There are trails in New Jersey for seniors suitable for everyone from beginners to experts.
Here are several things you should do before hitting the trail for a day hike:
Here are several of the best hikes we found that are among the most scenic and popular in the state:
Allamuchy Mountain State Park / Warren County / Allamuchy Township
Distance: 2.8 miles
A short out-and-back hike through a pretty forest along Allamuchy Pond.
Batona Trail, Pinelands National Reserve
Burlington County
Batona Trail runs for 50 miles through the Pine Barrens. The Batsto Lake White Trail is a good moderate hike for first timers. It’s about four miles and is well marked with a minimal elevation change. Long pants are recommended because there are a lot of ticks. Access the White Trail from Batsto Village just off Route 542 in Wharton State Forest.
The Bayonne Bridge
Bayonne
Distance: 1.3 miles
Walk across the Bayonne Bridge for spectacular views. The original bridge was completed in November 1931, but the original roadway was demolished, and the bridge raised to 215 feet above mean high waters to accommodate enormous Panamax cargo ships. The new span fully opened in June 2019.
Black River Park
Chester in Morris County
Distance: 2.3 miles
Park at the Cooper Gristmill visitor center on Route 24 and walk down the wooden steps on the side of the historic water-powered 1826 mill, which offers seasonal tours and flour milling demonstrations. Follow the muddy blue-blazed Black River Trail, also part of Patriot’s Path, into the woods. The trail eventually forks; the blue-blazed trail continues to the left and reaches the Kay Environmental Center, the unmarked trail to the right continues to follow along the Black River. Take the unmarked right-hand trail; continue straight down the ravine towards the river, cross a wide wooden bridge and continue along the unmarked trail back up the other side of the ravine.
Mountain Lakes in Morris County
Start: Pocono Road and Boulevard
Distance: 2.5 miles
This paved path runs alongside Boulevard, the main artery through Mountain Lakes, and overlooks the town’s namesake lake, offering beautiful views of the surrounding homes. There are several free parking lots on Boulevard or grab a spot on a side street. The path stretches to Elcock Avenue; start at either end.
Newark in Essex County
Start: Park Avenue and Lake Street
Distance: Varies
This 360-acre park was redesigned to look similar to Central Park. A four-mile paved path winds through the rolling mix of meadows and woodlands. Branch Brook features America’s largest collection of cherry trees (more than in Washington, D.C.).
Cheesequake State Park
Old Bridge Township in Middlesex County
Length: 1.5 to 3.5 miles
This part offers five well-marked trails. Among the highlights, the green trail is the longest and most varied loop, traversing a salt marsh and a white-cedar swamp, with boardwalks, bridges and steps. The 0.7-mile yellow trail links a forest area, salt marsh and Hooks Creek Lake, which offers swimming, fishing, crabbing and kayaking.
Crow’s Woods Nature Preserve
Haddonfield in Camden County
Distance: 1.1-mile loop
To find this easy-to-miss trailhead, follow East Atlantic Avenue until it dead ends at a small parking lot and picnic pavilion. Snap a photo of the large wooden map at the trailhead because once you’re on the trail, markers are sparse.
Berkeley Heights
Distance: One mile to the village
New Jersey’s only official deserted village is located off busy Route 78. This collection of 10 buildings is all that’s left of a long-forgotten quasi-Utopian mill town and, later, a summer resort. Park in the lot at the corner of Cataract Hollow Road and Glenside Avenue and stroll down the winding mile-long trail to the village.
Dismal Swamp Conservation Area
Metuchen, Edison, South Plainfield in Middlesex County
Distance: .05 mile
Wetlands, upland forests and meadows serves as home to 220 bird species, 24 mammals and 25 species of amphibians. For a short hike, try the Songbird Trail, just outside the ranch property. The area has an additional eight miles of trails with bird blinds, eight managed gardens, a pond and interpretive displays.
Lambertville in Hunterdon County
Distance: 4.2 miles
This is a 60-mile linear park following a 19th-century canal towpath that stretched from Frenchtown on the Delaware River south to Trenton and inland to New Brunswick. You can start in downtown Lambertville and follow the dirt-and-gravel trail north along the canal past the riverfront backyards of Lambertville. North of town, the surroundings open to a broad vista of the mighty Delaware.
