It has been the October of New Jersey mountain climbs! I started the month with a hike to the top of High Point, the highest mountain peak in the state. In mid-October I climbed Mount Tammany which offered amazing views of the Delaware Water Gap, the wilderness region straddling the Delaware River. Knowing that cold weather is approaching, I wanted to squeeze in one last hike before winter takes hold. As I scrolled through options on the hiking app AllTrails, one name caught my eye: Stairway to Heaven.
With echoes of the song Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin echoing in my head, I began to read about this steep, rugged approach to Wawayanda Mountain in the town of Vernon. The more I read, the more interested I became: a 2.8-mile out-and-back trail featuring almost 900 feet of elevation gain, with a scenic view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. With autumn colors on full display in New Jersey, the advice I found online was to hike on a weekday, if possible.
So join me as I set off on a Friday morning to tackle another New Jersey mountain.
Let’s begin:
Stairway to Heaven
My trip would take me yet again to Sussex County and the far northwestern section of my home state to Wawayanda State Park in the town of Vernon.Lessons I have learned from hiking the Adirondacks: if you want to avoid crowds, get to the trail early. My alarm went off at 5:00 am and I was on the road before sunrise.As I headed north and the sky lit up with the sunrise, I could appreciate the leaves changing color for fall.The trailhead for the Stairway to Heaven trail features a moderate-size parking lot. As you can see, I had my choice of spots! The lot is on private land, so there is a nominal fee ($9 per day) to park.“Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?” After nervously reading the sign, I channeled my inner-Indiana Jones and set off down the trail.A quick glance at the information on the trailhead signage and it was time to start hiking!Fun fact: Stairway to Heaven is part of the Appalachian Trail, the 2,200 mile hiking trail that runs from Maine to Georgia. This would be my first time walking a section of that path.The hike began with a short stretch along a smooth dirt trail. I quickly learned that the trail would not stay flat for long.Walking through the woods as I approached the mountain, my feet gently swishing through a blanket of fallen leaves, I felt like I had wandered into the forests of Rivendell from Lord of the Rings.I made my way to the beginning of the Stairway to Heaven, a rugged stone path that leads up, up, up the mountain ahead.I was accompanied once again by my Portage North backpack, which has proven to be an excellent tool on longer hikes: comfortable, spacious, and easy to access.The trail continued to climb, and the rough, uneven stone stairs presented their own challenges. I was thankful that I had brought my trusty walking stick.Yes, I am on the “trail.”Unlike Mt. Tammany which features a steep climb broken up by sections of flat ground, Stairway to Heaven relentlessly pushes upwards. There were only a few level sections, each maybe no more than 15-20 feet long, and often adding some additional obstacles (such as this section that, while level, sloped horizontally quite dramatically).Still climbing…I reached a trail junction and headed left toward Pinwheels Vista, a scenic lookout on the side of the mountain.Not a bad payoff for a challenging hike!The view was quite lovely – I thoroughly enjoyed taking many, many photos.I sat down, munched on an energy bar, guzzled some water, and soaked in the view. Surprisingly, this is not the true summit – to reach that requires a mile of bushwhacking through an abandoned and overgrown trail. While I’m not opposed to that, I didn’t have the time on this day to go traipsing through uncharted woods. I’ll definitely come back (potentially this spring) for a second attempt.And that’s NJ Mountain #3 for the walking sticks my father-in-law crafted for me. My main one needs a little attention (the rubber foot at the base has worn out from use), so my #2 stick got to enjoy the scenery with me.Ugh. As much as I enjoy a climb, I equally dread going downhill. Ok, hamstrings, we can do this!Given how few people I encountered on the trail, I absolutely reveled in the stillness and quiet of the woods.It was simply magical.After two hours of climbing and descending the mountain, the flat trail back to the parking lot was heaven-sent.According to AllTrails, I had a very, very good workout, and no snakes were encountered!Before heading home, I drove across the street to Heaven Hill Farm Garden Center and Farm Market.In addition to produce, the farm garden offers freshly made bakery items, candy, snacks, and countless other items. The gluten-free key lime pie looked amazing – the next time I come hike Stairway to Heaven, I’m bringing a cooler with me for the ride home!During the drive to the trail earlier in the morning, my focus was on getting an early start to my hike. On my drive back I was able to settle into my seat and thoroughly enjoy the curvy mountain roads.Having burned many, many calories on the hike, I treated myself to an iced oatmilk latte at Starbucks.For dinner, my wife joined me at Uncle Tank’s Kitchen & Bar, a fun bar and restaurant in Somerset, NJ that has received good reviews.We started with a platter of loaded nachos, which were delicious. The nachos are offered in four different sizes, and we chose the “pequeno,” a platter that is only 1/8 the size of a full platter. Enough to provide a fun taste, but not enough to spoil dinner.Of course, on hiking days, calories don’t count! While my wife enjoyed a turkey burger, I positively destroyed my cheeseburger (with extra jalapeños) and fries. The meal was absolutely fantastic, and we will definitely go back!It was a fun, if a bit tiring, day, and by the end of it the Acura had notched a new milestone – 83,000 is in the books. Onward!
Wrapping Up
As I said after my hike up High Point Mountain, I fully acknowledge that I may have underestimated just how fun New Jersey’s mountains can be. The Stairway to Heaven trail up Mount Wawayanda was properly strenuous and challenging – at times I felt like I was back in the Adirondacks! All three hikes this fall have been great but Stairway to Heaven is, without question, my favorite. I fully intend to go back again… and I’ll bring a cooler so I can load up on some great treats from the Heaven Hill Farm Garden Center!
Thanks, as always, for joining us on another journey down the open road ahead.
