking without many vistas, but there’s still plenty to see in the forest, which teems with wildlife. With the biggest bear population per square mile of any state along the trail, even day hikers have the opportunity to see the eastern black bear up close. This proximity to hikers, of course, has created some tense moments for trail officials and hikers alike, making it extremely important to hang all food at night and leave no trace on every trip.
  • If you’ve never hiked in New Jersey, this stretch will reverse any notions that the Garden State is merely New York City’s unofficial sixth borough (that said, a side trip to Manhattan can make for a spectacular exercise in sensory overload).
  • The rockiness characteristic of the trail in Pennsylvania lasts until about High Point State Park, when the terrain calms a bit.
  • Recommended 2- to 3-Day Trip: Like the trail in Pennsylvania, this 28-mile section has rocky footing much of the time, as it traces along the ridgeline all the way to the Delaware River. Plenty of water is available, but only one AT hiker shelter, and it’s only three and a half miles from the starting point. A couple of campsites are available along the way so plan accordingly. The main attraction is Sunfish Pond, the southernmost glacial lake on the entire AT and just a few miles from the end point. Its peculiar rock piles were conceivably started by bored hikers. But the real attraction is the wildlife, as the lake is teeming with bullfrogs, many species of snakes, and large deer and black bear populations. If you spend any time at this pond and don’t see an animal, you weren’t looking hard enough. Directions: U.S. 206 (Culvers Gap) near Branchville, New Jersey; south to Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania (via the Delaware River Bridge).

Guidebook: Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers' Companion (Appalachian Trail Conservancy)
Appalachian Trail: Georgia | North Carolina | Tennessee | Virginia | West Virginia | Maryland | Pennsylvania | New Jersey | New York | Connecticut | Massachusetts | Vermont | New Hampshire | Maine

Active and Adventure Overview: Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail is a multi-state public footpath across 2,175 miles of Appalachian Mountain ridgelines from Maine to Georgia. Roads that cross it for all but its northernmost 100 miles give ready access. The Trail is protected along more than 96 percent of its course by federal or state ownership of the land itself or by rights-of-way. Read More

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Hotels

from: $199

The Thayer Hotel

674 Thayer Rd.
West Point, NY 10996 Map

Distance: 24.6 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

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Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0

Hudson House Inn

2 Main St.
Cold Spring, NY Map

Distance: 25.6 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
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Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0

Pig Hill Inn

73 Main St.
Cold Spring , NY 10516 Map

Distance: 25.8 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
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Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0
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Attractions

Hudson Valley Outfitters

expert favorite attraction
Cold Spring, New York

Distance: 25.7 mi. (from destination center)

Description: This outfitter specializes in watercraft and kayak tours on the Hudson River.... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
5_0

Storm King Art Center

expert favorite attraction
Old Pleasant Hill Rd
Mountainville, New York 10953

Distance: 20.4 mi. (from destination center)

Description:

A most unusual museum, this fabulous collection of modern, monumental sculpture benefits from... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Boscobel Restoration

expert favorite attraction
1601 Rte. 9D
Garrison, New York

Distance: 25.1 mi. (from destination center)

Description:

Two things about this magnificent mansion on the Hudson stand out: its splendid setting, among... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
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Airports

Major Airports near Appalachian Trail - New Jersey

Distance (mi.)
Newark Liberty International Airport 35.5 map
New York La Guardia Airport 37.0 map
New York John F Kennedy International Airport 47.7 map

Other Smaller Airports near Appalachian Trail - New Jersey

Distance (mi.)
Caldwell Wright Airport 21.8 map
Teterboro Airport 26.8 map
Newburgh Stewart Airport 27.8 map

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