15 Incredible Natural Wonders In New Jersey That Defy Explanation
By Raymond Goldfield|Published January 01, 2024
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Raymond Goldfield
Author
Raymond Goldfield is a life-long New Jersey resident and an avid traveler and foodie who can be usually found on the Jersey Shore during the offseason or checking out the latest seasonal flavors at The Bent Spoon in Princeton. He has been working for Only In Your State for since early 2022, where he writes for New Jersey and Iowa and edits the Mid-Atlantic region. He can also be found writing about pop culture for GeekDad. When at home, he enjoys reading comic books and is part of The Rabbitt Stew podcast team. While New Jersey is his home base, he travels regularly and has visited Virginia, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, and Canada as well as all of NJ's border states. Ultimate travel goal? Visit all the best buffets in the United States.
The Garden State is a packed state – the most densely populated state in the country, in fact. That can make it all the more desirable to escape from the hustle and bustle once in a while and discover some hidden natural beauty. While our big cities and charming small towns are usually what comes to mind when people think of the state, there are some incredible natural wonders in New Jersey that are always available to experience. From stunning waterfalls, to beautiful overlooks, to even majestic caves that defy belief, these hidden gems are the perfect way to see a side of New Jersey that’s easy to overlook. We’ve put together a list of the fifteen most incredible natural wonders in New Jersey that would make an incredible agenda for a trip across the state.
New Jersey isn’t best known for its canyons, but that just means these destinations are great hidden gems for explorers. These rural locations are perfect for hiking, biking, wading, and finding hidden treasures in the wild.
1. Ken Lockwood Gorge Wildlife Management Area
Ken Lockwood Gorge Wildlife Management Area, Raritan River Rd, Califon, NJ 07830, USA
Wow Factor: A rushing river, rustic hiking trails, all along the backdrop of a gorge largely untouched by humans.
Cost: Access to the gorge is free.
This dog-friendly natural area is one of the best unspoiled areas of New Jersey for wildlife lovers to explore - it’s a popular catch-and-release fishing area, and attracts many rare and unique birds for birdwatching. The gorge was carved over millions of years, and the water is still littered with boulders. A four-mile hiking trail is the best way to see the gorge, and you’ll come across many small cascades along the way.
2. Musconetcong Gorge
Musconetcong Gorge, 182 Dennis Rd, Bloomsbury, NJ 08804, USA
Wow Factor: The gorge is full of unique rock formations, tiny waterfalls, and a waterway that’s among New Jersey’s most beautiful.
Cost: Free to the public.
This is one of the most isolated natural areas in the state, and this 523-acre nature preserve is a popular spot for hiking and hunting. Along the trails, you’ll discover some unique rock formations, small waterfalls, and other surprises. A 3.0-mile loop trail, considered a moderately challenging route, is the best way to see the trail. Rock staircases, wooden bridges, and other rustic touches make clear that this is an area for nature lovers.
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Best Caves In New Jersey
New Jersey only has a few caves and several of them are manmade. However, these two destinations have carved out a unique niche for themselves. One is a hybrid of a man-made location exposing natural wonders, and the other is one of the state’s best-hidden secrets.
3. Sterling Hill Mine
Sterling Hill Mining Museum, 30 Plant St, Ogdensburg, NJ 07439, USA
Wow Factor: Located in a former zinc mine, this is a stunning look at an underground cave filled with fluorescent minerals.
Cost: Tickets to the tour are $15 for adults, $14 for seniors, and $13 for children ages 4 to 12.
A museum tour of a former zinc mine, this tourist attraction is a fascinating look into the history of mining in New Jersey. The tour will take visitors into deep caves carved over years of work, including a preserved mine track tunnel. The highlight is the rainbow tunnel, which uses UV light to illuminate fluorescent rocks. The museum also features fascinating collections of fossils, including a dinosaur skull on display.
Wow Factor: This tiny cave is full of some of the most unique ice formations in the state during the winter.
Cost: The cave is on public land and is free to access.
The smallest natural cave in New Jersey, this can be found on the Warren Highlands Trail in Marble Hil, which is under two miles long. It’s an easy route leading to a tiny cave. During the spring and summer, it’s a charming hike - but during the winter, it’s completely transformed into a tiny crystal wonderland filled with hundreds of icicles in unique formations. It’s almost like looking at a miniature version of a cave full of stalactites and stalagmites.
