Sussex, Warren, Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon
Skylands
Mountains, lakes, river gorges and horse country
High Point State Park · Worthington State Forest · Round Valley Recreation Area
New Jersey & a short drive beyond
Your next day out is closer than you think.
Mountain ridges, wild beaches, the Pine Barrens, Revolutionary battlefields and some of the finest gardens in America.
Red Mill, Clinton, Hunterdon County. Photo: NJ Getaway
New Jersey has a reputation, and most of it comes from the view out of a car window on the Turnpike. Leave the highway and the state turns out to be full of surprises: mountain ridges with the Appalachian Trail along the top, the million-acre wilderness of the Pine Barrens, miles of protected beach, and some of the finest gardens in America.
NJ Getaway gathers the places worth going to, region by region, with the plain facts you need to plan a day out. Start with an idea below, pick a corner of the state, or browse everything by county.
299 places in four states, and counting.
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Waterfalls and gorges
Where to see falling water in New Jersey, from a great city waterfall to quiet trout-stream gorges.
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Gardens worth the drive
The public gardens in and around New Jersey that are worth planning a whole day around.
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Lighthouses of the Jersey coast
Four historic lighthouses from Sandy Hook Bay to Cape May, most of them open to climb.
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Revolutionary New Jersey
Battlefields, headquarters and taverns of the "Crossroads of the American Revolution".
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Into the Pine Barrens
Where to start exploring the Pinelands, New Jersey's great wild heart.
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Big views
The best lookouts in New Jersey, from mountain summits to lighthouse galleries.
Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Hudson, Union, Middlesex
Gateway
Skyline views, a great waterfall and gardens in the suburbs
Liberty State Park · Paterson Great Falls State Park · New Jersey Botanical Garden
Mercer, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem
Delaware River
Revolutionary history and the heart of the Pine Barrens
Washington Crossing State Park · Princeton Battlefield State Park · Grounds For Sculpture
Monmouth, Ocean
Shore
Barrier beaches, lighthouses and a Revolutionary battlefield
Island Beach State Park · Barnegat Lighthouse State Park · Twin Lights Lighthouse Historic Site
Atlantic
Greater Atlantic City
A lighthouse climb, an old mansion and quiet back-bay country
Absecon Lighthouse Historic Site · Somers Point Mansion Historic Site · North Brigatine Natural Area
Cape May, Cumberland
Southern Shore
Where New Jersey ends in a lighthouse, a beach and a sky full of birds
Cape May Point State Park · Belleplain State Forest · Corson's Inlet State Park
Over the border
A short drive away
Worth crossing the state line for.
- New York City & Long IslandWorld-class gardens a train ride away
- Hudson ValleyRiver views and gardens with a story
- CatskillsMountain country at the edge of a day trip
- Philadelphia & Bucks CountyAmerica's oldest botanic garden and a city of arboretums
- Brandywine ValleyDu Pont country and some of the finest gardens in America
- Delaware Beaches & BayshoreQuiet beaches, bayshore marshes and a new garden
Through the year
When to go
Spring
Daffodils, magnolias and azaleas open in the estate gardens of the north, the iris garden in Montclair peaks in late May, and the waterfalls run high.
Summer
Head for the beach before the crowds at Island Beach, swim in a reservoir in the hills, or find a cool, shady gorge.
Fall
The northern ridges turn red and gold in October, and at Cape May the great autumn migration of hawks and songbirds passes overhead.
Winter
Bare trees open up the views, the Pines are quiet and empty, and conservatories and lighthouses make good short days out.