Advice on overnight hikes in NJ/PA/NY

[silentorpheus]

The Pine Barrens are close(ish) and convenient ... but I'm originally from the Northeast, and I miss NH and VT scenery. Since I don't have time to get up there anytime soon, I'll have to settle for the area up near northwest NJ, where it meets NY and PA - that's got mountains and rocks and rivers and such, right? :D

So here's my quandry:

I'm looking for backpacking hikes that can be done on 2 day/1 night trips (an overnight on the weekend, for example). Possibly 3 day/2 night. But right now I usually can find some time to get away on a Saturday into Sunday, so that's where I'll start.

The criteria:

1.) I want to hike 5-10 miles each day. Moderate difficulty - not too easy, but not so hard that it'll kill me. Hiking in and hiking back out the same way is not out of the question, if that's what's necessary.

2.) The goal is hiking to hang - so there needs to be camping allowed. Legal camping ... I'm not looking to hike in and stealth camp.

3.) I'm looking for stuff within an couple hours of central Jersey (give or take). I realize that there's the PA Grand Canyon and a bunch of stuff out that way. But that's like 4 hours. Same thing with getting too far into the Adirondacks. If I'm going to drive 4 hours, I'll add the extra 2 and go to New Hampshire or Vermont :rolleyes: The Pine Barrens are an hour and a half South. I'm willing to go a touch farther for some elavation and scenery that doesn't invlove flat pine forest and sand.


So, any thoughts? Any favorite trips, loops, etc?

[stalker42]

Start at the Mohegan outdoor center and go north on the Appalation Trail there are a few exit points that would meet your criteria. Also high point north on the Appalachian Trail towards wayawanda state park.

[SilvrSurfr]

Start at the Mohegan outdoor center and go north on the Appalachian Trail there are a few exit points that would meet your criteria. Also high point north on the Appalachian Trail towards wayawanda state park.

Aren't those places really crowded? I hiked past Sunfish Pond up toward Mohegan and was very uncomfortable with the number of people I saw. I've never hiked a more crowded trail.

[stalker42]

Honestly I don't know. I have only hiked those sections in the early spring and late fall and I had the trail to myself the 3 times I was up there. Could be with all the access points though.

[Silent Bob]

Head up to Harriman State Park. The is over 200 miles of trails. Depending where you live in New Jersey you can take a train there.When you get off train hop on the blue blaze trail to the Appalachian trail or you can road walk down route 17.I live down near the shore and its only a 2 hour ride for me. Here is a 5 mile loop hike. Park at elk penn and take the Appalachian trail to fingerboard shelter. Coming back you can get on the red trail Rammapo Dunderberg trail to the long trail which will bring you back to the lemon squeezer. Then finish up using the Appalachian trail back to car. I would suggest picking up the two map set for Harriman.

http://nynjtc.org/catalog/maps

[silentorpheus]

Head up to Harriman State Park. The is over 200 miles of trails. Depending where you live in New Jersey you can take a train there.When you get off train hop on the blue blaze trail to the Appalachian trail or you can road walk down route 17.I live down near the shore and its only a 2 hour ride for me. Here is a 5 mile loop hike. Park at elk penn and take the Appalachian trail to fingerboard shelter. Coming back you can get on the red trail Rammapo Dunderberg trail to the long trail which will bring you back to the lemon squeezer. Then finish up using the Appalachian trail back to car. I would suggest picking up the two map set for Harriman.

http://nynjtc.org/catalog/maps

I'm pretty sure I have those maps, though from a year or two ago. I'll take a look.

[JollyGreen]

Head up to Harriman State Park. The is over 200 miles of trails. Depending where you live in New Jersey you can take a train there.When you get off train hop on the blue blaze trail to the Appalachian trail or you can road walk down route 17.I live down near the shore and its only a 2 hour ride for me. Here is a 5 mile loop hike. Park at elk penn and take the Appalachian trail to fingerboard shelter. Coming back you can get on the red trail Rammapo Dunderberg trail to the long trail which will bring you back to the lemon squeezer. Then finish up using the Appalachian trail back to car. I would suggest picking up the two map set for Harriman.

http://nynjtc.org/catalog/maps

LOL, I've been to Harriman several times in the past 2 months and it looks like an amusement park it's so crowded. It's seems like a Korean meeting place, I know they have the same right to the park as anyone, but I've seen way too many times that they throw their garbage out behind trees or dump food they didn't eat behind a rock. I've said something a couple of times to them and all i get is jibberish that I don't understand. Too bad because there is miles and miles of great hiking trail in Harriman.

