high point state park

The Appalachian Trail goes right through High Point SP and there are several other trails. Good hiking.

We had a great time!! & enjoy spending time outdoors in the winter. My only complaint is that our trip was too short!

High Point State Park. My 18th state high point summate. I summated in Feb 2015, which entailed simply driving the car up through the entrance to the parking lot and strolling up to the monument.No fees, not many people and the tower were closed. But that doesn’t matter, feet on the summate does. I still got the views of three states and the Appalachian Trail was close enough by that I got some of that in. From the summate parking lot there was a “mountain trail” on the east end. It had been packed down by previous snowshoers so I was able to follow it for a mile or so where it intersected with other cross country ski trails, where I simply turned around and hiked back, but an opportunity to get in some New Jersey wilderness on this highpoint. No sign of the Jersey Devil – disappointed emoticon..

I always assumed NJ was flat...beaches...we visited here on a rainy day but even so, the place was beautiful. Peaceful, well maintained, a nice place to visit and relax and take in nature.

My wife and I decided to visit a couple north jersey wineries. On the way back home we we went up to HighPoint.My wife and I, both being NJ residents, Have been before. It is something we always taken for granted, like NYC.The views are splendid from the top. The scenic route and pull offs at the top fantastic.Today, the temp. was 40 degrees and the wind was at least 70 mph. It was really cool. Sue's pocketbook was completely horizontal. I'm 5'!!" 200 and thought the wind was gonna blow me over the wall.It is one of the coolest places in NJ

rain andlowclouds obscured the viewformthetop,but taking the 3mile hikeup and aroundthis park was enjoyable.Atthistimeofyearthe leaves had already changed color,and the hike allowed accesstothe Appalachian trail.One ofmy goalsinlifeistohike the highest point in each state,andwe went straight there fromNewarkairport,as partofalong wedding weekend

The facility distributed explanation cards identifying what one is likely to be able to see. The view is indeed wonderful, all 3 states.

High Point is located up in the northwestern corner of NJ. It's a great place for a family picnic, a hike along the wooded trails, or a swim in a cool mountain lake. It got its name from being the highest point of elevation in New Jersey.

Not that special, glad it was after Labor Day, we weren't required to pay anything. For free it was ok to drive up and look around but we couldn't climb to the top of the monument.

My husband and I were driving looking for the tower on top of the mountain.......didn't realize we had to pay to get into a state park..the bathrooms were filthy, the beach wasn't very clean, it just looked in total disrepair and if they were charging that much a car load, I'm not sure what they are spending the money on. The benches and tables were shotty, the trails were overrun, just very shocked at the overall atmosphere. In Pennsylvania you don't pay to get into parks but I've always thought them to be clean. Another thing is there was garbage everywhere. They tell you to take your garbage with you? Seriously, $20 a car and I have to carry out my own trash, no wonder there was trash everywhere. Please NJ shape up and clean this park up, the views however are amazing!

Don't recommend climbing all the stairs inside to the top of the monument. I got sore feet from it (didn't have arch support shoes on), and once at the top there was a lot of mold inside and dirty, fogged up windows. View was much more pleasant just from below outside.

Surrounded by Farmlands and greenery, the High Point state park is a beautiful place in the summer. There is over 50 miles of trails for hiking & biking. We were a rather big group, with 30 people and we visited during early August. There were 2 sheds with a capacity of at least 50 right at the entrance to the park area. We did not have to reserve these beforehand (We did call in just to be sure). There is the standard rate of $10 per vehicle as listed on the state website.If you are interested in understanding the topology & wildlife in the area, do not miss going to the Interpretive Center. You can look outside a window, and there is a board that tells you exactly what you're looking at. (Pocono, Catskill, the interstate..)The lake is a-OK. There was a huge crowd the day we went. It has a small beach area as well. I uploaded a photo I took of the lake, from the monument.The WWII memorial monument is good. Unfortunately, the door closed when we reached there (around 4:30 PM). So we could not go up the ~300 step climb. There are several viewing points nearby, and we spend at least half hour just sitting there and taking in the view.You have to carry out any trash yourself, a bag is provided when you enter.If you have time and energy left, the Kittatinny canoes is pretty close by which has rafting/canoeing/tubing, and if you are in for a bigger adventure; there is the Sussex Skydiving site just 15 minutes away.

