Allamuchy Mountain State Park
(Warren and Sussex Counties)
908-852-3790
Size of park: 8,683 acres
Interstate 80, running east-west, slices the park into two portions: the larger, triangle-shaped northern section, bordered by routes 517 and 206, and a southern section of 2,440 acres called the Allamuchy Natural Area, with Deer Park Pond as its centerpiece. The northern section is easily accessible from Exit 25 of I-80, the southern section from Exit 19.
Tree-lined Cranberry Lake sits at the northernmost point of the park, near Route 206. Like Deer Park Pond, the lake contains large-mouth bass, sunfish, perch, and pickerel. A launch for canoes and kayaks is at the southern end.
The rugged northern section of the park, which surrounds tree-covered Allamuchy Mountain, has several hiking trails, including a 4.4-mile section of the Highlands Trail. Hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders can reach the gravel Sussex Branch Rail Trail, which runs past the lake and continues north, by turning off 206 onto route 604.
The historic Waterloo Village, which is largely closed for renovation, will host Heritage Days on October 9 and 23. A permit is needed for a rock-climbing area near Waterloo Village.
The Allamuchy Natural Area is somewhat flatter than the northern section, with a network of trails, rated as moderate, around Deer Park Pond. The pond, once the center of a working farm, is an ideal spot for fall leaf-gazing and bird-watching.