[Just swingin]

You could try alltrails.com. They have searches for your area. I'm a fan.:)

[silentorpheus]

LOL, I've been to Harriman several times in the past 2 months and it looks like an amusement park it's so crowded. It's seems like a Korean meeting place, I know they have the same right to the park as anyone, but I've seen way too many times that they throw their garbage out behind trees or dump food they didn't eat behind a rock. I've said something a couple of times to them and all i get is jibberish that I don't understand. Too bad because there is miles and miles of great hiking trail in Harriman.

That is one of the benefits of the Pine Barrens - while the campgrounds themselves are fairly busy during the season, the trails are pretty empty. We did a hike in April where we didn't see practically a single soul on the 7 miles out, only to get to the 'wilderness camp' and find it chock full of people. Then on the way back out we passed one couple out for a stroll.

[JollyGreen]

Not sure where you are in Jersey, I'm thinking Catskills.

[JollyGreen]

As a matter of fact I'm in Paramus, NJ area, working in NYC, and would join you on a weekend jaunt.

[doogie]

My stomping ground is the AT in the Hamburg area. I am very familiar with the area to the west (south on the AT). One of my favorites to stay at is Hertlein campsite that is between Route 501 and Route 183. You could do out and back from either end or through hike if you can get a shuttle. I took my family last year on the through hike starting at 501 you could camp at the (in)famous 501 shelter area the first night (we went to the Applebee campsite about a half-mile in), then hike about 6 miles to Hertlein. There are a number of sites next to a creek and a little ways down a side trail is a beautiful pond that was used for hydro-electric power for a small town a long time ago. All have good hanging spots. Then headed out to 183 about 4 miles away. I have also done this trip as an out and back from 183 for new backpackers.

[nyhiker50]

LOL, I've been to Harriman several times in the past 2 months and it looks like an amusement park it's so crowded. It's seems like a Korean meeting place, I know they have the same right to the park as anyone, but I've seen way too many times that they throw their garbage out behind trees or dump food they didn't eat behind a rock. I've said something a couple of times to them and all i get is jibberish that I don't understand. Too bad because there is miles and miles of great hiking trail in Harriman.

You must have been near Pine Meadow Lake. That's where I usually run into them. That trail is very crowded. I stay away from there. I was just there last week and there was no problem on the RD until I hit the AT. Then it was crowd city. I found a good place to camp and had a quiet night. I did run into many hikers all carrying coolers near the Arden Vally Road on their way to the shelter or just on the ridge but I was well beyond them. I will not go anywhere near the shelters unless it's to collect water. My campsite was on Steven's Mountain and I followed the map to a great place. Why am I telling this? Because most hikers will never find it. I did find a pine tree with rocks around it like it was a circle and an old foundation. Talk about getting off the trail You should try it some time. Get away and into a different place and get away from the crowds.

[Silent Bob]

I'm up at Harriman at least twice a month. I agree the shelters do get trashed and west mountain shelter is the worst. After the weekend it looks like a bomb hit it. The trails are in good shape and There are tons of places to camp. The south side of Harriman has some great trails and I've actually seen black bear in these parts.

[nyhiker50]

Right. And the trail maintainers are so nice to remove all the trash so unless you see it for the fist time you'll never know it. Likewise for an area that's a party spot. It's cleaned up and if you put up the hammock there you might just end up in the middle of a late night party.:eek:

[flattop-johnny]

The AT from Mohegan Outdoor is a great place to hike...it really only gets busy on the weekends; you can have the trail all to yourself during the week.
Also, the PA side of the AT has some nice trails too from the Rt 191 access point.....Lake Minsi in one direction, and Wolf Rocks in the other.
I'm kinda spoiled...the AT runs 5 min behind my house.

One really good map to get is National Geographic's version for the Delaware Water Gap....it shows from the Gap all the way up to High Point, and both sides of the Delaware River/ NJ&PA, with a lot of loop trails etc, and can be found at REI.
Good Hiking,
Johnny

[SilvrSurfr]

The AT from Mohegan Outdoor is a great place to hike...it really only gets busy on the weekends; you can have the trail all to yourself during the week.