After a little hesitation my wife and I decided to follow our 2 sons up the 291 steps of the monument to see incredible views of the tri-state area! We got lucky and had great weather in the 60's,as it was early morning. I imagine it would be REALLY Hot and STUFFY up here on a 80 or 90 degree day. Would love to come back when the leaves are turning! Lots of trails to hike and endless scenic views.

Although I've been living in NJ for 26 years, this was only my first visit to High Point. Came on a Saturday in mid-July. About a 90-minute drive from my home in North Jersey. Only stayed for the afternoon as we visited friends (two families) who rented a campsite off Sawmill Lake. The campsites looked comfortable enough and had a fair amount of space. Each site was well separated from one another. Some sites were lakeside; others were just on the other side of the one-way road (Sawmill Rd.) that goes around the lake.Sawmill Lake itself is okay, pleasant but nothing great. Did not look appealing for swimming. Fishing seemed suitable. As we walked along the road and took a look closer to the lake edge, we came across a couple of groups of geese in the water who were just coming ashore. We fed them some bread. Not a good idea, because they started to come closer and the leader started hissing at us and seemed to get a bit aggressive as they sought more food from us. We shooed them off and they went back towards the water. Don't feed the geese (or any other wild animals)!We proceeded along the road and came across the entry for the Blue Dot Trail. We hiked up to the summit area, which was probably only a half-mile, but it was practically an uphill climb all the way, so it made for good exercise. One must be careful as there are many small rocks you must walk upon on the trail, but they are not stable, and you can easily stumble or turn an ankle if not careful. We were told later by some folks at the summit that the trail extended further, 5 miles in one direction, and 9 miles in the other. We decided to just take in the views at the summit and then return back down to the road. And the views are awesome! Looking out for many miles across the forests and distant mountains. There are a couple of spots where you have to climb up big rocks, and could be difficult if your mobility is not good.After returning to our friends' campsite, we drove to Lake Marcia, a couple of miles away. This is a nice family-friendly area, with a very nice sandy beach and swimming area, as well as a large grassy field. There were two lifeguard stands, with two guards at each stand. For a July Saturday with gorgeous low-80 degree weather, there were a lot of people but I would not describe it as crowded. You need to bring your own beach umbrella if you want shade; we did not have one as we lay on the beach, and it got pretty hot as it was a very sunny day, although not scorching hot. I didn't go in the water, but I was told it was a bit cold. There is a concession stand selling many varieties of food and drink (but no alcohol). There is a bathhouse facility for changing, showering, toilets and sinks. The Monument is clearly visible in the distance.There is no fee to enter the campsite as a visitor. To enter the Lake Marcia area, there is a $10 fee per vehicle, unless you have a campsite permit, then vehicle entry is included with your permit.Our friends who were camping there, and had already spent one night, did complain about ticks, which has been reported by others here. I sprayed repellant (DEET-containing) on myself, and I didn't have any problem with ticks or other insects while I was there.I enjoyed my brief time at High Point. I would definitely like to come back and try the Monument Trail, as it has received many good reviews here.

Went on a Tuesday it was cool at High Point Monument beautiful vista. Went iside the Momument and read the history. Walked up the spiral stair cases and then saw the landing of 7 more stair cases and signs, walk to the tip at your own risk. I was not doing that. A custodian of the park was coming down the stairs and said it was not easy he would not want do it himself. Glad I was there on a weekday it was cool and cloudy weather wise. Not at all crowded. After I looked at the views I saw the beach at Marcia Lake and sat on the swings Marcia Lake came about due to the Wisconsin Glaciers over 200,000 years ago. You do see rock stones in the ground throughout this park. Very nice day trip. Alot of Sussex county places to visit. We went to the Holland bakery which was very inexpensive for baked goods. I was impressed with the Chatterbox in Augusta for hamburgers it was very nostallgia of the old time movies and it had a NJ state police car in the center of the restaurant. I enjoyed Sussex a different day trip from NYC and the jersey shore.The food in the snack bar at the Beach house was very good we only had the cheese fries but the prices were very reasonable. I think to get into the park for NJ residents is only $5. before the prime summer season too.