Hike Distance: 7.7 miles
Trails: Appalachian, blue
My Map:
(a note on my map, I forgot to un-pause GPS after sitting, but I essentially retraced my steps.)
There’s a lady who’s sure
All that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to Heaven
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Oh oh oh oh and she’s buying a stairway to Heaven
Like the famous song, this hike is usually listed in the top three hikes of New Jersey. The scenery is gorgeous. The boardwalks and suspension bridge are great. The “Stairway to Heaven” portion of the the Appalachian Trail is steep and rugged, but the payoff is totally worth it.
This had been on my to do list for a long time; but since I knew it was such popular hike I had to find the right time to do it. The Sunday of Labor Day seemed as good as any. Be warned, parking is crazy: lots are small, the parking on the road in the Pochuk Valley is limited, and the local towns are fierce with their ticketing. I left the house at 6:00 in the morning, figuring if I got there “too early” I could nap. I was the 5th car by the boardwalks, arriving at 8:00. But, I couldn’t nap, so I headed out.
This hike is an out an back. From Pinwheel Vista at the top of Wawayanda Mountain, retrace your steps. I’ve divided this hike up into three sections: The Pochuck Valley boardwalk, the middle, and Stairway to Heaven, with the terminus at Pinwheel Vista.
There’s a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
‘Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook
There’s a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiving
The first section contains the boardwalks of Pochuck Valley, and there were plenty of people just walking the boards. It was 59 degrees when I started, and the temps were only supposed to get into the low 70s. Boardwalks are easy going, and I made the best time here. But the scenery is incredible; lots of wild flowers. There were tons of crickets, making a symphony of noise. Bozza’s Aria it wasn’t.
One of the neatest features is the suspension bridge over Pochuck Creek.
Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it makes me wonder
The next section I deemed the middle, and it roughly started at the bike path at Canal Road. It was here that the boardwalk ended, and I moved into the woods; hard-packed dirt and a wide trail. Due to the constant shade, it was noticeably cooler on this section.
Also, there were a handful of stiles to go over the fences; though some of the fences were missing. (I still went over the stiles when I could.)
The stile above deposited you into a farm where there were cows (not until my way back.) And yes, you had to watch where you walked.
And yes, that’s Wawayanda Mountain in the background. Imposing.
There’s a feeling I get
When I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who standing looking
Upon crossing the last stile you’re deposited in the roadway. Be careful crossing, cars go flying by. (There’s also a dairy farm a short trip up the road, I didn’t stop, it was too crowded.) Here, for a small lot, there were a ton of cars. All of these people were just climbing the mountain to head to Pinwheel Vista. I apologize, there are not too many pictures of the climb up….you’ll understand in a minute.
These pictures don’t do it justice. And really, there are a lot of “stairs.” A. LOT. Plus, in some sections it gets pretty steep. I didn’t break out the poles because there were sections where you needed at least one hand in addition to your feet to climb. Looking at my split times, this section had the slowest time. Parts of it were brutal. And it was slow going with the number of people out today.
And it’s whispered that soon, If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter
You’ll know you’ve reached the top when you reach the humongous pile of rocks. Head to the left to get to Pinwheel Vista.
I, however, wanted to see the mailbox for AT thru hikers, which was less than a half-mile down the path.
Coming back from the mailbox, make a right at the pile of rocks and head to Pinwheel Vista. It is easy to see why this trail ranks so highly, the views are definitely worth it.
It was so clear I could see the High Point monument directly across from me (way in the distance.) And you could just barely see Mt. Tammany in the Water Gap. I sat for quite a while, as it was an exhausting climb and I needed water and something to eat.
If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow
Don’t be alarmed now
It’s just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on
And it makes me wonder
To get back, retrace your steps. I left Pinwheel Vista at the perfect time, a little before noon. There was an endless stream of people coming up – switchbacks were jammed up, basically with traffic jams. And I saw people on those rocks with flipflops and crocs and no water or anything to eat. I tried to keep a good pace going down, but didn’t want to overtake the family in front of me. Two little girls were bounding on the rocks until one pulled up sharply and shrieked.
A New Jersey Black Rat snake. I got a good picture and high tailed it out of there.
I think I stopped counting around 300 people that I passed, and it surely had to be more.
Your head is humming and it won’t go
In case you don’t know
The piper’s calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow?
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?
On the way back down I was able to stop at Annie’s Bluff, which was packed with people when I was climbing. It was a limited view, but nice none-the-less.
Upon reaching the bottom it was a relatively flat return to the car. However, the cows were out.
And I spotted this guy basking in the sun.
There were tons of people on the boardwalk and I got back to my car around 1:00. The road was packed and there were people still showing up, I suspect many were only walking the boardwalk.
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
And she’s buying a stairway to Heaven
All in all, this was a great hike; it’s easy to see why this hike ranks so highly in polls. The Pochuck Valley and middle sections are easy enough, you will work hard on “the Stairs.” But the payoff is worth it. The trail is super easy to follow, it’s the Appalachian Trail. Supposedly the trail to the vista is blazed blue, but I didn’t see any blazes.
My only concern is the amount of litter on the trail, presumably a factor of the amount of people. I saw masks, paper towels, tissues, etc. In fact, I kept my mask on from the time I left the Vista until I reached my car due to the number of people. If you can do this hike mid-week or in sub optimal weather, do it. I had no solitude today.
Ticks: 0
Blazes:
Hiked: 9/6/2020
Thanks to Robert, Jimmy, John, and John for allowing me this cliche comparison.