It was Monday, we were all off and our first thoughts were Liberty Science Center - closed, then the Met - we were starting too late, so we returned to a very special place under an hour away and packed it with fun!
The Pochuck Boardwalk section of the Appalachian Trail is located in Vernon, NJ and an easy ride from Essex, Morris and Union counties. Our area enjoys an abundance of nature reserves for hiking, but the day tip to the AT Boardwalk is completely worth it.
- A boardwalk in the middle-of-nowhere, so to speak. During weekdays it is lightly traveled by neighbors fitness walking or with dogs, plus you will definitely catch avid hikers making all or part of the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail
- A suspension bridge to pass over the Pochuck Quagmire, which is actually a lovely flowing body of clear water
- The boardwalk section is an easy flat 1.5 miles, excepting the suspension bridge, with a few rest benches. Take it easy and slow with your toddlers or try and catch up with the older kids
- The Boardwalk traverses wetlands filled with turtles bogs, red-winged blackbirds, thistle and beautiful vistas
TO TOP IT ALL OFF: SHE SAW A BEAR CUB RUN ACROSS THE ROAD AT THE END OF THE HIKE NO PICS :-(
We made a panorama shot on our first trip there in Spring. Pochuck Boardwalk is so amazing we had to return again! Working up our stamina to add the next stretch, a hike through active cow pastures with a stop at Heaven Hill Farm.
