As a Jersey City girlie who loves touching grass whenever she gets the chance, I’m constantly looking for quick day hikes and outdoor adventures within a short drive of the New York City area. My research brought me to High Point State Park, home of the highest point in the entire state of New Jersey. This park was perfect for a short hike, pretty views, and a little history lesson with some friends, family, or even a little solo adventure. Here’s what to expect when you visit High Point State Park in Northern New Jersey.
About High Point State Park
Located in Sussex County in Northern New Jersey, High Point State Park sits right between Wantage Township and Montague Township. The state park covers over 15,400 acres. The highest point of the park, the summit of the Kittatinny Ridge, has an elevation of 1,803 feet. That makes it the highest point in the entire state of New Jersey.
The park was established in 1923. Construction on the High Point Monument, dedicated to New Jersey’s veterans, began in 1928 and was completed in 1930. The dedication on the monument reads, “To The Glory and Honor and Eternal Memory of New Jersey’s heroes by land, sea, and air, in all wars of our country.”
Anthony R. Kuser and his wife, Susie Dryden Kuser, donated both the monument and the land that makes up the park. The couple married in New Jersey and called Bernardsville home; they bought a 250-acre estate and named it Faircourt, per Mr. Local History Project.
In my research, I learned the couple had estates all over the country. There was Los Incas in Palm Beach, Florida, Tall Pines in Aiken, South Carolina, and even a mansion on their 10,600-acre estate at High Point.
Before it was a mansion, it was a summer resort known as the High Point Inn. The 300-foot-long Victorian resort operated from June to September from 1890 to 1910. Charles St. John, a businessman from Port Jervis, NY, built the Inn, located on a high ridge overlooking Lake Marcia and the Delaware River Valley. Guests apparently arrived via nearby railroads and horse-drawn carriages, quite different from the horsepower we’re used to in 2026.
Sadly, the Inn met a tragic end. The resort went bankrupt around 1909, followed by the death of St. John. The Kusers bought the property around 1910, demolishing half of it to remodel the rest into a private summer home they called the Kuser Mansion.
After the Kusers donated the land in 1923, the mansion became a park visitor center and museum. Eventually, it was boarded up due to high maintenance costs and severe deterioration, per NJ Skylands. In 1995, the building was demolished, and now a historical marker serves as a reminder of where families used to spend summers in the Kittatinny Mountains.
High Point State Park is about an hour and a half drive from the New York City area. If you have access to a car, it makes for a quick and simple day trip.
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Hiking High Point State Park
High Point State Park has over 50 miles of trails to explore, plus day camping and swimming areas.
On a quiet Labor Day morning, I took off on my solo adventure, driving about an hour and a half to the Kittatinny Mountains in Northern New Jersey. It had been a couple of weeks since my last hike (shudder), and the city noise was starting to get in my head. This was just the break I needed without having to book a flight or pack an overnight bag to explore the outdoors.
I hiked Monument Trail, a 3-ish-mile loop that takes you right up to the High Point Monument. I parked near the pond and embarked on my little journey just after 10 am. It was pretty quiet, sunny, and peaceful. The trail was mostly covered by trees, with the first mile and a half in the woods and few views. It was a bit rocky, and being the clumsy girl I am, I had to keep watch on my boots to make sure they weren’t getting caught on any roots or rocks.
After a quick incline, the trail takes you by some overlooks. The views look out to parts of Northern New Jersey, like Montague, and even parts of New York, like Port Jervis. I was lucky it was so clear that day, and I could see for miles and miles in every direction. After some short breaks from these viewpoints, I continued on and reached the parking lot of High Point Monument.
You read that right: there is a parking lot at the peak of this hike. For the outdoorsy people who don’t love hiking, you have the option to drive right up to High Point and take in all the views without the sweat and dirt of a little hike.
I love feeling like I earned my views, so I was happy to hike about 2 miles to get to the monument. I strolled up to the monument and got to take in 360-degree views of New Jersey, New York, and even Pennsylvania.
To the west of the monument is the Delaware River Valley, where the Delaware River flows from New York to New Jersey and Pennsylvania. You can see parts of the Poconos and even the Moosic Mountains near Scranton, PA.
My favorite part of the view was looking north, way out into the distance, and seeing the shadow of the Catskill Mountains in New York. I feel like my recent adventures have been split up into three categories: quick day trips in New Jersey, quick day trips to the Catskills when I want to go to Upstate New York, and extended visits to the Adirondacks.
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A little bit closer to New Jersey is the Shawangunk Ridge, right at the border of New Jersey and New York. Known as The Gunks, which is quite the unfortunate nickname, it’s a 50-mile ridge of white quartz conglomerate rock that stretches all the way up to the Catskill Mountains. On top of hiking the Gunks, many adventurous people love to rock climb in this region of New York.
My mother reminded me that I had been to High Point State Park before. When I was much younger, my mom drove me and my brothers up to the monument, having a picnic while enjoying New Jersey from new heights. (This is where I would insert the picture of us eating our sandwiches in the parking lot back in the day, but I sadly could not find it).
My Solo Hiking Experience
I was in my happy place, chilling at the top with my sourdough peanut butter and jelly sandwich, basking in the sun. I decided to hike by myself, which isn’t uncommon, and felt safe the entire time at High Point State Park.
When I hike by myself, I like to take certain precautions. I usually text or call my friends, family, or boyfriend to make sure my loved ones know where I’m going and when I expect to wrap up. I may or may not carry pepper spray, too, in case any scary characters get too close. It may or may not get upgraded to bear spray soon in case those scary characters turn into scary animals. I started hiking without headphones or a speaker so I can be more aware of my surroundings.
Taking these precautions helps me feel safe on the trails and prepared in case of an emergency. If you’re considering hiking by yourself, I would recommend taking similar precautions to make sure you’re safe and your loved ones know you’re safe.
As fall creeps closer, I’m mapping out weekend adventures to Upstate New York. Don’t miss my next weekend guide by subscribing below!
If you want to see where I’m exploring, check out my Instagram, where I love posting videos and photos of all the cool places I’ve been.