Parks & Hikes Within ~90 Min of Newton, NJ

NPS Unit

NJ State Park/Forest

NY State Park/Forest

PA State Park

Nature Preserve / Wildlife Refuge

🐾 Dogs on leash welcome

National Park Service Units

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area 🐾

~20–40 min — Hardwick/Columbia, NJ & PA — 70,000 acres along 40 miles of the Delaware River; 100+ miles of trails including 27 miles of the Appalachian Trail; swimming, paddling, waterfalls

Appalachian National Scenic Trail (NJ Section) 🐾

~10–40 min — Multiple access points, Sussex County, NJ — 72 miles through NJ crossing Kittatinny Ridge; access at Culvers Gap, Brink Road, Millbrook, High Point

Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge 🐾

~15 min — Sussex, NJ — 8,000+ acres of wetlands, grasslands, and upland forest; Liberty Loop and Timberdoodle Trails; exceptional birding

Middle Delaware National Scenic & Recreational River 🐾

~25 min — Warren/Sussex counties, NJ — 40-mile river corridor within Delaware Water Gap NRA; canoe/kayak, fishing, riverside trails

Morristown National Historical Park

~60 min — Morristown, NJ — Washington's Revolutionary War winter encampment; Jockey Hollow trails through old-growth forest; 27 miles of trails

New Jersey State Parks & Forests

Sussex County — Immediate Area (~5–30 min)

High Point State Park 🐾

~20 min — Sussex, NJ — 15,413 acres; NJ's highest point at 1,803 ft; 50+ miles of trails; AT corridor; Lake Marcia swimming; spectacular ridge views

Stokes State Forest 🐾

~15 min — Branchville, NJ — 16,000+ acres on Kittatinny Ridge; 46 miles of trails including AT; Tillman Ravine, Sunrise Mountain overlook; camping

Swartswood State Park 🐾

~10 min — Swartswood, NJ — 1,500+ acres; two glacial lakes; boating, swimming, fishing; wooded trails; excellent birding

Kittatinny Valley State Park 🐾

~10 min — Andover, NJ — 4,000+ acres; Lake Aeroflex; Paulinskill Valley Trail (27 mi) and Sussex Branch Trail (20 mi) rail-trails; fishing, birding

Jenny Jump State Forest 🐾

~25 min — Hope, NJ — 4,800 acres; dramatic ridge views over Great Meadows; 12 miles of trails; camping; ghost lake

Worthington State Forest 🐾

~25 min — Columbia, NJ — 6,600 acres along the Delaware River at the Water Gap; AT corridor; rugged ridge hiking; Sunfish Pond (NJ's first natural landmark)

Allamuchy Mountain State Park 🐾

~25 min — Hackettstown, NJ — 9,200 acres; Stephens Section on the Musconetcong River; Allamuchy Section with 35+ miles of trails; mountain biking

Morris/Warren Counties (~30–60 min)

Ringwood State Park 🐾

~55 min — Ringwood, NJ — 5,000+ acres on Ramapo Ridge; Skylands Manor; Shepherd Lake; 35+ miles of trails connecting to NY Ramapo

Wawayanda State Park 🐾

~40 min — Hewitt, NJ — 16,000+ acres; Wawayanda Lake; AT corridor; 60 miles of trails; connections to NY Sterling Forest; camping

Ramapo Mountain State Forest 🐾

~60 min — Oakland, NJ — 4,600 acres; Ramapo Lake; dramatic rocky ridges; connects to Ringwood and NY Ramapo; great views of NYC skyline

Chestnut Ridge County Park / Mahlon Dickerson Reservation 🐾

~35 min — Jefferson, NJ — 3,200+ acres; Morris County's largest park; 20+ miles of trails; Headley Overlook; camping; AT access

Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park 🐾

~55 min — Various, NJ — 70-mile linear park along historic D&R Canal; flat towpath trail; great for cycling and walking

Voorhees State Park 🐾

~50 min — Glen Gardner, NJ — 1,400 acres; hilltop observatory; 8 miles of trails; camping; quiet and uncrowded

Passaic/Bergen Counties (~60–85 min)

Norvin Green State Forest 🐾

~65 min — Bloomingdale, NJ — 5,400 acres in Ramapo Mountains; rugged rocky terrain; Wyanokie High Point views; connects to Wawayanda and Ringwood

Abram S. Hewitt State Forest 🐾

~55 min — West Milford, NJ — 2,000 acres bordering NY; Bearfort Ridge; Bearfort Waters boardwalk trail; connects to Wawayanda

New York State Parks & Forests

Orange/Rockland Counties (~45–80 min)

Sterling Forest State Park 🐾

~55 min — Tuxedo, NY — 22,000 acres straddling NJ/NY border; AT corridor; 35+ miles of trails; Sterling Lake; excellent birding; no entry fee

Harriman State Park 🐾

~70 min — Harriman, NY — 47,000 acres; 200+ miles of marked trails; glacial lakes; AT corridor; one of the great hiking parks in the Northeast

Bear Mountain State Park 🐾

~75 min — Bear Mountain, NY — 5,000+ acres; Perkins Memorial Tower at 1,305 ft; Appalachian Trail; Hessian Lake; dramatic Hudson Valley views

Ramapo Valley County Reservation (NY) 🐾

~70 min — Mahwah, NY — 4,000+ acres; Ramapo Lake; rocky ridges; connects to Ringwood NJ and Harriman NY; excellent varied terrain

