Stairway To Heaven — Attraction in Vernon Township

Stairway to Heaven is as close to a famous or noteworthy hike as you get in New Jersey - right up there with Mt. Tammany in terms of name recognition - and yet I never experienced it for myself until this past Saturday. My chum and I came here around 8:30am to finally make our debuts. Given its popularity, earlier is better. We were able to secure parking spots on the side of the road easily, but this is an unapologetic residential neighborhood where they do apparently ticket if you get frisky outside of the designated lots/areas. Worth noting - I did NOT see any port-a-pottys near the parking area, so I'd stop at a QuickChek or something on 23 if you're coming from there.

You have several hiking options in terms of length. Coming all the way out here (unless you live in Vernon, you're probably navigating your share of county highways for half an hour or so - welcome to the Kingdom of Sussex, where there are no direct routes to anything ever), we decided to go for the 7.3-mile option that starts at Route 517 and meanders east along the AT, crosses Route 94 and then shortly thereafter makes the Stairway to Heaven climb up to Pinwheel Vista.

In terms of markings/navigations, we found this to be one of the easier trails to follow, and it should be. The vast majority of the hike takes place on the AT, so you're looking for the white blazes until you're literally about 99% done at the top, at which point you quickly make a cameo on the blue trail for the viewpoint. I don't recall having to look around for the next blaze more than once, and even taking into consideration a lot of trail offshoots and turns, it's honestly hard to get lost on the AT, at least on this particular section.

The difficulty level is hard to gauge, especially when you take this hike in its totality. I'd say 75% of it is pretty flat; the trek from 517 encompasses a lot of boardwalks, and the forays into the woods have pretty minimal up and down to them. But about five or 10 minutes after you cross 94, this becomes an unapologetic steep climb. My chum is pretty much in Olympic-level shape (I'm in very good hiking shape, but that doesn't beat Olympic), so she shot ahead pretty quickly while I took it slow and steady. It was a VERY humid day so sweat was cascading down my face pretty quickly and I didn't see a reason to try to match her Herculean pace. It's not bad if you're used to these types of climbs (minimal scrambling, but it's a pretty sharp incline most of the way up), though we saw a lot of groups with people who clearly didn't know what they were getting into. The viewpoint at the end is arguably worth it, but honestly? If you're used to hiking in North Jersey, I'm not even sure this view is in the top three. The gold standard is probably Wyanokie High Point up in Norvin Green, which offers a 360-degree, unobstructed view that includes neighboring mountains and NYC in the distance. This is not that.

The wildlife sightings were excellent on this particular day. Of note, we saw a fluffy rabbit, a bale of turtles (had to look up the term for that) and a well-fed black racer or rat snack that more than complied for its photo op. The canine chums were plentiful as well, though I was only formally introduced to a fluffy wonder named Pogey visiting from NYC (attached). The only negative was that the heralded cows in the cow pasture right before Route 94 were nowhere to be found. Guess they were sleeping in.

Definitely worth visiting and doing at least once, but I like a hike that's more consistently challenging throughout that isn't so far out of the way in...

This is a moderately difficult hike up the ridge to the viewing point at the top. It's extremely rocky, with some muddy sections, and many very steep inclines up narrow rock paths. There are very few free parking spots, most of the parking is via paid lots nearby which cost $8 via the Park Mobile app. There's a farm market across the street with bathrooms and lots of food and drinks. There are no restrooms along the trail. Lots of people bring their dogs on this hike. Be aware that there are bears, rattle snakes, and copper heads in the area. We did not see any ourselves but several people we passed on the trail reported seeing a bear nearby and others saw snakes. The hike to the top is one of the more difficult casual hikes I've done in the area. It's rated to take about 1hr but for the two of us plus dog it was more like 1.5hr each way. The rocky sections were pretty rough for us city folk, and we were extremely glad to have our boots for the muddy areas. Our dog drank a bunch of the stream water by accident and ended up puking later in the car from it. Yikes. On this hike, you will start by following the white Appalachian Trail markers. After a very long time, you will finally come to a giant pile of loose rocks with blue trail markers. Follow the blue trail markers about 100 yards around the corner to the viewing point. Optionally the AT continues around the...

An iconic hiking trail that everyone wants to attempt at least once in their life. The trail is not too difficult, slightly higher than moderate. On average, it will take about 60 to 90 minutes to climb up. Of course, there's no rush. Take as many rests as you wish along the way. Nonetheless, you may have to stop frequently to let other people pass you from the other direction. It takes roughly 10 minutes from the Stairway To Heaven trailhead to the base of the mountain. Then roughly an hour to the top of the mountain. Obviously, you'll be climbing a winding stairs of rocks. There are some flat area, but it is mainly rocks. Coming down the mountain is easier than going up, but is much more dangerous. I recommend climbing to the top to Pinwheel Vista. The view from above is worth the climb.

As for parking, there are three parking lots next to the trailhead. Come early as there are limited parking spots and is first-come-first-serve. Parking is only $7.50, much cheaper than the $250 towing fee if you think $7.50 is too expensive. Sadly, there is no bathroom. There is a farm/market across the street where you can use the restroom though.

All in all, try this hike. Bring your dog or pet the dogs along the way up/down the mountain. Hopefully, you can see the beautiful view...