Best Waterfalls In New Jersey
The odds are, everyone knows one of these waterfalls – it’s the closest thing we’ve got to Niagara Falls, and it’s magnificent. But beyond that, deep in the woods are some stunning waterfalls that visitors might get the chance to admire in peace and silence.
5. Paterson Great Falls
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, 72 McBride Ave Ext, Paterson, NJ 07501, USA
Wow Factor: A 77-foot tall rushing waterfall, located in a historical park with amazing views..
Cost: Access to the park and falls is free, and an attached museum has a recommended $2 donation fee.
The most well-known and beautiful waterfall in New Jersey, this Paterson landmark helped put the city on the map in the early days of New Jersey. The park, run by the National Park Service, features multiple overlooks for fantastic views of the falls, with the park often being called the Niagara Falls of New Jersey. The historic national park also shows up in many major pieces of New Jersey media, and has inspired stunning pieces of artwork.
6. Buttermilk Falls
Buttermilk Falls, Mountain Rd, Layton, NJ 07851, USA
Wow Factor: The largest waterfall in New Jersey, with a winding oath in a gorgeous natural landscape.
Cost: Open to the public and completely free.
Buttermilk Falls might not be as well-known as the Great Falls, but it actually dwarfs them - rising two hundred feet into the air. The falls are surrounded by some great trails, but the big waterfall can be accessed by a simple accessible lot with a viewing platform. The falls are at their most beautiful following rainfall, when the cascades are rushing. The area of Buttermilk Falls is also home to Hidden Falls, a small cascade that can be accessed via a well-hidden waterfall trail.
7. Hemlock Falls
Hemlock Falls, Route, 510 Rte 510, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA
Wow Factor: A small, rustic waterfall with one of the state’s most gorgeous trails leading up to it.
Cost: No cost to explore the trail.
Hemlock Falls is a great laid-back waterfall located in the South Mountain Reservation, with a peaceful trail leading up to it. Part of what makes this area unique is the “Fairy Homes” built into it, with tiny structures that make this a popular destination hike for families. Hemlock Falls itself is a small, rocky waterfall that ebbs and flows with the weather, so make sure to take the 5.8 mile hike after rain.
You won’t find a better way to see New Jersey than to see it from the top. From a historic overlook at a small state park, to a lighthouse that offers a stunning view of the Atlantic shore, to the most majestic mountain in New Jersey, all of these are worth the climb.
8. High Point State Park
High Point State Park, 1480 NJ-23, Sussex, NJ 07461, USA
Wow Factor: It’s a miniature Washington Monument in a historic location, with stunning panoramic views.
Cost: Free entry, although parking fees may apply.
One of the most famous state parks in New Jersey, High Point State Park features an obelisk that looks surprisingly similar to the famous one in Washington. It’s dedicated to New Jersey veterans, and features one of the best overlooks in all of the Garden State. This is the highest point in the entire state, and the binoculars on the observation platform make it possible to see huge swaths of the state.
Wow Factor: One of the largest mountains in New Jersey, this peak is the perfect spot for those looking for a rugged climbing adventure with amazing views.
Cost: No cost for access to the mountain, but parking fees will apply.
For those looking to work for their views, Mount Tammany is a hiker’s paradise. It’s not the highest point in the state, but this mountain’s challenging trails often give the impression of climbing to the top of a towering peak. The overlooks along the way are often covered in fog and feel almost supernaturally peaceful. There are many trails on the mountain, and most should be navigated by experienced hikers armed with a compass.
10. Cape May Point State Park
Cape May Point State Park, Light House Ave, Cape May Point, NJ 08212, USA
Wow Factor: The historic lighthouse at the center of the park offers the best possible view of New Jersey’s Atlantic coast and the beautiful landscape of Cape May.
Cost: Admission to the lighthouse is $12 for adults, $8 for children and veterans, and free for active duty military and members of the Cape May MAC.
This beachside state park is mostly known for its one distinct feature - a towering, historic lighthouse. With 199 steps, it’s quite the hike - and it’s worth every one, because you can climb your way to the best view in the entire Jersey Shore. The lighthouse offers amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the much more rural area on the other side of the city. The lighthouse also doubles as a museum, with some fascinating exhibits on the lighthouse’s history. A short hike nearby will take you to a WWI-era concrete bunker.
