New Jersey is for northbounders (known simply as “NoBos”, rhymes with hobos) the eighth of the fourteen states though which the AT passes. About 75 miles of the trail are in NJ. Though we joked about the mosquitoes and poison ivy (both really are quite nasty), the trail is pretty kind to hikers – the rocks diminish, the climbs are fairly mild, and the trail stays on ridge tops for long stretches. Now and then, there are boardwalk sections through low marshes and swampy parts of the woods. Here’s a selection of photos from the Garden State!
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- Near the east end of the I-80 bridge – now we’re in NJ!
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- The pump don’t work ’cause the vandals took the handle!
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- Sunfish Pond
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- An ATC Ridgerunner – a trail official we came across our first day in New Jersey
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- Stone art along Sunfish Pond
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- Hikers resting below the fire tower
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- View from above LongTime’s head near the top of the fire tower
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- Fire tower
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- Take these signs seriously – we hear they transport problem bears from other states into New Jersey!
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- Sign outside a NJ deli
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- Indeed this looks hiker friendly…
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- Well, they’d be hiker-friendly if they were open!
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- CLiCK! in action
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- For safe storage of food, many New Jersey shelters have bear-proof boxes
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- There was a crowd at this shelter!
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- …lest you were about to pick the wrong trail!
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- Gumby, Unc, Two Per and Red Fred
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- High Point State Park Headquarters
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- Monument marking the highest point in the state of New Jersey. The AT does NOT pass directly over it.
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- A small detail of the 2009 hiker sign-in board at the concession stand (“Bushman” was there on 7-7-09; I consulted Bushman for advice before starting the hike!)
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- 2011 Hiker sign-in board at the concession stand in High Point State Park
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- It was a beautiful day, and lots of folks were at Lake Marcia in High Point State Park
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- No bathing suit? Shorts and a sports bra will do for swimming!
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- CLiCK! and LongTime snooze in the sun after a swim
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- Yeungling and Broadway relaxing at the concession building by the lake in High Point State Park
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- Pretty and easy to hike, but we need to check frequently for ticks in these grassy stretches.
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- Inside the “Secret Shelter” – at about 13 feet square, there’s room for several hikers, but only four or five slept indoors when we were there.
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- “Secret Shelter” – a privately owned cabin open to all hikers
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- “Secret Shelter”
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- Thruhikers Pele and REM prepare to leave their tentsites at the Secret Shelter
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- A boardwalk section through the swampy woods
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- Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
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- Swans in the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
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- This boardwalk across the marsh is about a mile long. When it was completed, it allowed about 3 miles of the AT to be moved off of roads.
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- Suspension footbridge
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- CLiCK! reaches the suspension bridge at the end of the boardwalk
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- A view up the cable on the suspension footbridge
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- Mosquitoes aren’t quite enough. Did we mention that NJ has trolls living under its bridges?
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- Getting an ice cream fix at Heaven Hill Farms
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- Hiker friendly!
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- “ADD”, a hiker we met while he was doing a southbound section – he then turned north to head back to Peekskill, NY, where he was getting off trail.
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- Pretty pond? Or another NJ mosquito factory?
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- Easy ridgetop trail just before the NJ/NY border
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- Out of NJ, into NY!
Glad to see you are doing well. We will keep you in our prayers.
Pete and Terri
Thanks, Pete! We think of you two often!
Hi Mel & Mike,
WOW, 4 postings today with more beautiful pictures. Mosquitos & poison ivy, more hazards of the trail. You are superhuman! Best of luck as you push on to Maine.
Gil
Well yes there is beauty in New Jersey,however one never really notices beauty in to many states as they are zipping down the highways in their motor vehicles.
So you both now know, the best way to take in the beauty of any state on the Appy.,is by walking.
Yep, you get to notice all the little things at around 2 miles an hour!