Norvin Green State Forest is easily my favorite park in New Jersey. It offers a perfect mix of everything a hiker could want, from impressive waterfalls and scenic overlooks to more unusual landmarks like the locally legendary Stone Living Room.
While Norvin Green may not be for everyone, lacking the typical amenities some might expect from a park, such as restrooms, picnic tables, or playgrounds, it is a true hiker’s paradise, especially considering how close it is to the major population centers of northeastern New Jersey. The park features what feels like endless miles of rugged trails leading to a variety of noteworthy destinations.
It is one of the few places in the state where I can say I’ve hiked every single trail multiple times, and each one is a winner. Below, you will find my picks for the best things to do in Norvin Green State Forest.
A Note About The Map Before You Visit
Norvin Green is large, featuring two distinct sections and multiple parking areas. It is also confusing at times due to the number of intersecting trails. This is not helped by the fact that the trails seem to be redone every year. To make matters worse, the trail map on the park website is inaccurate as of May 2026, even though the most recent trail blazes were completed in October of 2025. Before visiting, make sure you have the updated map, found here. Fortunately, the updated map is posted at the trailheads and at all major intersections. The northern section is still accurate and can be found on the outdated map, here.
The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, who build and maintains the trails, wrote this about the changes:
I’d argue the frequent changes are more confusing.
Enjoy The Scenic Views
What truly sets Norvin Green State Forest apart from other parks in the New Jersey Highlands is its topography. The park’s steep, rugged terrain leads to some of the most impressive peaks in the region, rewarding hikers with excellent views.
Wyanokie High Point
Easily the most popular overlook in the park (and arguably the region) is the Wyanokie High Point. This bad summit offers a spectacular 360-degree panorama of the vast Wanaque Reservoir, the Wyanokie Mountains, and the New York City skyline in the distance.
A moderately challenging one-mile ascent brings you to the top of this rocky bald peak. While not an easy hike, it is the easiest major summit in the park and offers the best view-to-effort ratio in the park.
Read more about visiting the Wyanokie High Point here.
Carris Hill
For those looking for something more challenging, Carris Hill is a must. This trail utilizes steep switchbacks to climb the side of Carris Hill, providing nearly continuous views of the reservoir and the New York City skyline as you climb. While it lacks the full 360-degree panoramic view of Wyanokie High Point, the frequency of the overlooks is a fair replacement. Carris Hill, in my opinion, has the best views in the park.
Torne Mountain, Osio Rock and the Stone Living Room
Torne Mountain, Osio Rock, and the Stone Living Room are perfect for those wanting a quick hike with a good payoff. This quick 2.5-mile figure-eight loop offers impressive views of New York City and the surrounding Wyanokie Mountains. For those wanting an even shorter hike, visitors can simply hike to Torne Mountain, which still offers a scenic trail just over a mile long. This short loop is perfect for those wanting a quick, but not too easy hike.
In addition to the scenic views, Torne Mountain also features a local landmark known as the “Stone Living Room.” This hangout spot features an impressively built circular bench at the summit of Torne Mountain.
Read more about visiting these destinations here.
Other Peaks
While the above peaks offer the best and most well-known views, there are multiple other peaks in the park also offering excellent views including Buck Mountain which features a near vertical rock scramble, Assiniwikam Mountain, which features a quiet winding trail on the summit, Ball Mountain which features views of the neighboring and much higher peaks, and Manaticut Point in the northern section of the park offering secluded overlooks.
Waterfalls
Norvin Green is also home to a series of impressive waterfalls. Two of these are well-known and frequently visited, and for good reason, but there are also a handful of waterfalls that most visitors do not even know exist.
Otter Hole Falls
The easiest waterfall in the park to reach is, without a doubt, Otter Hole Falls. From the Otter Hole Parking area on Glenwild Road, this is just a few hundred-foot hike to the 15-foot Otter Hole Falls. The trail actually passes over this wide, multi-step waterfall. There is no bridge here, but there is an easy rock-hop across that is accessible to most visitors.
Learn more about visiting Otter Hole (and Chikahoki) Falls here.
Chikahoki Falls
Located about 1.5 miles downstream from Otter Hole Falls is the impressive Chikahoki Falls, the tallest and arguably most scenic waterfall in the park. While already impressive, Chikahoki Falls splits into two side-by-side drops during periods of high water. Given its relative ease of access and proximity to Otter Hole Falls, it is recommended to visit both together. For those also wanting some incredible vistas as well, Chikahoki Falls is located at the base of the previously mentioned Carris Hill.
