Halloween Hikes in NJ
New Jersey trails are chock full of old building foundations, mines, and cemeteries from abandoned towns of yesteryear, which can make for a spooky time on the trail.
Halloween is also a great time of year to hike as the leaves usually still have some color and the temperature is crisp but not cold.
You may even run into people hiking in costumes, or a jack-o-lantern pumpkin on the trail (this photo was taken on top of Mt. Minsi in 2004).
And if you dip into the candy stash early and chuck a few fun-size Snickers in your backpack... well, we won't tell.
"Ghost Lake" and "Shades of Death Road" - Jenny Jump State Forest
How could a hike to Ghost Lake not top our list? And 'Shades of Death Road' – awesome.
The story goes something like this… Jenny was a 9-year old girl who lived long ago in a small house under a high cliff. While picking berries one day, a Native American surprised her.
She called out to her father in terror and he yelled back, "Jump, Jenny Jump!" Since she always did what her father told her, she jumped from the cliff… to her death.
Way to go, daddy-o.
No matter what the legends are, Jenny Jump is small pretty park located in Warren County. Trails offer views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, and end at Ghost Lake near Shades of Death Road.
Check out our Jenny Jump hike info over on the Ghost Lake page. Just don't pull a "Jenny" and fling yourself off a cliff.
Wildcat Ridge, Four Birds Trail – Hibernia Cemetery, Mine "Bat Cave"
Hike to an old cemetery smack-dab in the middle of the woods with headstones dating back to mid 19c.
Pass by a mine shaft made into NJ's largest bat hibernaculum (unfortunately the majority of the bat population has succumbed to 'white nose fungus' in the last few years).
The Four Birds Trail is a rugged trail in the New Jersey Highlands region, in Wildcat Ridge WMA and Farny State Park.
There are multiple trails and parking access points in this area, allowing for short loops or longer, more challenging hikes.
Check out our hike info on the Four Birds Trail page. And for a good article on the area and it's history, also check out: "Wildcat Ridge" by Robert Koppenhaver
The Pine Barrens and the Jersey Devil
A Halloween list would be remiss without mentioning this, even though most people have heard of the Jersey Devil and how the Pinelands are haunted by it, etc. etc.
But the NJ Pine Barrens is also an interesting place to take a hike. Here are some pinelands hikes to try… and just maybe you'll spot the Jersey Devil....
-
Wells Mills County Park – Penns Hill Trail
- Apple Pie Hill – Wharton State Forest
- "Jersey Devil Hike" – on Sat. Oct 29, 2011 by the NJ Conservation Foundation. Check njconservation.org for info.
A few others...
Harriman: Red Cross, Beech, Long Path Loop
The Hasenclever Mine and a small cemetery with graves from the 1800s and of Civil War veterans.
Bear Mountain – West Mountain, The Timp, Doodletown
Hike through the few remains of Doodletown,a small town from the 1700s until the 1960′s. In the Herbert Cemetery, the graves date back to the 1800′s.
- 13th Annual Doodletown Halloween Trek -October 30, 2011 (Sun)
See the AMC Doodledown Halloween Trek page for more info, as well as "Haunted Hikes Offer Legends and History"
Watchung Reservation - Sierra Trail
Hike through the deserted village of Feltville and the Willcocks and Badgley Cemetery, a small family plot.
