Happy trails: To celebrate New Year's Day, consider skipping the sofa and taking a hike

Ken Serrano, Asbury Park Press
·4 min read

New Year’s Day can be a lazy one, a time to stretch out on a sectional and take in some football in between dosing.

For others, it’s a time to keep the party going.

But for some, it’s a reset, a chance to take advantage of a day off, to find a river town, mountain town or Shore town to stroll around in while others sleep, or to embrace the winter - and take a hike.

New Jersey can be a satisfying place for hiking with its varied geography of coastal plains, piedmont, ridges and valleys, and highlands. And unlike skiing or snowboarding or parachuting, it doesn’t take much in the way of specialized equipment other than some decent boots and a walking stick or maybe trekking poles that help prevent injuries.Here’s a list of some top hikes for this New Year's Day.

Straight up

One of the most popular and breathtaking hiking trails in New Jersey goes right to the top of Mount Tammany, the southern most peak of the Kittatiny Mountains and part of the National Park Service’s Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area.

It’s also a challenging hike that can include moments of scrambling that may make you feel like your climbing straight up into the sky. But the top of the trail offers a glimpse of the Water Gap, possibly the best scenic view in New Jersey.

Mount Minsi and Mount Tammany in the Delaware Water Gap are shown on the front of this early 1900s postcard.
Mount Minsi and Mount Tammany in the Delaware Water Gap are shown on the front of this early 1900s postcard.

The trail head is feet away from Interstate 80. The parking lots can quickly fill up.

The Appalachian Trail wends through the recreation area, which includes another popular hike, the 1.4-mile Buttermilk Falls Trail. Buttermilk Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in New Jersey, lies close to the trailhead.

Tree frogs and berry farms

If you’re looking for flat, you’ll find it at Batsto Lake Trail in Wharton State Forest in Burlington County. Set in one of the state’s great ecological wonders, the trail of packed “sugar sand” can lead to other paths that will take you deep inside the oak-pine forest and wetlands of The New Jersey Pinelands Reserve, the largest body of open space along the Atlantic coastline between Richmond, Virginia and Boston. Also known as the New Jersey Pine Barrens, it is home to historic villages, berry farms, rare pygmy pitch pines, the Pine Barrens tree frog, an aquifer that holds the equivalent of half the water consumed in the United States each year, and by some accounts, the Jersey Devil.

Ninja course

For a shock to the system to jolt you into the new year, the “Giant Stairs” at Palisades Interstate Park in Alpine might provide the best option.

More of a challenge than a hike, a portion of the Giant Steps Trail takes you across a mile-long field of boulders that have fallen from the palisades and require the use of all four extremities to get over. A variety of other scenic trails will allow you to avoid the scrambling.

Bird watchers and photographers observe a female Peregrine Falcon at the State Line Lookout in the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in Alpine, N.J. on Thursday March 4, 2021. Peregrine Falcons are in mating season this time of year.
Bird watchers and photographers observe a female Peregrine Falcon at the State Line Lookout in the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in Alpine, N.J. on Thursday March 4, 2021. Peregrine Falcons are in mating season this time of year.

The State Line Lookout, by which is a gift shop, offers a reverie-producing view of the Hudson River. This park has metered parking.

Almost heaven

Because of its variety and a scenic view of the highlands that stretches to the Catskills, the Stairway to Heaven Trail near Vernon is a top recommendation by alltrails.com and njhiking.com.

Set in Wawayanda State Park, the trail combines the best of rural New Jersey and features wildflower fields, a cow pasture, a forest of hardwoods, boardwalks, a suspension bridge and the stairway, which comprises rock slab steps and switchbacks up Wawayanda Mountain, according to njhiking.com.

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Easier going

A more mellow alternative, Hacklebarney State Park is a tucked-away place in Long Valley in Morris County that’s popular with families, especially those with kids. The Lamington River, also known as the Black River in sections, runs through much of the park, which features some easy and short trails.

And Hartshorne Woods Park in Highlands in Monmouth County, which overlooks the Navesink River, can also afford some peaceful walking. The 812-acre park features some dramatic scenic views.

Just Go Outside: Hartshorne Woods Park in Highlands comes to life with Spring’s warmth in Highlands on April 221, 2023.
Just Go Outside: Hartshorne Woods Park in Highlands comes to life with Spring’s warmth in Highlands on April 221, 2023.

Just across the Hunterdon County border in Pennsylvania lies a park that allows visitors to literally ring in the new year. Ringing Rocks Park in Upper Black Eddy in Bucks County features trails and boulders that ring when struck.

It may be the only trail you'll ever hike that requires a hammer.

Ken Serrano covers breaking news for the Asbury Park Press. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or at kserrano@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Top hikes in NJ for a happy new year