New Jersey trails · Highlands
Highlands
A 10.3-mile out-and-back in New Jersey, with 444 ft of climbing. Reaches Ryker Lake and other lake destinations. Managed by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Elevation profile
The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 1,615 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Ryker Lake (lake)
- Triangle Lake (lake)
- Rock Lodge Pond (lake)
Getting there
Highlands access. About 35 min drive (17 mi) from Dover. 41.07250, -74.53523 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:40 a.m., the sun rises at 7:08 a.m. and sets at 6:19 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:47 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 11 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 20.7-mile round trip takes roughly 8 h 07 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 3:14 p.m. — 3 h 05 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Unmarked Trail (Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area) + Highlands — 1.2 mi loop, 143 ft gain
- Highlands Trail + Highlands — 2.0 mi loop, 255 ft gain
- Access Road + Teal w/ Black Dot + Highlands — 1.8 mi loop, 257 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Edison — 2.0 mi
- Bearfort Waters - Clinton Trail — 3.7 mi
- Four Birds — 4.9 mi
- Highlands; Lake Hopatcong Trail — 7.9 mi