Pennsville in Salem County
Distance: 1.1 miles
A self-guided walking tour begins near the parking lot off Fort Mott Road. Constructed in 1896 to defend the Delaware River, Fort Mott consists of five batteries. Ladders along the length of the fort provide an elevated view of the riverfront, including Fort Delaware—on an island opposite Fort Mott—and the nearby Salem Nuclear Generating Station. The grassy trail is level but can get muddy after a rain. The Welcome Center offers trail maps and a museum. A half-mile walk north of the fort is Finn’s Point National Cemetery, with Civil War remains of 2,436 Confederate and 135 Union soldiers.
Cape May in Cape May County
Start: 801 Wilson Street
Distance: Varies
This 180-acre marshland preserve is home to migratory birds, raptors, butterflies and more. The Perimeter Loop is a flat, two-mile walk on a mowed path through marshes and flowery fields. The connections with intersecting trails can be confusing, but there’s no chance of getting lost or wandering outside the loop. The preserve is about two miles from the Cape May beaches.
Middletown
Distance: Varies
The hilly 791-acre site overlooks the Navesink River, which means great views of Sandy Hook Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and the Manhattan skyline. There are 14 miles of trails, from easy to challenging. The park is named after Richard Hartshorne, an English Quaker who settled here in 1669. Batteries for heavy artillery were built on the site during World War II.
Haddonfield in Camden County
Start: Kings Highway and Haddon Avenue, Haddonfield
Distance: 2.5 miles
This sidewalk stroll takes you through three towns—Haddonfield, Haddon Township and Collingswood—and past dozens of small businesses and eateries. If you don’t want to walk all the way back you can use PATCO and hop off two stops later in Haddonfield, a block from where you started.
Hemlock Falls, South Mountain Reservation
Millburn
Distance: Varies
The South Mountain Reservation is full of trails for hikers of every skill level. The 25-foot Hemlock Falls are lovely but best enjoyed in spring and fall. You can do an easy two-mile hike starting from the Summit Field parking area or a five-mile hike along the Lenape Trail. The longer hike has an elevation gain of 750+ feet. South Mountain reservation is only a 45-minute drive from NYC).
Jockey Hollow, Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown
Distance: Varies
If you like history on your hikes, this is the place to go. This is an easy and short hike that follows in the footsteps of the continental army circa 1779. Located near Morristown, this is where General George Washington and the continental army camped during the winter of 1779-80. There are several trails, including a yellow blazed trail that will take you past beautiful wildflowers, reconstructions of the log cabins from 1779, and Wick Farm. It’s an easy trail and can be done all year round.
Loantaka Brook Reservation
Morristown in Morris County
Length: Varies
Swans, ducks, turtles, white-tailed deer, garter snakes, blue herons and other wildlife are abundant at this 570-acre reservation, complete with a playground, picnic tables, baseball fields, outdoor fitness area, and more than eight miles of paved trails through forest and wetland areas. Trails are wide, flat and easy to traverse for hikers, bikers and horseback riders.
Manasquan Reservoir
Howell Township in Monmouth County
Length: 5.1-mile loop
A dirt trail hugs the perimeter of the reservoir, passing through man-made wetlands, wooded forests and wildflower meadows. The trail is wide and flat enough for strollers, bicyclists and horseback riders. Park at the Visitor Center (311 Windeler Road) or the Environmental Center (Georgia Tavern Road); both have public restrooms, and there are portable toilets along the trail.
Lawrence
Distance: Varies
This county park relatively unknown and is a combination of three properties: Curlis Lake Woods, Rosedale Park, and the Pole Farm, 1,600 acres in all. There are scenic hiking and biking trails through the meadow and woodlands.
Middlesex County
Start: Middlesex Avenue, Metuchen
Distance: 3.5 miles
This shaded, paved trail winds along an old rail bed through highways that bisect the state’s midsection. Flat and smooth, the Greenway is a welcome respite from the bordering bustle and offers an engaging history lesson, with interpretive markers along the way. The Metuchen end is home to the Metuchen Memorial Park, with 41 honey locust trees standing in straight ranks, one for each local resident who died in the wars of the last century.
