This is the question on many of our minds as spring approaches. New Jersey has many lovely small parks and endless beaches along the coast, but there are few parks big enough to get lost in. How’s a rock climber or a hiker to get away from the constant din of shopping plazas and the Turnpike? Since the northeast is still defrosting from a historic blizzard, it seemed the perfect time to give all of us something to dream about.

As an outdoorsperson and New Jersey native myself, here’s where I’ve gotten my dose of play-outside-time close to home.

If you’d rather hike than climb, click here to skip to the hiking and scrambling section of this article. Be aware that some of these hiking locations might still be snowy and icy until the summer due to elevation!

Climbing

In-State

Sourland Mountain Preserve

The Sourlands has a number of cool boulders, and the approach is absolutely beautiful if you can appreciate deciduous trees. You’ll find some chill slabby climbs, some creative compression routes, and can even take flight on an exciting V5 called The Wave. There’s lots of room here to spread out with friends and enjoy lunch in the dappled sunshine, especially at Devil’s Half-Acre near The Wave.

Enjoying the Sourlands as a hiker a few years before I learned how to climb

This is a great place for groups or for longer sessions, since there are a few different areas to choose from within the park. I’ve had many lovely days here both hiking and climbing.

Witherspoon Woods Boulders

Not far from Sourland Mountain preserve lies another small boulder field. Witherspoon Woods is home to a number of neat boulder problems, including a solid handful of highly-rated difficult routes (a four-star V9 and a four-star V5!). I’ve never been here myself, but some of my dear friends loved this place while we were at Princeton University together. They spent many a warm late-morning with these boulders, even skipping out on class and work sometimes to get away from the world and enjoy a frolic. Witherspoon is not world-class, but it’s there for those who need it, and it houses some great projects.

Delaware Water Gap

I also have never climbed here myself, as a result of my unfamiliarity with trad until recently, but I’ve heard the Gap is one of the best climbing spots in the state. I’ve hiked here more times than I can count, and I can confirm it is absolutely gorgeous, if busy at times.

Watch out for loose rock if you climb here, and check in with your party’s trad and anchor-building skills before you visit. The good news is thus: the water at the Delaware Water Gap is just as swimmable as it is beautiful, so you can climb here long into the hot summer with the prospect of a cool dip on the horizon.

Local

Birdsboro

Birdsboro was my place when I was in college. The rock quality is notoriously hazardous, so do take caution and bring a helmet…but nothing can dampen the whimsy of a random Birdsboro day in the middle of the semester.

Accessible mainly by a seemingly-perilous but actually-super-stable rope bridge, this quaint quarry is filled to the brim with quirky sport climbs. You’ll find more than enough adventure here to hold you over until your next big trip. The pond is populous with fish and bright dragonflies, the crag is dotted with friendly locals and young people on day-trips, and a bounty of unique rock features make Birdsboro’s climbs interesting.

You can find everything from a nice 5.8 line to a 5.13c mega-project here. I’m not kidding.

Jenga and Jay’s Route are my personal favorites.

Ralph Stover State Park (High Rocks)

High Rocks is famous for being slippery, but it’s still a great spot, especially if you’re just looking to practice some skills and get outside. I had one of my very first outdoor leads here: a 100-foot 5.7! I cannot recommend this route enough for the new lead climber. It’s nerve-building since it’s slabby and slick, and you’re never in any real danger of pumping out if you utilize your feet and rest properly. You also get a great view–one that motivated me personally to come back to outdoor climbing again and again.

High Rocks is diverse for the area, boasting sport climbs, toprobable routes, trad lines, and boulders. It’s also close to New Hope, a fun and funky town to stop in for a meal or a bev after a long day in the sun.

The Powerlinez

P-Linez is a crowd favorite at my home climbing gym in Middletown, and it’s also where I earned my first major climbing injury (a broken ankle after a ground fall). This place is huge compared to the others I’ve listed so far, with a multitude of quality boulders, some trad and toprope lines, and a handful of fun bolted routes. The rock is sharp, so you might want to bring finger tape if you have it.

Being a part of Harriman State Park, the Powerlinez shares many of Harriman’s appealing features. The trails are scattered with curious wildlife, wise old trees, and soaring cliffs. Sometimes, you can hear the buzzing of the namesake powerlines that arc overhead as you hike in.

Extended Adventures

Rumney

Rumney is a ways away in New Hampshire, but it’s well worth the visit–even if you have as few as three days. Rumney is a world-class climbing destination, known especially for how densely-packed its quality sport climbs are. These cliffs are home to a number of exciting styles, from pumpy caves to techy dihedrals and everything in between.

You’ll find an excellent campground that’s walkable from all the action, hundreds of sport climbs, and a cute local town with plenty of options for food and drink. Classic climbs here range all the way from 5.8 to 5.14c, and regardless of which climbs you tackle, the glittering Baker River is always nearby to cool off your feet. Check out the Access Fund’s Rumney page for more insight about the crag and its surrounding area.

