New Jersey trails · Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
A 15.0-mile section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in New Jersey, with 743 ft of climbing. The full trail runs about 2,197 miles. Reaches Sunrise Mountain and other lake/pass/summit/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the state.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 47% of the ascent falls between mile 5.0 and mile 10.0. It gives back about 1,884 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Sunrise Mountain (summit)
- Big Muckshaw Pond (historical) (lake)
- Culvers Gap (pass)
- Sunrise Moutain Overlook (viewpoint)
Getting there
Tinsley Trail access — parking nearby. 41.21079, -74.73350 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:55 a.m., the sun rises at 6:24 a.m. and sets at 7:33 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:02 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 10 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 30.0-mile round trip takes roughly 11 h 51 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 6:15 p.m. — 1 h 18 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Rutherford Shelter Trail + Connector - Appalachian Trail, Rutherford Shelter + Appalachian National Scenic Trail — 4.4 mi loop, 173 ft gain
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail + Connector - Appalachian Trail, Blue Mountain Trail + Blue Mountain Trail — 4.5 mi loop, 917 ft gain
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail + Rattlesnake Swamp Trail — 8.4 mi loop, 1,114 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Monument Trail — 9.2 mi
- Sussex Branch Trail — 11.3 mi
- Lehigh and Hudson Trail — 12.5 mi
- Blue Mt Lake Trail — 13.0 mi