1480 Route 23, Sussex, NJ 07461
Phone: (973) 875-4800
www.njparksandforests.org
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Turn Right when leaving parking area. Pass through one stop sign at Four Corners, and after 3.6 miles turn Right onto CR 653 North. Traffic coming from the left makes this a dangerous intersection, so please use caution. After 3.7 miles turn Right at the stop sign onto Route 23 South. After 3.8 miles turn Left into High Point State Park. The park office is across from the entrance on the Right. Map
Access roads and trails are open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. November 1st through March 31st and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the remainder of the year. The Park Office is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and the Interpretive Center is open when staff is available. Fees of $5.00 weekdays, $10.00 weekends, Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, apply for the monument section of the park. Not all park roads are plowed in the winter, so call ahead for accessibility. Sawmill and Park Ridge Roads are open for snowmobiles and cross-country skiing. Contact the High Point Cross-country Ski Center for details, 973-702-1222. Deer hunting is allowed during the two weeks to Thanksgiving only; for regulations visit: www.njfishandwildlife.org.
The 220-foot High Point Monument, built to honor all war veterans, has a stairway that can be climbed for a breathtaking view of the Pocono Mountains to the west in Pennsylvania, the Catskill Mountains to the north in New York State and the Wallkill River Valley to the southeast in New Jersey. Only the base area and first floor are handicap accessible.
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| American Woodcock | Lloyd Spitalnik |
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| | High Point State Park marks the highest point in New Jersey. Dedicated as a State Park in 1923, High Point Monument, which sits 1,830 feet above sea level, was completed in 1930 and affords spectacular views of distant mountain ranges and the rolling hills of the valley below. A combination of upland woods, open fields, wetlands, bogs, vernal pools and lakes provides habitats for a variety of bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian and insect species. Visitors may choose from a number of driving loops, as well as 11 marked hiking trails; along with access to the Appalachian Trail. Campsites and cabins are available; check the website for details, and be sure to bring a fishing pole, as Sawmill Lake and Flatbrook Stream are stocked with trout.
the Dryden Kuser Natural Area. Its 2.34 miles interpretive trail circles around an Atlantic white cedar bog that is home to nesting birds such as Blackburnian Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler and Ruffed Grouse, along with some unusual plant and tree communities. Interpretive trail guides are available at the park office.
The stark landscape makes this season an excellent time to look for mammals, especially various members of the weasel family, bobcat, coyote and many more. They are especially easy to track and possibly find after a fresh snowfall. The Interpretive Center does have winter tracking programs with snowshoe hikes on some of the trails; call 973- 875-1471 for information.
Visit in early spring, at dusk, to watch the territorial flight display of the elusive “timberdoodle,” a.k.a. American Woodcock. Also, drive through the park roads in the evening as the woods fill with the sounds of spring peepers and wood frogs as they emerge and move toward the many vernal pools and wetlands in the park. Songbird migration peaks during the first couple of weeks in May. Warblers, vireos, thrushes, tanagers, orioles arrive. The forest becomes alive with these birds’ spring chorus.
Due to its elevation and northern location, High Point is host to a wide variety of songbirds, some of which are uncommon nesters in New Jersey such as Hermit Thrush, Winter Wren, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and occasionally White-throated Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco. Don’t forget to look for some of the woodland edge butterflies such as Common Wood-Nymph, Little Wood-Satyr and Great Spangled Fritillary.
Some raptor migration can be observed along the ridges; look for Red-tailed and Broad-winged Hawks. Make sure to look for migrating warblers as well. Nesting bird species such as Cerulean, Yellow-rumped, Black-and-white and Yellow Warblers, along with Common Yellowthroat and American Redstart could all be passing through on their way south. During this season black bears can be seen foraging for acorns in the dominant oak forests. Be sure to observe these magnificent creatures from a distance.
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