New Jersey Hikes

[Outtabreath]

This may be a little too far out but, I'm going to Cherry Hill NJ for a week and was wondering if anyone knows of any hiking trails down that way? I don't recall seeing at elevation the last time I was there, but would settle for a nice scenic , safe hike.

 

[Brien]

There's very little that is close. You'll have to hop on Rt. 70 and head east into the Pine Barrens where there are several state forests. In those state forests you have an assortment of choices. You may want to look into hiking to Apple Pie Hill (Penn State Forest area i believe) It is the highest point in the Pine Barrens at an astounding 165 feet. But don't be fooled - It's all sand trails and roads back in there and that can get quite tiresome. At the top of Apple there is a fire tower that looks out over a sea of green - the tops of pitch pines that stretch on for miles.

And by the way - ticks are big time in the Pine Barrens - I avoid hikes in the summer because every 50 feet you're pulling one off yourself. It is a beautiful and unique region but the summer is a tough time to enjoy it.

 

[snowshoe]

Your best bet is the pine Barrens. Some parks close to that area are Lebanon and Wharton. NJ 2 largest State Forest. It is a very unique environment and probably one of the largest of its kind. If you Kayak there are some great calm rivers you can float in that go through Cedar and pine forests. Other than that there is not much.
Most of the trails are woods roads and sandy. Get topo maps for those areas because there is very little in the way of marked trails. The longest trail in that area is the Batona trail.

If you pass through North Jersey you will find a lot more in the way of Hiking. Hope this helps some. If you do a search for NJ State Parks you should be able to get the web pages for that area. Good Luck

 

[Outtabreath]

Thanks everyone... I'm off to the Garden State!

 

[kurcam]

don't know if you've departed yet, but i'd offer you another option:

fairmount park/valley green just north of philadelphia. you'll get nice trails, though not much vert and its very convenient...should be within 35 min. from nw corner of cherry hill. here is a link - click on the park section:

http://www.fow.org/park/park.htm

enjoy

 

[KZKlimber]

Hiking in NJ?????

How do you know you're hiking in NJ?

1) Toll booths every few miles along the trail (EZ Pass accepted)

2) Lean-to's named for famous residents (Jimmy Hoffa, Bruce Springsteen, James Gandolfino)

3) You can enjoy the glow of the oil refineries at night

4) Water crossings a breeze - just walk across the toxic waste drums

5) You get back to trailhead and your car is gone

6) No bears - the pit bulls keep them away

7) 7-11 at every campsite

8) "Stone Pony" hiking jackets

9) Every peak has a huge man made monument

10) The deer smoke

Sorry - I grew up in NJ and never pass up an opportunty to bash the "Garden State"

I remember spending a weekend on the AT and 90% of it was walking on asphalt!!!

 

[Outtabreath]

LOL. I made it to Jersey today (through all the EZ Pass lanes), heading over to the pine Barrens tomorrow. Guess I'll wear my sneakers instead of my boots! I'm surprised there are no trails directly to Freehold!

 

[Jay H]

7) 7-11 at every campsite

Not down there, down there it is WAWA...

Even up here, there isn't as many 7-11s as there used to be. Dunkin Donuts has kind of sprouted everywhere...

Make sure you keep an eye out for the Jersey Devil..

Jay

 

[Liz]

Visit the NY NJ Trail Conference Website. There, under Trails, you will find a good selection of hikes. Any Pine Barren trails can be hiked in sandals, particularly Brendan Byrne State Forest (Batona Trail) (formerly Lebanon State Forest). If you can, try the northwest state trails: Stoke's (AT), Norvin Green (Carris Hill) or High Point. The Four Birds Trail in Farney State Park is one of my favorites. Herrontown Woods outside of Princeton is a nice gentle woods walk.

 

[Jay H]

Norvin Green is my backyard, practically. It would be about 1.5 hours from cherry hill. Farney highlands is right by Split Rock Reservoir and is a good kayaking spot too. You can actually do a nice loop around the res. via the Split Rock Loop that connects to the Four Birds Trail.

Carris Hill is a great viewpoint, overlooking the Wanaque res. NG is a good XC ski spot too when there's enough snow.

The Newark Watershed (not in Newark but owned by the city of Newark, hence the permit) is also a nice area but you need a permit, there's an old iron furnace there as well as a great firetower view.

Jay

 

[jjmcgo]

No joke, for a decade or more, Pine Barrens residents and campers have reported hearing something akin to a lion's roar. No mountain lions have been spotted but I think some type of evidence, scat or fur, supports the idea there are big cats in there. Of course, a woman was allegedly negligently running a tiger-breeding operation just north of the Pinelands in Jackson but it's been shut down. Shut down too late????

Check out the "miniature forest" along Route 72 near the Ocean-Burlington County road. All the vegetation of the rest of the Pine Barrens, only smaller.

Oh, and the rivers are a cruddy brown color because of the cedar. They're great to swim in. There's also a state park at Atsion on Route 206 where you can get a shower.