Therein lies the problem - I hike mostly on weekends and truly hate seeing crowds on the trail. I hiked last year from Delaware Water Gap to Mohican and found it rather disconcerting to hike while saying, "Excuse me, pardon me, sorry, you first." It felt like I was trying to get to a seat in the middle of the row at a crowded movie theater.

Not much of a wilderness experience.

[nothermark]

Here is a list of trails in NY state. Not sure how many would suite you but some definitely sound down state.

Appalachian
Blue Disc
Croton Aqueduct
Devil's Path
East Coast Greenway
Eastern Continental
Finger Lakes
Ithaca
Kaaterskill Falls
Long Island
Long Path
Mohawk Hudson
North Country
Old Croton
Paumanok Path
South Taconic
Taconic Crest
Taconic Skyline
Taconic
Tongue Mountain Range

[flattop-johnny]

Therein lies the problem - I hike mostly on weekends and truly hate seeing crowds on the trail. I hiked last year from Delaware Water Gap to Mohican and found it rather disconcerting to hike while saying, "Excuse me, pardon me, sorry, you first." It felt like I was trying to get to a seat in the middle of the row at a crowded movie theater.

Not much of a wilderness experience.

I know what you mean...but it really isn't too bad if you start at Mohegan and go in either direction....most of the crowd does from the Gap to Sunfish Pond and back...lot less people go from Mohegan to Sunfish, or even down on the Copper mine trail (red). Better yet is to head north from Mohegan and go up by Catfish Pond Tower etc. Very few if any people there on the weekends.

[ashed]

A bit late to the party but let me share the route I take for the last four years - Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail. A few points to take note of - it is uneven, a majority runs on one side of the canal and it a beast - some very unfriendly people in the southern area's and it looks like a war zone in others. I start at the Shabakunk Creek area on the eastern most side of Rt1. Great fishing in the Whitehead Pond to the east and there is still the canal to the west.

About a mile after Rt1 and I95 cross the trail overhead the area widens a lot, this is a former farm and depending on the day and time of day there is a rangers office you might want to check in with but they are totally cool with you hanging up on the edges of a field (they don't want anyone near the water as it is a flood zone).

There's two overlapping parks about 9 miles up (use Heathcote Brook as a way point) that makes for good camping. Don't set up far from the water - it puts you closer to the road and while the rangers have no issues with you the local PD does hourly circuits and you don't want to have a conversation with them at 3am. It's on a hill so the chance of a flood is very minimal - use the tree's banded with a checkerboard diamond, something I learned from another hammock slinger - some of those have been around since the 80's and area proven safe sites.

At Rt27 you want to shift to the west side of the trail - it becomes an island so you have water on both sides. Very few animals but the fishing is good and bring your camera. The island runs up to the Manville Causeway - a good two days if you explore everything, otherwise a long day's walk. While it isn't marked the trail continues to the eastern most point of the canal - about a mile ahead you'll be back on an island but it'll be narrow. If you know bad weather is due you don't want to be here! I woke up one morning with the river flowing a foot below me. Your best bet (and it will be a challenge) is to make it to the Main Street crossing of South Bound Brook - the island section picks up a lot of elevation but doesn't continue more than 1/2 mile beyond the bridge, you'll need to use the sidewalk to get to the south-east part of the canal park.

About a mile ofter the Main Street Crossing you'll come along a road (Easton Ave) and you'll want to follow that till you hear a lot of traffic - that'll be I287, there's a road that leads North, that doubles back on the island and take that for about two miles - very nice and high ground.

This next part is tricky - and I've confirmed this every year with the park rangers - you can go entirely on the island even though not all parts of it are marked as a park it is all Federal land. Head east and keep an eye out for elevated peaks in case of bad weather. A majority of the time you'll be adjacent to Johnson Park - not a bad place to check out but they don't allow over nighters in this section and there is no easy way to get across the canal. Stop at Landing Lane. Seriously, stop.

For this last leg, cross Landing Lane north to Johnson Park. Earlier the better with traffic. Proceed east and enjoy the sites, a well maintained park but with excellent fishing (I know I say that a lot but I don't bring anything but jerky and chex and try to find food on the way) and yes, they are fine with Hammocks as long as you are using a wrap on the tree's (and who isn't?)

