High Point State Park

High Point State Park, at the northwestern tip of New Jersey in Sussex County, protects the state’s highest point — the 1,803-foot summit of Kittatinny Ridge, marked by the landmark High Point Monument (a 220-foot New Jersey Blue Stone obelisk erected in 1930), with panoramic views across the Delaware River valley (into Pennsylvania and New York), the NJ Skylands and the Catskill Mountains of New York on a clear day.

The park offers outstanding hiking on the Appalachian Trail and the park trail network, pristine Lake Marcia (the highest lake in New Jersey, with a beach and swimming), excellent wildlife watching and fall-foliage views, cedar swamps and rare coastal-plain flora. High Point State Park is a treasured natural icon of New Jersey.

High Point State Park offers hiking to the summit (a 0.5-mile trail to the monument from the parking area, or longer approaches on the Appalachian Trail), swimming at Lake Marcia (the highest lake in New Jersey, with a sandy beach and lifeguards in summer — a fee applies), hiking the park trail network and the Appalachian Trail through the ridge (excellent for birding and fall foliage), camping at the park campground, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter (the highest terrain in NJ gets the most snow), birding (the ridge is a hawk migration corridor in fall), and panoramic photography from the monument. The summit views and Lake Marcia are the signature draws.

Fall (September through November) is the finest season, with spectacular foliage panoramas from the summit, hawk migration along the Kittatinny Ridge (October peaks), and comfortable hiking temperatures. Summer brings the full range of activities (Lake Marcia swimming, hiking, camping) but is busy on weekends. Spring (April through May) brings the AT thru-hikers and wildflowers on the ridge. Winter is excellent for cross-country skiing (the park maintains groomed trails in good snow years). Fall for the panoramic foliage and hawks is the highlight — visit in mid-October for peak color.

The High Point Monument was built in 1930 by the Port of New York Authority on land donated by Anthony Kuser, a New Jersey businessman and conservationist who gave the surrounding park land to the state. The monument honors New Jersey veterans. The Appalachian Trail runs through the park; it was one of the original sections of the AT established in the 1920s-30s. The Lake Marcia beach has been a popular summer attraction since the park’s establishment. High Point State Park preserves the state’s highest point, the historic monument and the ridge-top wilderness, a treasured icon of northern New Jersey.

High Point State Park sits on Kittatinny Ridge, the principal Appalachian ridge of New Jersey — composed of resistant Silurian-age Shawangunk quartzite and conglomerate that forms the hard, ridge-making rock resistant to erosion while the surrounding shales and carbonates of the Great Valley were eroded away. The ridge is the continuation of the Blue Ridge/Endless Mountains province. The 1,803-foot summit is the highest point in New Jersey. The glaciers of the last Ice Age deposited glacial erratics and left the kettle bogs and swamps on the ridge. The resistant quartzite, the ridge-forming geology and the glaciation created the summit landscape.

High Point State Park’s Kittatinny Ridge is a fall hawk migration corridor (sharp-shinned hawks, broad-winged hawks, Cooper’s hawks, and eagles stream past the ridge in September and October), and the park’s forests support black bears (common), white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, timber rattlesnakes (on the rocky ridge; treat with great caution), and a rich forest birdlife. The cedar swamps in the park support rare coastal-plain flora and interesting bog birds. Lake Marcia hosts breeding common loons in some years. High Point offers excellent wildlife watching and birding in the NJ Highlands.

High Point State Park protects a significant ridge-top forest and wetland complex in northern New Jersey — the AT corridor, the cedar swamps (a rare ecological community in the Highlands), the glacial bogs, and the ridge-top heath community all support significant biodiversity. Black bears are an important wildlife component of the NJ Highlands. Timber rattlesnakes (a state-threatened species) find sanctuary on the rocky ridge. Protecting the AT corridor, the cedar swamps and the diverse ridge-top ecosystem sustains the ecological character of High Point.

High Point State Park holds a treasured place among the icons of New Jersey — the state’s highest point, a magnificent obelisk monument with three-state panoramic views, a High-country beach at Lake Marcia, and the Appalachian Trail traversing the ridge, all in the dramatic NJ Skylands region. The combination of the summit monument, the lake beach and the ridge-top wilderness makes High Point exceptional. High Point State Park is a cherished natural icon of New Jersey.

High Point State Park is in Sussex County at the northwestern tip of New Jersey, off New Jersey Route 23 near the borough of Sussex and the New York border. The park entrance is on Route 23; the summit parking area is a short drive on an interior park road. Lake Marcia and the campground are also accessible from Route 23. The park is about 75 miles from New York City and accessible in under 2 hours. New Jersey Route 23 connects to Interstate 80 to the south and Route 17 to the east. Check NJ State Parks for current camping reservations, lake swimming fees and conditions before visiting.

New Jersey State Parks manages High Point State Park. Black bears are common — follow all bear safety rules (store food securely, do not approach, report aggressive bears to park staff). Timber rattlesnakes are protected; do not harass or kill them. Stay on designated trails on the rocky ridge (the ridge-top vegetation is fragile and the rattlesnakes live in the rock gardens). Respect the AT corridor and the wilderness character of the ridge. Packing out all trash sustains the quality of this scenic park. The cedar swamps are sensitive — stay on the designated boardwalk paths.

Timber rattlesnakes are present on the rocky High Point ridge — watch carefully where you step and where you put your hands near boulders and rock piles; they are state-threatened and should not be approached. Black bears are very common; store all food and scented items properly. The summit is exposed to lightning storms (NJ Highlands summer afternoons frequently produce dangerous thunderstorms — get off the summit and the open ridge before noon if storms are forecast). Tick checks are essential after any trail time (lyme disease is endemic in the NJ Highlands). Respect the rattlesnakes, the bears, the lightning and the ticks.

Park entrance is free; Lake Marcia beach has a summer swimming fee (NJ State Parks rate; lifeguards Memorial Day to Labor Day). Camping has fees — reserve in advance for summer weekends. Black bear food storage rules apply in the campground. Timber rattlesnakes are protected. Pets are permitted on trails but not on the beach. Stay on designated trails. Check NJ State Parks for current fees, camping reservations, beach hours and conditions before visiting.

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (to the south — the AT connects them), the Appalachian Trail corridor through the NJ Highlands, the Stokes State Forest (adjacent to High Point), the Kittatinny Valley State Park, the town of Sussex (nearby services), and the New York border and the Catskill Mountains to the north define the region. High Point anchors the outdoor experience of the NJ Skylands, easily combined with the Delaware Water Gap and the Appalachian Trail corridor of northern New Jersey. The High Point to Delaware Water Gap AT traverse is one of the great NJ long-distance hikes.

Drive to the summit parking area and walk the short trail to the High Point Monument for the panoramic three-state view — on a clear fall day (especially after a cold front), the views of the Delaware River Valley, the Poconos, and the Catskills are extraordinary. Hike the AT north from the monument parking toward the New York border in October for peak foliage. Swim at Lake Marcia on a summer afternoon (the highest lake in NJ, clean and beautiful). Watch for timber rattlesnakes in all the rocky areas of the ridge and be aware of bears in the campground — both are real and common in this park.