Best Hikes in New Jersey in 2026 — 8 Trails That Prove the Garden State Has Mountains

New Jersey gets overlooked as a hiking state, which is fine by me — it means the trails stay quiet. But anyone who’s stood on the edge of Mount Tammany looking across the Delaware Water Gap, or watched the sun drop behind the Kittatinny Ridge from Stairway to Heaven, knows: Jersey has real hikes. Here are the ones worth your time.

The Classics

Stairway to Heaven in Wawayanda State Park is the hike everyone from North Jersey has done or wants to do. The AT section along the Kittatinny Ridge gives you a boardwalk through a swamp, a steep rocky climb, and a wide-open ridgeline view that stretches into three states. The name is earned — that final push is relentless, and the payoff is one of the best overlooks on the entire Appalachian Trail in the mid-Atlantic.

Mount Tammany at the Delaware Water Gap is the other essential. The Red Dot Trail is a straight-up scramble with hands-on-rock sections, and the summit view down into the gap is postcard-perfect. Pair it with Sunfish Pond for a full day — the AT connects them along the ridge.

Ridge Hikes and Lake Loops

Sunfish Pond is a glacial lake sitting on the Kittatinny Ridge at 1,400 feet — one of the highest bodies of water in the state. The AT approach from the Dunnfield Creek trailhead is the standard route, and it’s a steady climb through hemlock forest before the trail levels out at the pond. Bring lunch. Sit on the rocks. There’s no reason to rush this one.

Terrace Pond on Bearfort Mountain is the wilder version — a rock-rimmed pond reached through a boulder field and rhododendron tunnels. The trail isn’t as well-marked and the footing is rougher, which keeps the crowds down. If you want a swim spot that feels backcountry without a long drive, this is it.

Ramapo Lake via the Todd Trail is the most accessible lake hike in the state. Forty-five minutes from the city, easy parking, a well-graded trail, and a beautiful reservoir surrounded by hardwoods. It’s the hike I’d recommend to someone just getting into hiking — satisfying without being punishing.

Unique Experiences

High Point Monument at New Jersey’s highest summit is more of a destination than a hike, but the surrounding trails in High Point State Park are underrated. The Monument Trail loop gives you views into the Poconos and Catskills, and the AT passes right through. It’s worth combining with a Stokes State Forest walk if you’re in the area.

Pyramid Mountain is the oddball on this list — a moderate loop through the Boonton area that leads to Tripod Rock, a massive glacial erratic balanced on three smaller stones. It’s one of those geological curiosities that makes you stop and just stare. Bear Rock nearby is equally strange. Short hike, weird rocks, good time.

Buttermilk Falls in the Delaware Water Gap area is the tallest waterfall in New Jersey — 200 feet of cascading water down a layered rock face. The trail climbs right alongside it via a steep staircase. Best after rain in spring. Quick hike, but worth the detour if you’re in the area for Tammany or Sunfish Pond.

How I’d Pick

Best overall day hike: Stairway to Heaven. Best scramble: Mount Tammany. Best for solitude: Terrace Pond. Best for beginners: Ramapo Lake. Best waterfall: Buttermilk Falls. Best for a full-day AT section: Tammany to Sunfish Pond and back.