Order of Visit: High Point #13
Date Visited: July 16, 2019
Route Taken: Appalachian Trail & Monument Trail from High Point State Park Visitor’s Center – 1.6 miles one-way
Type of Terrain: Well-defined trail with little elevation gain
Elevation: 1,803 feet
Ancestral Lands: Munsee Lenape
what’s in a name?
This modest peak, located in the far northwest corner of the Garden State, is the highest summit in the Kittatinny Ridge. The mountain’s original name, kittatinny, comes from a Lenape word meaning “endless hill” or “great mountain” referring to the ridgeline’s 30-mile length from Delaware Water Gap, PA to Port Jervis, NY.
In 1855, William Kitchell, a surveyor with the State Geological Survey measured and recorded New Jersey’s highest point, which some maps called Hawk’s Nest and others called Kittatinny Mountain. Kitchell didn’t seem focused on this peak, simply makring it on his map with the word “high.”
His attention seemed to be on the 20-acre spring-fed lake below the high point, which he named Lake Marcia (pronounced Mar-SEE-ah) after his then-fiancee, Marcia Smith. In the years that followed, the lake became a popular spot for picnicking and fishing, gathering huckleberries, and carriage rides.
In 1888, U.S. Representative Charles St. John (R – N.Y.) built the plush, four-story ‘High Point Inn’ on a bluff in the Kittatinny Mountains above Lake Marcia.
St. John died just three years later, but the 300-foot long Adirondack-style Victorian hotel remained open from 1890 to 1910, operating seasonally from mid-June to the end of September. Famed inventor Thomas Edison even stayed as a guest at the High Point Inn
Unfortunately, a series of wildfires and hard economic times forced the Inn into bankruptcy. In 1909, wealthy New Jersey businessman Anthony ‘Colonel’ Kuser and his wife Susie Dryden Kuser purchased the inn.
The new owners kept the inn open one final season, then began a major overhaul in 1910 to turn the building into a Neo-classical mansion for his family’s summer retreat. However, after the renovation, the family rarely spent time there. (It was rumored Mrs. Kuser refused to visit because “there were too many snakes,” and she wanted to frequent other locations, like Palm Beach, Florida, instead).
With little use for the mansion, the Kusers donated it to the state in 1923 along with 10,500 acres for a state park. For years, the building served as a park visitor center, museum, and inn. It was even a ski lodge from 1937 to the mid-1940s. Yet the building cost a fortune to maintain, and it fell into serious disrepair.
The historical mansion, formerly known as ‘the High Point Inn,’ was eventually demolished in 1995, yet the legacy of its name still remains.
Trip Summary
Tackling this summit was part of my thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, as 18 miles of this National Scenic Trail goes right through High Point State Park. For visitors who don’t want to hike quite that many miles though, I’d recommend starting a hike from the State Park Headquarters about 1.5 miles away from the summit.
New Jersey is known to have a fairly large black bear presence, and I can vouch this is true! About a mile south of the State Park Headquarters (or 2.5 miles from the High Point monument), I saw two adult black bears lumbering off the trail.
The slower of the two bears was, without a doubt, the biggest bear I saw during my Appalacahian Trail thru-hike, and possibly in my life. It was approximately 4.5 feet tall while walking on all fours!! Unfortunately, I didn’t get any photos as I was too surprised to pull my camera out in time.
After my bear encounter, I alertly continued north on the Appalachian Trail and popped out of the forest near the Park Headquarters. While stopping to sign their visitor log, I was offered a free cold soda just for being a thru-hiker (talk about an incentive to stop by!!)
From there, it was just another easy mile north to the observation deck above Lake Marcia (which, coincidentally is pronounced mar-SEE-ah, not marsh-a). This raised platform also provides great views to the north of the Veteran’s Memorial tower that sits upon the NJ’s highest natural point.
My arrival coincided with the noon hour, so I decided the observation deck was the ideal spot for lunch and I chatted up a few tourists, who cheerily asked me to take their photos.
As I ate, I could also see and hear people enjoying the sunny day down at Marcia Lake, as I was nearly tempted to get off trail for a swim. But, I still had miles to hike before camp, so I pushed on toward the monument instead.
After a short walk north on the Appalachian Trail, I reached the trail junction for the high point. There weren’t any obvious signs directing people off the main trail and up to the summit’s monument. But I found the side trail marked with some green blazes because I’d (luckily) known to look for them ahead of time.
After crossing over Monument Road (the paved road leading to the summit’s parking lot), the trail markers directing people to the summit became more obvious. Overall, the trek up to the top of New Jersey was pretty easy, with just a moderate incline.
The monument itself is a 200-foot-tall obelisk built in the late 1920s with views of the surrounding mountains. I didn’t climb to the top of the tower that day during my brief pit stop, though. I just took a few quick photos and returned to the shade of the Appalachian Trail to continue my journey north to Maine.
Details
When to Visit: Year-round. The park is open from 8 am to 8 pm from mid-March to October 31st, and from 8 am to 4:30 pm from November 1st to the second Saturday in March.
Getting There: The high point sits in High Point State Park, in the far northwest corner of the state, about 8 miles southeast of Port Jervis, New York.
Entrance Fees: Entrance fees for NJ residents is $5 on weekdays and $10 on weekends/holidays. For non-residents, it’s $10 for weekdays and $20 for weekends/holidays. (Note: there is no fee if you access the park on foot or by bicycle.)
Parking: There’s ample parking at the monument, at Lake Marcia, and at the Park Headquarters – depending on how far you’d like to walk. Park bathrooms are located adjacent to the summit’s parking lot.
Accessibility: Suitable for all ages and abilities.
Bonus: Lake Marcia, a spring-fed 20-acre lake, is open for swimming in the summer months. There are also 50 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Just be alert for the bears!
Resources:
- Overview of High Point, NJ (Summit Post)
- High Point State Park (NJ State Parks)
- Trail Map – High Point State Park (NJ State Parks)