Ulster County (~75–90 min)

Minnewaska State Park Preserve 🐾

~85 min — Kerhonkson, NY — 22,000 acres in the Shawangunks; sky lakes, carriage roads, dramatic cliffs; world-class rock climbing; Verkeerderkill Falls ~90 min

Sam's Point Preserve (Minnewaska) 🐾

~85 min — Cragsmoor, NY — Shawangunk Ridge; ice caves, dwarf pine barrens, 360° views; one of the most unique landscapes in the Northeast ~90 min

Bashakill Wildlife Management Area 🐾

~50 min — Wurtsboro, NY — 3,000+ acres; largest freshwater wetland in southern NY; exceptional birding; flat canal towpath walks; canoe/kayak

Catskill Center / Catskill Park (southern edge) 🐾

~85–90 min — Various, NY — Southern gateway to the 700,000-acre Catskill Park; Slide Mountain, Table, Peekamoose; wilderness hiking ~90 min

Sullivan County (~45–75 min)

Delaware State Forest (NY) / Upper Delaware Scenic Byway 🐾

~45 min — Barryville/Narrowsburg, NY — Upper Delaware River corridor; riverside trails, fishing, paddling; Hawks Nest overlook

Mongaup Valley Wildlife Management Area 🐾

~55 min — Mongaup Valley, NY — 7,000+ acres; bald eagle viewing (winter); Mongaup Falls; reservoir system; excellent birding and hunting

Bethel Woods / Sullivan County Rail Trail 🐾

~65 min — Bethel, NY — Historic Woodstock Festival site; rail trail through rural Sullivan County; Museum at Bethel Woods

Pennsylvania State Parks

Pike/Monroe Counties (~30–75 min)

Delaware Water Gap NRA (PA side) 🐾

~35 min — Dingmans Ferry, PA — PA side of the NRA; Dingmans Falls (tallest waterfall in PA); Silverthread Falls; family-friendly boardwalk trails

Pocono Environmental Education Center Area 🐾

~35 min — Dingmans Ferry, PA — Within Delaware Water Gap NRA; educational trails; Pocono region access point

Delaware State Forest (PA) 🐾

~40 min — Swiftwater, PA — 750,000+ acres of state forest land in the Poconos; extensive trail network; Bruce Lake Natural Area; wilderness camping

Promised Land State Park 🐾

~60 min — Greentown, PA — 3,000 acres; two lakes; 30 miles of trails through Delaware State Forest; excellent swimming and camping

Lehigh Gorge State Park 🐾

~75 min — White Haven, PA — 4,548 acres; dramatic gorge along the Lehigh River; rail-trail; whitewater rafting; stunning scenery ~90 min

Nature Preserves & Wildlife Areas

Sussex/Warren County NJ Preserves

Johnsonburg Swamp Preserve (The Nature Conservancy) 🐾

~15 min — Johnsonburg, NJ — 1,200 acres; Warren & Sussex counties; 4 miles of trails through pristine wetlands; rare plants; exceptional wildlife habitat

Paulinskill Valley Trail 🐾

~5–20 min — Various, Warren/Sussex counties, NJ — 27-mile rail trail through forests, wetlands, and farmland; flat and easy; multiple trailheads

Sussex Branch Trail 🐾

~5 min — Newton, NJ — 20-mile rail trail from Branchville to Stanhope; passes right through Sussex County; easy flat walking and biking

Whittingham Wildlife Management Area 🐾

~20 min — Fredon, NJ — 2,200+ acres; grasslands, marshes, upland forest; excellent birding especially for grassland species; hunting permitted

Black Creek Preserve / Ridge & Valley Conservancy 🐾

~20 min — Warren County, NJ — Multiple Ridge & Valley Conservancy properties in Warren/Sussex counties; open meadows, forested ridges, stream corridors

Pequest Wildlife Management Area 🐾

~20 min — Oxford, NJ — 5,000+ acres along the Pequest River; trout hatchery; walking trails; hunting and fishing; good birding

Hyper Humus / Sparta Mountain WMA 🐾

~25 min — Sparta, NJ — 3,500+ acres on Sparta Mountain; rugged trails; connections to Wawayanda; mountain biking popular

Flatbrook-Roy Wildlife Management Area 🐾

~20 min — Sandyston, NJ — 9,000+ acres; Flat Brook (premier NJ trout stream); AT corridor; adjacent to Stokes State Forest

New York Preserves (~40–80 min)

Shawangunk Ridge Trail Corridor 🐾

~70 min — Wurtsboro Hills, NY — 70-mile trail along the Shawangunk Ridge from NJ border to Rosendale; ridge-top walking with sweeping views

Wurtsboro Ridge / Yankee Lake Area 🐾

~45 min — Wurtsboro, NY — Popular soaring site with ridge views; hiking trails on the Shawangunk Ridge; quiet and uncrowded

Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve 🐾

~80 min — Cold Spring, NY — 7,000+ acres on the Hudson River; rugged trails; Bull Hill (Mount Taurus); stunning river views ~90 min

Notes:

Drive times are estimates from 57 Cottage Ave, Newton, NJ 07860 without traffic. Entries marked ~90 min may exceed 90 minutes in traffic.

🐾 indicates dogs are generally welcome on leash — always verify current rules at each park before visiting, as regulations can vary by section.

The Delaware Water Gap NRA is practically in your backyard — Worthington State Forest and Stokes are within 15–25 minutes. You're surrounded by incredible hiking.

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