Visiting Otter Hole Falls and Chikahoki Falls is my recommendation for people seeking a scenic hike without the steep climbs associated with the overlooks.
Learn more about visiting Chikahoki (and Otter Hole) Falls here.
Off-Trail Waterfalls
While Otter Hole Falls and Chikahoki Falls are the most well-known waterfalls in the park, there are actually a handful of lesser-known waterfalls on the same waterway (Posts Brook) between Otter Hole Falls and Chikahoki Falls. Those comfortable exploring off-trail can reach these impressive cascades.
Learn more about reaching these hidden waterfalls here.
Wyanokie Falls
At the base of the Wyanokie High Point and Ball Mountains is the little-known, 15-foot Wyanokie Falls. Despite a trail crossing directly above the cascade, it is surprisingly hard to see in full as the trail never reaches the bottom. From the top, it appears that the water simply disappears into the rocks below. More adventurous visitors can scramble down to see the waterfall in full.
Learn more about Wyanokie Falls here.
Camp Wyanokie Falls
Another seldom-known waterfall is the 13-foot Camp Wyanokie Falls. This waterfall is perfect for those looking for solitude, as this is one of the least-trafficked sections of the park, which is surprising considering how nice this waterfall and the trail leading to it are.
Learn more about Camp Wyanokie Falls here.
Areas For Those Looking For Solitude
Norvin Green is a very popular park, and even on weekdays outside of summer, you will likely run into other visitors. While it might seem impossible to avoid the crowds, there are a few quieter areas where you can find peace, in addition to Wyanokie Falls and Camp Wyanokie Falls, as mentioned above.
The Northern Park
Many people do not realize that Norvin Green is actually two separate tracts of land. Most people only know and visit the southern section, which features all the main sites listed above. This means that the northern section is virtually empty in comparison. If you want to escape the weekend crowds at High Point, head toward Lake Sonoma or Manaticut Point on the northern section of the park.
This section becomes especially valuable, as many parking areas in the southern park are too small to accommodate the crowds they receive. You will always be able to find parking at the Manaticut Point Trailhead.
Explore Some of the Less Popular Trails in the Southern Section
Despite most crowds being in the southern part of the park, there are still a few less popular trails that offer varying degrees of solitude. Arguably, the best area for this is the Will Monroe Loop Trail on Assiniwikam Mountain, which rarely sees visitors. Alternatively, the Mine Loop Trail is similarly quiet and passes a few mines.
Just Outside the Park
While Norvin Green offers days’ worth of activities on its own, there are a few interesting sites just outside the park for those who don’t want to hike.
Camp at Camp Wyanokie
Just outside the forest lies the rustic Camp Wyanokie. This campground offers almost no amenities but is among the closest campgrounds to northeastern New Jersey. In fact, the campground was created for residents of some Essex County towns to have a nature escape, though anyone can camp.
Learn more about Camp Wyanokie on their website.
Swim in a Natural Pool
Directly next to the parking area accessing the Wyanokie High Point is the Highlands Natural Pool. This pool is open to the public in the summer and is filled by Blue Mine Brook. The grounds also feature multiple picnic areas, basketball nets, volleyball courts, and fields for play.
As it is natural, you may find some critters in the pool. While I have never visited, I have seen videos of frogs and snakes in the pool, which may be a turn-on or turn-off for you, depending on how you feel about sharing the pool with snakes.,
Learn more about the Highlands Natural Pool on their website.
Attend a Program at the New Weis Center
Also next to the parking area for the Wyanokie High Point, is the New Weis Center which offers many programs throughout the year. Note that this is not a visitor center, and access is only for those registered for their program.
Learn more about the New Weis Center on their website.
Drive Past the Famous Purple House
On the approach to the parking area for the Wyanokie High Point (as well as the Highlands Natural Pool and New Weis Center) is the impossible-to-miss Purple House. Not only is the house completely purple, but the property also features multiple purple vehicles and assorted purple decor. This eye-catching house is actually owned by Sandra Ramos, 84 (as of 2026), founder of Strengthen Our Sisters, the first shelter for battered women in North America.
Learn more about this eclectic house and its owner here.
Explore on Your Own
Norvin Green State Forest features over 50 miles of trails and over 5,00 acres of land. In addition, many trails, most notably the more than 150-mile Highlands Trail, connect to neighboring parks, offering nearly limitless trail options. Needless to say, there are plenty of things to do and areas to explore that are not listed above. In fact, my personal favorite destination is not listed.
Leave a Reply