AboutWounded Knee Expertise I can advise on anything having to do with hiking and backpacking skills and equipment, including map and compass and orienteering skills. I cannot advise on the use of GPS devices. I cannot advise on car camping or group camping (10 or more people). My primary geographic expertise is in the US Northeast, but I know how to find information on hiking and backpacking just about anywhere.
Experience I've been hiking and backpacking for about 40 years, including ongoing section hiking of the Appalachian Trail (almost 1300 miles so far). I have hiked extensively in the New York Metropolitan Area, as well as various other areas from Virginia north, including upstate New York, New England, and Eastern Canada.
Publications New York Walk Book, 7th Ed. New Jersey Walk Book, 2nd Ed.
Education/Credentials Not applicable to this area of expertise.
Question QUESTION: Hi,
My husband, son and I would like to take our first camping/hiking trip. We are looking for a good hiking/backpacking spot near NJ/NY/PA. There are so many sites, I'm not sure what would be best. My husband is experienced, but cannot recall where to go for us. I have found alot of sites that seem to cater to families with swimming pools and such things, but we are looking for something more rustic. Please help :)
Thanks,
Michelle
ANSWER: Three questions:
1. How old is your son?
2. How much do you want to do? I mean, how many miles to you all feel that you can handle per day?
3. How many days do you want to go out?
If the geographic area that you're interested in is anywhere within, let's say, a 2 hour drive of NYC, your principle options are Harriman and Fahnestock state parks in NY, or the Delaware Water Gap/Kittatinny Ridge in NJ/PA. You also need to consider what equipment you own or are willing to acquire.
A couple things to be aware of:
1. If you plan on using a shelter: shelters space is available on a first come, first served basis -- you can't make reservations.
2. All water sources in the wilderness are potentially contaminated, so you need to chemically treat or filter.
3. Cell phone service is spotty at best in the wilderness.
Give me more of a sense of what you want to do, and I'll be able to direct you to the most appropriate sites.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi again,
My son is 11. We are only going overnight our first time. We have purchased backpacking and camping equipment ( a light weather proof tent, backpacks, cooking utensils, etc.) I think we can do about 4 miles before my little one gets tired...he's aware of the hiking and is very excited. I was looking at the delaware water gap area, but i'm not sure what would be a good starting point. Is Mt. Minsi a good place? I was trying to find the trail maps online, but its a little confusing.
Thanks for your help.
Answer The Delaware Water Gap area, whether you hike the NJ or the PA side, is very pleasant -- good views, pleasant wooded areas, streams, etc. Two things you need to keep in mind:
1. Whether you climb Minsi on the PA side or the Kittatinny ridge on the NJ side, it's a fairly challenging hike to get up to the summit, involving a 1000' climb either way.
2. Bears are common in the area, so you need to to take serious steps to prevent them from raiding your food. In fact, all of Northern NJ is serious bear country.
On the NJ side, the backpacker campsite (no water -- bring enough of your own!) is about 4 1/2 miles in. It's quite pleasant and has bear-proof boxes to protect your food. From there it's a relatively short walk up to Sunfish Pond, or you can follow some side trails to the summit of Mount Tammany for a great view of the Delaware River valley. You'll get similar views from Minsi on the PA side, but it's more than six miles to the nearest campsite/shelter (Kirkridge Shelter), with no "natural" sites along the way that I can recall.
You won't find very good maps online -- you should get the Kittatinny map set published by the NY-NJ Trail Conference, available from their web site and sold at most outfitters. Study the maps to get a sense of what's possible and some good routes. They'll also show you some possibilities heading north toward High Point, if that's your preference. Note that the Kirkridge shelter in PA is not marked on the map, even though the section of trail that it's on is marked.
If you need more info or want to know about some other backpacking areas, feel free to send me another follow-up.
