Issue #2 — Wednesday, May 6, 2026
A weekly pick of one family-friendly hike within a 2-hour drive of Hoboken — always with an "aha" worth the gas money.
You start on a half-mile elevated boardwalk floating over a black-dirt wetland — one of the longest boardwalk sections on the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail — then cross a 110-foot suspension bridge over Pochuck Creek. From there you climb switchbacks nicknamed the "Stairway to Heaven" up to Pinwheel Vista at 1,400 feet, where the ridge drops away and you get a full 360° panorama: High Point Monument to the north, the Kittatinny Ridge rolling south, and the entire Pochuck Valley farmland spread below like a quilt.
A swamp, a suspension bridge, and a summit — three completely different worlds in one hike. That's why it earns the slot.Park at the Appalachian Trail lot on Route 517 in Vernon (small gravel lot, room for maybe 20 cars). Walk south on the AT. Within minutes you're on the boardwalk — half a mile of elevated planks through the Pochuck Valley wetland. It's flat, gorgeous, and the star of the show for younger kids. At the end you cross the suspension bridge, then continue through a farm field (yes, with cows — stick to the white blazes and the stiles). This is your natural turnaround for the boardwalk-only version: ~1 mile total, no elevation, perfect for ages 3+.
For the full hike, cross Canal Road and then Route 94, pick up the AT again on the far side, and start climbing. The next mile is the real work — rocky switchbacks gaining about 1,000 feet through hardwood forest. Follow white AT blazes the entire way. Near the top, a short spur trail on the right leads to Pinwheel Vista, a broad exposed rock ledge with a view that goes for miles in every direction.
Return the same way. The descent is steep but short. Most of the hike's mileage is flat, which makes the elevation gain feel manageable even for kids who are new to hills.
Fifteen minutes north across the state line, Warwick Village is a postcard-perfect Main Street town surrounded by orchards. Some easy hits after the hike:
Water (1L+ per person), waterproof hiking shoes or boots, bug spray, sunscreen, snacks, layers for the summit breeze, and a phone with the trail map downloaded offline (cell service drops in the valley). Trekking poles are nice for the rocky descent but not essential.