Best Rock Formations In New Jersey
New Jersey was formed through untold millennia of shifting plates and slow-moving glaciers, and they left their mark. One of these rock formations is a hidden glacial erratic, while the other is one of New Jersey’s most iconic sites.
Wow Factor: A unique rock formation put into place by the movement of glaciers eons ago.
Cost: No admission fee.
Pyramid Mountain is one of the most unique natural areas in New Jersey, primarily due to the glacial erratics that can be found along the way. These boulders are unique formations formed by the movement of glaciers eons ago, and Tripod Rock is by far the most unique. This massive boulder is perched precariously on two smaller boulders, almost like a primordial table, and it somehow manages to stay balanced no matter how uneasy it looks. It’s a perfect photo opportunity, and the rest of the trail is gorgeous as well.
Location: Can be seen along the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey.
Wow Factor: The massive basalt cliffs are among New Jersey’s most impressive geological sites.
Cost: Free to view, and the associated park has no admission fee.
Rising over the New Jersey landscape for over 200 million years, these basalt cliffs are one of the most distinct geographic features of New Jersey, along the Passaic River near New York City. They rise between 300 and 600 feet above sea level, and can be seen up-close and personal at Palisades Interstate Park. The popular hike there stretches over 12 miles and can be challenging, but it’s worth it for the stunning views. The area was also the site for the famous duel between Hamilton and Burr.
Unique Natural Wonders In New Jersey
Only in New Jersey! It only stands to reason that we have some natural wonders you can’t find anywhere else, from a pond where no swimming is allowed, to a massive location that grows my personal favorite fruit, to what might just be the largest natural wonder around.
Location: Worthington State Forest, Warren County.
Wow Factor: A unique crystal-clear glacial lake with a unique composition - it’s highly acidic and not for swimming!
Cost: No cost to access the forest.
Located in the Delaware Water Gap region of the state, Sunfish Pond might just be the most stunning lake in all of New Jersey. Under the best of circumstances, it’s crystal clear and looks incredibly inviting - but heed the no-swimming signs. It’s a highly acidic body of water, and only a few fish can survive inside. That helps this lake, carved out in the last ice age, stay so pristine. While it’s not a place for swimming, it is a hugely popular picnic spot for those who take the short Douglas Trail.
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14. The Pine Barrens
New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, 853 Atsion Rd, Shamong, NJ 08088, USA
Location: Takes up a large swath of inland southeast New Jersey.
Wow Factor: The largest remnant of an ancient ecosystem, this massive forest offers hundreds of hidden gem hiking trails, forests, waterways, and natural landscapes..
Cost: No cost to enter the state and county parks within the Pine Barrens.
Some of these wonders can be found in a small location - but this one spreads across a good portion of the state. The Pine Barrens are a dense, wooded, and swampy landscape that was named the country’s first natural reserve. The 1.1-million acres of Pineland have been protected by the federal government since 1978, and make up almost a quarter of the state. So what to do here? Many people love to explore the many trails, wetlands, and parks within - and of course, fans of New Jersey’s famous cryptid the Jersey Devil love to keep an eye out for it.
15. Whitesbog Cranberry Bogs
Whitesbog Historic Village, 120 W Whites Bogs Rd #34, Browns Mills, NJ 08015, USA
Wow Factor: This is one of the best spots in the northeast to get a look at the unique cranberry growth process - and get some delicious treats.
Cost: The historic village is free to visit.
Cranberry sauce, cranberry juice, craisins - those tiny, tart berries can do just about anything, and there’s a good chance they came from the Whitesbog Historic Village. This is a unique attraction that recreates a historic community, but it also serves an agricultural purpose. If you come here around September, many of the swamps will be covered in red - these are the largest cranberry bogs in the state. Naturally, there will also be a market stand at the village where cranberry-flavored treats can be purchased.
Have you explored any of these incredible natural wonders in New Jersey? What are your favorite waterfalls, overlooks, or other incredible spots in the Garden State? Let us know in the comments section! This is just the beginning of what you can find within our state’s borders – check out these ten underrated state parks in New Jersey, as any of them could make a great laid-back day trip. Some of these natural wonders are pretty isolated, so a subscription to AllTrails + can make it easy to stay connected – this app provides downloadable trail maps and alerts to keep you on the right path.
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