It's a very fun trek to take, a 3-day on speed but an easy week with family (two small kids, 2 and 4 just completed this last week).

Hope that helps!

[jerzybears]

Get thee to the the Catskills. Miles of FUN!

[silentorpheus]

A bit late to the party but let me share the route I take for the last four years - Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail. A few points to take note of - it is uneven, a majority runs on one side of the canal and it a beast - some very unfriendly people in the southern area's and it looks like a war zone in others. I start at the Shabakunk Creek area on the eastern most side of Rt1. Great fishing in the Whitehead Pond to the east and there is still the canal to the west.

About a mile after Rt1 and I95 cross the trail overhead the area widens a lot, this is a former farm and depending on the day and time of day there is a rangers office you might want to check in with but they are totally cool with you hanging up on the edges of a field (they don't want anyone near the water as it is a flood zone).

There's two overlapping parks about 9 miles up (use Heathcote Brook as a way point) that makes for good camping. Don't set up far from the water - it puts you closer to the road and while the rangers have no issues with you the local PD does hourly circuits and you don't want to have a conversation with them at 3am. It's on a hill so the chance of a flood is very minimal - use the tree's banded with a checkerboard diamond, something I learned from another hammock slinger - some of those have been around since the 80's and area proven safe sites.

At Rt27 you want to shift to the west side of the trail - it becomes an island so you have water on both sides. Very few animals but the fishing is good and bring your camera. The island runs up to the Manville Causeway - a good two days if you explore everything, otherwise a long day's walk. While it isn't marked the trail continues to the eastern most point of the canal - about a mile ahead you'll be back on an island but it'll be narrow. If you know bad weather is due you don't want to be here! I woke up one morning with the river flowing a foot below me. Your best bet (and it will be a challenge) is to make it to the Main Street crossing of South Bound Brook - the island section picks up a lot of elevation but doesn't continue more than 1/2 mile beyond the bridge, you'll need to use the sidewalk to get to the south-east part of the canal park.

About a mile ofter the Main Street Crossing you'll come along a road (Easton Ave) and you'll want to follow that till you hear a lot of traffic - that'll be I287, there's a road that leads North, that doubles back on the island and take that for about two miles - very nice and high ground.

This next part is tricky - and I've confirmed this every year with the park rangers - you can go entirely on the island even though not all parts of it are marked as a park it is all Federal land. Head east and keep an eye out for elevated peaks in case of bad weather. A majority of the time you'll be adjacent to Johnson Park - not a bad place to check out but they don't allow over nighters in this section and there is no easy way to get across the canal. Stop at Landing Lane. Seriously, stop.

For this last leg, cross Landing Lane north to Johnson Park. Earlier the better with traffic. Proceed east and enjoy the sites, a well maintained park but with excellent fishing (I know I say that a lot but I don't bring anything but jerky and chex and try to find food on the way) and yes, they are fine with Hammocks as long as you are using a wrap on the tree's (and who isn't?)

It's a very fun trek to take, a 3-day on speed but an easy week with family (two small kids, 2 and 4 just completed this last week).

Hope that helps!

Atually, I live just down the road from where the D & R canal crosses route 27, and used to work at the restaurant that is right on the canal in Kingston. I do a lot of day hikes on it.

Not sure where your info is coming from, but the D & R Canal State Park is owned and maintained by the state of NJ and the NJDEP, etc. Authorized use is from sunrise to sunset, and the only place where camping is allowed along the entirety of the path/greenway is at Bull's Island state campground - and it's currently closed for the entire 2013 season due to unsafe conditions. Like all NJ State Parks, camping is only allowed at specified campgrounds. And the 'rangers' are actually now NJ State Park Police ... They won't even let you park overnight in the parking lots without writing you a ticket - I can't imagine that they would be fine with letting you camp anywhere along the path. :eek:

I'm also confused at your description of the trail - there's approximately 30 miles or so of canal path and virtually all of it is considered 'partially accessible to persons with disabilities'. :confused:

That's not to say that you haven't hiked and camped it in the past - but it certainly isn't a place where that is officially sanctioned. And to the best of my knowledge there's no 'federal land' anywhere along the canal ...