The Gunks

The Gunks is another premiere location, full of historic ascents, world-class trad lines, and superior rock quality. You also can boulder here, or set up topropes at Peterskill nearby. The famous Gunks climb High Exposure, dubbed “High E” by the community, currently sits in ninth place on Mountain Project’s list of Top 20 Classic Climbs.

One of my wonderful home-gym friends checking on an anchor we built at Peterskill

The Shawangunk Range is also a home-gym favorite for my Middletown crew, and we’ve spent many post-climb evenings in downtown New Paltz. New Paltz is one of the best local crag towns on this list, in my opinion. I encourage all the vegans in the house to pay Pho Tibet and Karma Road a visit.

Scrambling (and hiking)

As I mentioned in the introduction, be wary of snow, ice, and other conditions in these places–especially the more mountainous regions. Most of these trails will be totally clear by July, but always check the weather before setting out, especially if you’re planning to hike in the springtime.

In-State

Giant Stairs

This was one of my favorite hikes as a teenager, and you can see the exact online guide I used to hike it back then at this link. Dense woods and a steep but well-groomed descent trail lead to fairly flat land beside the Hudson, eventually spitting you out onto an interesting rock scramble. This scramble is famous for being one of NJ’s longest, spanning a whole mile and gracing you with sparkling views of the water.

Mount Tammany

Mount Tammany is in the Delaware Water Gap, and it therefore comes with views of the water and easy access to a post-hike swim. This hill in particular is known to be one of New Jersey’s most difficult, especially in terms of elevation, and the ascent requires some scrambling. I’ve linked the most popular route here, which includes the main scramble, but there are plenty of other routes that you can take as well. Some hikers like to tack on a visit to Sunfish Pond, an adventure that will more than double the length of your hike.

Local

Mohonk Preserve

This place, nearly synonymous with The Gunks, is home to some of the very best rock scrambling in the tristate area. This is where I first discovered that I liked hiking. I accidentally took a turn onto a trail called The Labyrinth during a family vacation, and then became so enthralled that I ended up completing the hike. The Labyrinth is gorgeous, challenging, and rocky, with a rewarding view of the Shawangunk Range at its apex. I highly recommend the nearby Bonticou Crag, too, which is rich with similar scrambling.

The Mohonk Preserve is still one of my favorite places on the East Coast.

Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks

Just as Mohonk is nigh synonymous with the Gunks, both Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks are nigh synonymous with the Powerlinez. You’ll find the Lemon Squeezer in Harriman along the Appalachian Trail, a brief and fun scramble, and Bear Mountain has suitable trails for the avid scrambler as well. The Major Welch trail is most known for scrambling, and it’s one of the more popular ways to ascend Bear Mountain itself. This trail is marked with a white circle on a red dot. Follow this guide to find the trailhead and summit Bear Mountain.

Bear Mountain is capped with a parking lot to improve access for folks who can’t hike or prefer not to. If the extra infrastructure bothers you, be sure to take advantage of the many pre-summit views on the way up the trail.

Harriman is known and beloved by many as a “choose-your-own-adventure” style of park, with countless trails, the potential for overnight backpacking routes, and opportunities for swimming, boating, and biking. Check out the Appalachian Mountain Club’s recommendations here.

Extended Adventures

Killington Area

Killington isn’t just a ski mountain–it’s also the second-tallest peak in Vermont and an exquisite place for a summer day-hike. I took this route when I summited Killington with my family a few years ago. Although this hike is more just rocky than it is scrambly, I still highly recommend it for all you rock-hopping adventure hikers out there. The first several miles of the trail are gentle–soft underfoot and gradually inclining–, and it becomes steeper and rougher as you progress. You’ll find immensely rewarding 360-degree views at the summit, in addition to many rocky seats on which to snack and hydrate.

White Mountain National Forest

The White Mountains are probably my favorite peaks on the East Coast. They’re famous for being the most rugged range we have, and the ever-reliable Appalachian Trail blazes a path up and over many of the best peaks.

Three different summers in the moody White Mountains

The White Mountains are not as scrambly and boulderful as some of these other places, but they make up for it many times over in other ways. The exposure, the views, the excitingly changeable weather, and breathtaking coniferous forests constitute just a few of these ways.

The White Mountains are extra dangerous, so make sure you pack accordingly if you choose to hike here. On each hike, bring several warm layers (even in the summer), lots of food and water, and extra socks. Wear high-traction shoes, too.

Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah is less than six hours from many parts of New Jersey, making it a great extended-weekend trip. I recommend Old Rag Mountain in particular, especially for its rock scramble. The last mile and a half-ish are quite scrambly, with intermittent views of rolling green peaks along the way. This is the route I took when I solo-hiked Old Rag, but there are several options, so take a good look at a map and choose the trail that best suits you and your fitness level.

Conclusions

As a kid, I often didn’t know where to go for outdoorsy advice. My excursions always required a lot of self-driven research, sifting through hiking blogs with my mom, and pressing all of my adventurous acquaintances for advice and recommendations. I hope that this article helps all you NJ-based adventurers by gathering a bunch of beautiful places and helpful links in one place.

We’re almost through the coldest winter in many of our lifetimes. The wildflowers will be back before we know it.