Musconetcong River Reservation March

With spring just around the corner, the Fat Man and I were itching to hit the hills so we took a ride up to a hike we like at Point Mountain Reservation (the Central section), in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.

We parked in lot number 2, which is located at 80 Point Mountain Road in Washington, New Jersey. When the lot is full, you can also park on the road before the bridge that crosses the Musconetcong River.

Parking Lot Sign

Blue Trail

The top of the mountain is a little over 1,000 feet above sea level. The entire park spans 220 acres. There are some old logging roads that have been incorporated into some of the trails.

There was still some snow on the ground, which was beautiful. This is a dandy little hike that offers great views without an enormous amount of effort.

Musconetcong River

Well, let me rephrase that. If you start on the blue trail, which runs by the river, and then switch to the orange trail, you cut off a lot of the steep elevation you must start off with right away if you begin on the orange trail and work your way backward.

I prefer to walk a bit before having to cough up a lung on a steep ascent. But be forewarned: if you take the route we took, you will have a very steep, rocky descent at the end of the hike (which can be challenging if you have middle-aged knees). Having walking sticks helps tremendously, particularly as the rocks were very icy.

Icy Rock Descent

The blue trail runs next to the river and then starts to rise. You will eventually end up crossing a large field — which is a bit odd — but adds to the diversity of the trail. The orange trail crosses a small stream, which is fairly easy to cross. Once you get to the top of the mountain, there are several little overlooks with rock faces that make a nice table for lunch.

Point Mountain Peak

It’s a great little hike that is right in our backyard and reminds us just how beautiful New Jersey is when you travel about 60 miles west of Newark Airport.

Heidi’s rating: ★★★★★ A true New Jersey gem.
The Fat Man’s rating: 3 string cheeses and 1 pack of Ritz crackers.