The Garden State
New Jersey
Pine Barrens, the Kittatinny Ridge, and the most densely populated state with more public forest than you'd expect.
New Jersey at a Glance
Pine Barrens
The New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve covers 1.1 million acres, the largest tract of open space on the mid-Atlantic seaboard
Kittatinny Ridge
The AT follows the Kittatinny Ridge for 74 miles through northwest New Jersey, with views into Pennsylvania and New York
Wharton State Forest
Wharton State Forest in the Pine Barrens contains the largest state forest in New Jersey at 115,000 acres, with exceptional canoeing on tea-colored streams
Raptor Migration
Raccoon Ridge and Sunrise Mountain on the Kittatinny Ridge are top hawk-watching sites during September and October migration
Appalachian Trail
New Jersey's 74-mile AT section passes through High Point State Park and along the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Cranberry Bogs
The Pine Barrens contain thousands of acres of active cranberry bogs, harvested each fall in a spectacular red-water flood technique
When to Visit
April through June and September through November. The Pine Barrens are accessible year-round and are particularly striking in winter. The Kittatinny Ridge offers good hiking from May through October.
Top Activities
Gateway Cities
Newton
Northwest New Jersey hub near the Kittatinny Ridge AT section and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Hammonton
Pine Barrens gateway town near Wharton State Forest, Batsto Village, and the extensive canoe trail network on the Mullica and Batsto Rivers.
Did You Know?
The New Jersey Pine Barrens sit atop the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer, which contains 17 trillion gallons of some of the purest water on the East Coast.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border receives 5 million visitors per year, more than many national parks.
New Jersey's Barnegat Lighthouse and Island Beach State Park protect the last remaining undeveloped barrier island in the state.
The Appalachian Trail passes through Sunfish Pond, a glacial lake in the Kittatinny Mountains that was threatened by development in the 1970s before being protected.
New Jersey has more people per square mile than any other state, yet the Pine Barrens in the south are so remote that pine barrens tree frogs were not discovered there until 1958.