High Point State Park Trails
With over 50 miles of trails, High Point State Park offers visitors a variety of trail options throughout the year. Designated multiuse trails are available for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding and snowmobiling. Trails vary in length and take visitors through unique and diverse landscapes, including an Atlantic white cedar bog, mountain ridge tops with 360-degree views, dense forests, fields and wetlands.
The JerseyPhile Notes: Mileage is the actual length of the trail, so be sure to double that when doing an out and back.
The trails tend to be rocky–some more so than others. Sturdy hiking boots with ankle support and good lug soles are recommended, as are a good pair of trekking poles.
Always check the park’s WEBSITE for the latest conditions and closures before heading out.
Unless otherwise noted, the information below comes from the official High Point State Park map, which can be downloaded HERE
White – 9 miles – Hiking – Moderate to difficult – Rocky, uneven ground
Trailhead: Numerous entry points (See MAP)
Black – 1 mile – Multi-use – Easy
Trailhead: Park off Park Ridge Road near the trailhead or at the Sawmill Lake boat launch, then walk a quarter mile to the trailhead. See on Google Maps
Ayers Trail was a road that led to the Ayers Farm, established in 1870. Today, the fields, bordered by impressive stone walls, are maintained through annual, controlled burns that help preserve the field habitat.
The JerseyPhiles notes: This seems to be a lightly used trail, so the grass tends to be tall and the rocks on the trail are not always visible. Watch your step and tread carefully.
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Dark Blue – 0.5 Miles – Hiking – Difficult – Wet areas, very rugged, steep terrain
Trailhead: Across from campsite 15 at the Sawmill Campground
See on Google Maps
Blue Dot Trail is short but ideal for anyone who enjoys the challenge of rocky terrain. The summit provides a beautiful overlook of Sawmill Lake and the surrounding mountains to the west. It also intersects with the Appalachian Trail.
The JerseyPhiles Note: This trail starts out as a gradual incline but gets very steep near the top, where you will need to do some bouldering.
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Purple – 2 mile loop – hiking, cross country skiing – Easy – Mostly flat, paved, gravel, and boardwalk
Trailhead: Go to the end of the road in the Cedar Swamp Picnic Area and park. The trail begins at the yellow gate. See on Google Maps
Cedar Swamp Trail follows a closed road into the Atlantic white cedar bog in the Kuser Natural Area then forks and circles around the perimeter of the bog. A trail guide that corresponds to numbered stops along the trail can be obtained at the park office or Interpretive Center.
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Red and Blue – 0.85 miles – Multiuse – Easy to moderate – Rocky, sometimes muddy
Trailhead: Park in the Winter Trails parking lot. See on Google Maps
Fuller Trail was once a road used by the Fuller family to travel from their farm (now the group camping area) to the cedar shake mill that they operated where Sawmill Lake is today. Part of the trail overlaps with Life Trail then branches off to meet Sawmill Road at the intersection with the Mashipacong trail.
The JerseyPhiles notes: This seems to be a lightly used trail, so the grass tends to be tall and the rocks on the trail are not always visible. Watch your step and tread carefully.
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Red – 4.5 miles – Multiuse – Easy to moderate – Rocky, uneven ground
Trailheads: The Appalachian Trail parking lot or the pull-off lots on Deckertown Turnpike
See on Google Maps
Iris Trail, built in part by the Civilian Conservation Corp, winds along gently sloping terrain. It passes scenic Lake Rutherford (a private lake) and crosses the Appalachian Trail twice, making shorter and longer loop hikes possible.
The JerseyPhiles Note: According to our calculations, this trail is closer to 5 miles long, and we challenge the assertion that it is “gently” sloping. Also, there were several areas that were a bit soggy, even after a prolonged dry spell.
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Brown – 0.8 miles – Multiuse – Easy to moderate – Mostly level but rocky trail surface
Trailhead: Park in the Winter Trail parking lot. See on Google Maps
Life Trail was once part of the Fuller family farm, which was located here in the 1800s and early 1900s. It was later incorporated into a Girl Scout Camp and was part of the first camp in the state for blind children. Where the trail ends at Park Ridge Road, turn right to return to the parking lot.
The JerseyPhiles notes: This seems to be a lightly used trail, so the grass tends to be tall and the rocks on the trail are not always visible. Watch your step and tread carefully.
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Yellow – 2.8 miles – Multiuse -Easy to moderate – Variable trail surface
Trailheads: The Appalachian Trail parking lot or three pull-off lots on Sawmill and Park Ridge Roads. See on Google Maps
Mashipacong Trail’s southwestern section was part of one of the first roads over the ridge. Remnants of small farms can be seen here. Trail crosses small streams, follows an old road, and climbs over a rocky ridge, ending behind the park office. A loop hike can be made by combining the southern portion of this trail with the Ayers Trail and walking short distances on Sawmill and Park Ridge Roads.
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Red and green – 3.5 mile loop – Hiking and snow shoeing – Moderate to difficult – Rocky trail, steep climbs
Trailhead: This trail can be accessed by parking at or near the interpretive center, the north end of Lake Marcia, or the monument parking area. See on Google Maps
Monument Trail offers some of the best views in the park, extending along the tops of the mountain ridges, almost to the New York border. Constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the late 1930s, sets of stone stairs and borders display their workmanship.
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Brown and yellow – 0.5 miles – Multiuse – Easy, gently sloping carriage road
Trailhead: At the far side of the picnic parking area, across from the beach parking lot
Old Trail was one of the entrances to the High Point Inn in the 1890s, used by the horse-drawn stagecoaches that transported guests to the inn from the train station in Port Jervis, New York.
Light green – 2.5 miles in High Point – Multiuse – Moderate – Rocky trail with muddy portion
Trailheads: Pull-off parking on Park Ridge Road, Deckertown Turnpike, and off Crigger Road in Stokes State Forest, where the trail overlaps with part of the Blue Mountain Trail
See on Google Maps
Parker Trail is rocky but fairly level and winds through a hardwood forest to the Deckertown Turnpike and continues into Stokes State Forest
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Light blue – 0.7 miles – Hiking – Easy to difficult – Grassy Trail, ending in a rocky climb
Trailhead: Park at the Steenykill boat launch. The top of the trail can also be reached via the Monument Trail. See on Google Maps
Steenykill Trail, built in the late 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corp, begins at Route 23, runs along the Lake Steenykill dam (also built by the Civilian Conservation Corp), makes a left turn at the spillway, crosses a stream, then climbs steeply uphill to join Monument Trail.
