The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area covers more than 70,000 acres and offers over 150 miles of trails of varying difficulty. This range makes hiking a clear focus for discovering New Jersey. At the same time, the state’s character spans wetlands and coastline to places shaped by migration, industry, and invention.
Hiking, Forests, and Water
The New Jersey Pinelands encompass more than one million acres of farmland, forests, and wetlands. Canoeing is among the recreational activities offered there by various places and organizations. The approximately 50-mile BATONA Trail connects Brendan T. Byrne State Forest with Wharton State Forest and Bass River State Forest.
Historic Batsto Village is located on Batsto Lake. It preserves dozens of historic buildings, including an operating sawmill and Wharton Mansion, also known as Batsto Mansion. The Batsto Village area has easy-to-walk trails. The lake, buildings, and trails offer different ways to explore the area.
The New Jersey section of the Appalachian Trail also features beautiful forest areas and far-reaching views. The Pochuck Boardwalk is the longest elevated boardwalk along the entire Appalachian Trail. At its northern end is a 144-foot suspension bridge over the main branch of Pochuck Creek.
The Great Egg Harbor National Wild and Scenic River is one of the best bird-watching areas in the United States. The New Jersey coast offers a different natural setting: it stretches 130 miles from Sandy Hook to Cape May. Cape May’s beaches on Delaware Bay feature pebbles and much coarser sand.
Places Steeped in History
On Ellis Island, the Main Immigration Building was the center of one of the largest migrations in modern history. Morristown National Historical Park commemorates sites associated with General Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment from December 1779 to June 1780.
In Paterson, natural and industrial history are recognized in different ways: the Great Falls on the Passaic River in Paterson is a National Natural Landmark; the Raceway system at Paterson Great Falls is a National Engineering Landmark. Paterson was founded in 1792 as America’s first planned industrial city.
At Thomas Edison National Historical Park, visitors can step inside Thomas Edison’s home and laboratory. The Edison family home can be visited with a guided tour ticket. The park also has a place in film history: the Black Maria was the first building constructed for filming movies.
The New Jersey State Museum has more than two million artifacts. Its collections cover natural and cultural history, archaeology, ethnography, and fine art. General admission to the museum is free.
Wine Trails and Practical Information
The statewide Wine Trail Weekends offer an annual opportunity to experience New Jersey wine country by visiting several wineries; participating wineries and dates vary. The Two Bridges Wine Trail is a separate trail: it passes through eight towns in four counties and can be reached via the New Jersey Turnpike, Route 295, Route 40, and Route 55. Participating venues may change.
For bus, train, and light rail trips, you can use the NJ-TRANSIT app to plan journeys, buy and activate tickets, and check real-time arrivals and departures. App features may be updated over time, so check the current information in the app.
Discover more destinations: Cape May, Atlantic, Cumberland, Camden, Burlington, Ocean, Mercer, Monmouth, Middlesex, Union, Hudson, Essex, Morris, Bergen, Warren, Passaic, Cape May, Middlesex, Somerset, Salem, Gloucester County, Hunterdon County, Sussex County, Morris County.
For the main travel overview: USA.