Monument Trail Loop, High Point State Park
Sussex County
Distance: Varies
This is the highest point in New Jersey. You can walk or drive to the top to see High Point Monument and a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. Start with the White Cedar Swamp Trail, a very easy 2.5-mile walk on mainly gravel paths. If you’re up for the challenge, try The Monument Trail Loop which is 3.5 miles with a 500-foot elevation gain.
Somerset County
Start: 2 Main Street, Gladstone
Distance: Varies
The Upper Field Nature Trail is a one-mile loop that features rocky sections, two steep inclines and plenty of wildflowers. The Great Meadow Trail is 1.3 miles and is a flatter journey through a scenic meadow. The North Branch of the Raritan River runs through both trails.
Wawayanda State Park / Sussex County / Vernon
Distance: 2.0 miles
Hike through a scenic marshy area on a long boardwalk and over the Pochuck Suspension Bridge. A unique walk but very popular with limited parking.
Round Valley Recreation Area
Lebanon in Hunterdon County
Length: Varies
This 3,684-acre park is home to the Round Valley Reservoir—the state’s deepest lake—and three marked trails that can be accessed from the South Parking Lot. The one-mile Pine Tree Trail and the half-mile Family Hiking and Biking Trail are both loop trails and easy to traverse. The nine-mile Cushetunk Trail passes through heavily wooded areas that are rugged, rocky and steep in places, making it more suitable for experienced hikers.
Lyndhurst
Distance: Varies
The Meadowlands is an urban wilderness home to birds, muskrats, snakes, and crabs. Richard W. DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst is a good introduction to its many wonders. It is 3.5 miles of trails, panoramic views of wetlands and waterways, and dozens of species of birds. There’s the half-mile Marsh Discovery Trail, and the mile-long Saw Mill Creek Trail, among other attractions.
Sourland Mountain Nature Preserve
East Amwell in Hunterdon County
Distance: 3.0-mile loop
This 4,000-acre park has dense woods and several clusters of distinctive, giant boulders. There is a small parking area at 233 Rileyville Road, Ringoes (Route 607). Follow the Service Road Trail from the parking area to the boulder field at the center of the preserve. Loop back on the white-blazed trail. A cool piece of local history is that the Charles Lindbergh estate is nearby, and the infamous kidnapper is believed to have hidden in these woods.
Pochuck Valley to Pinwheel Vista in Wawayanda State Park
Stairway to Heaven is part of a 7.3-mile-long trail that starts with an easy two-mile boardwalk/suspension bridge section. The Stairway to Heaven portion is a 2.5-mile hike leading to one of N.J.'s most stunning vistas.
Commercial Township
Drive to the end of Strawberry Avenue, Commercial Township, to see an overlooked part of the Jersey Shore comprised of the towns along Delaware Bay. The Strawberry Avenue boardwalk takes you past a stark, surreal landscape with stunted trees, a creek, a limitless sea of grass, and a memorable view of Delaware Bay in the distance.
Washington Valley Park
Bridgewater in Somerset County
Distance: Varies
This is a moderately difficult hike accessible via the Newman’s Lane parking lot that runs along the scenic, 21-acre Washington Valley Park Reservoir. Follow the red trail east until it merges with a dirt road that ends at Chimney Rock Road. Cross the road and find the orange-blazed trail to your left. The trail zigzags up the First Watchung Ridge; when the trail levels, keep right at the fork and follow the trail down the other side of the ridge. As it descends into the valley the trail splits into several unmarked forks that emerge into the clearing alongside the East Branch Reservoir. This 715-acre park is a favorite among mountain bikers, so stay alert.
Wenonah Trail System
Wenonah in Gloucester County
Length: 6.0 miles of various loops
These hikes are easy to moderate, and you’ll need a full day to cover all six miles, or you can opt for any of the smaller interlocking loops, most of which are less than one mile long. Highlights of this extensive trail system include marshlands, deep woods, a few moderate hills, some steep hills, and more than 40 footbridges spanning creeks and bogs. A detailed map is available at the Wenonah Town Hall on South West Avenue.
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