Hiking High Mountain

High Mountain Park Preserve is a large, but often overlooked, park located in Wayne, New Jersey. The namesake of the park is the 879-foot High Mountain, the tallest peak in the Watchung Mountains. A moderate 4.2-mile loop hike will take you the summit, where visitors are greeted with excellent views of New York City.

Background

The Watchung Mountains are a set of three parallel ridges in northeastern New Jersey. During the breakup of Pangaea 200 million years ago, the area of the present-day Watchung Mountains started to rift. This area is known as the Newark Basin. The rifting caused lava to flood the region on three separate occasions. In between each volcanic extrusion, volcanic activity was limited. This allowed sediment to accumulate on top of the hardened lava (basalt). This process created an alternating geology of basalt and sedimentary rocks. During the Jurassic Period, the western end of the Newark Basin dipped into the crust, tilting the entire basin. Erosion since as eroded the sedimentary rock down, leaving the prominent and more erosion-resistant basalt Watchung Mountains.

High Mountain is located on the middle ridge, often referred to as the Second Watchung Mountain or Preakness Mountain. High Mountain is the highest peak in the Watchung Mountains as a whole, rising to an elevation of 879 feet. Like the other Watchung Mountains, High Mountain has sparse development on the mountain itself. This is despite its location in the densely populated area of Passaic County near or in Paterson, Haledon, and Wayne.

Other parks on the Second Watchung Mountain include Hilltop Reservation, and the South Mountain and Watchung Reservations, which are located on both the First and Second Watchung Mountains. Next to High Mountain and on top of the Second Watchung Mountain is William Paterson University.

The Hike

Begin at the parking area off University Drive. In the parking lot, you will see a directory and the start of the Red Trail. Take the Red Trail. Begin a gentle hike for about three-quarters of a mile. You will reach an obvious T-intersection with the Yellow Trail on the right. The Red Trail continues forward. Turn right onto the Yellow Trail. The Yellow Trail begins relatively gently as it weaves its way through High Mountain Preserve. After about three-quarters of a mile on the Yellow Trail, you will encounter the only slightly steep section. This marks the final climb to the summit of High Mountain. The trail follows a woods road on the final stretch to the summit, so even though it is uphill, it is not too challenging. Near the true summit of High Mountain, you will reach an excellent overlook of New York City.

High Mountain Summit

As you approach the summit, you will see a large clearing ahead featuring a large solar-powered structure. The structure is a 25-foot star that is lit up at night, which was installed as a symbol of hope during the COVID-19 pandemic. The star is visible to many communities to the east of High Mountain. These include parts of North Haledon, Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff, and Hawthorne.

Directly next to the star is the highlight of the hike: an excellent view featuring New York City in the distance. Other major sites that are visible are the City of Paterson (ahead) and Garret Mountain (to the far right/southeast).

After taking in the view from the overlook, continue on the Yellow Trail to reach the true summit. The trail quickly turns into an open meadow featuring tall grass and very few trees. Along the way, you will see an obvious trail on the left leading to a painted rock featuring an American Flag. The rock is only a few feet off the trail, and would likely be a popular resting spot if it were shaded.

Near the flag, you reach the true summit of High Mountain, the highest peak of the Watchung Mountains.

The Return Hike

To return to your car, you have two options. You can either retrace your steps the way you came or continue on the Yellow Trail. If continuing on the Yellow Trail, you will almost immediately start the descent off High Mountain. The descent is less steep than the ascent, but the trail is more natural and does not follow a woods road. Nevertheless, the descent is not particularly challenging or long. Continue for about a half mile until you reach an obvious 4-way intersection with the Red Trail. Turn left onto the Red Trail and begin the easy 1.5-mile hike back to the parking lot.

GPS Route

Attached is the route as described above for reference. Additionally users can download the route to use on their preferred GPS. How to use the GPS routes on your phone.

GPX Download

KML Download

Additional Information

• High Mountain Park Preserve features many unmarked trails. The Red and Yellow Trails are obvious, but be aware that you are on the right trail.