Hiking Tails: Norvin Green State Forest

Norvin Green State Forest is definitely a new found gem of ours in New Jersey. We explored a small section of this untouched 5,000 acre forest providing a beautiful home to birds and other wildlife. The uphill rocky trek on the High Point trail is well worth every gasp of air you take making your way up. Once you reach the top, you'll find amazing views including the New York Skyline and the Wanaque Reservoir. Since it was a cloudy day, we were unable to get clear photographs of the Skyline, but we were able to catch a glimpse in the distance. This is definitely a place to consider when looking for a challenging, yet rewarding hike in New Jersey.

A Little Bit of History

It's a shame that we cannot find much written history of this area. According to the New York New Jersey Trail Conference, Norvin Hewitt Green, nephew of Ringwood Manor owner Abram S. Hewitt, donated much of this land to the State of New Jersey in 1946. Visit USA goes on to explain that it is part of the Wyanokie Wilderness Area and is home to an extensive trail system built from old logging roads. Several trails link up with public and private facilities including the Weis Ecology Center and the Wanaque reservoir property. The existing trails are either old forest roads or new trails constructed by volunteers.

The Highlands Natural Pool and Weis Ecology Center

We were, however, able to find some history about the Highlands Natural Pool that you'll pass along the trek. The Highlands Pool is located in the Wyanokie Highlands adjacent to the Norvin Green State Forest. In 1921 Camp Midvale was founded as a haven for working people seeking refuge, recreation, community, and nature by a group of outdoor enthusiasts called the Nature Friends. In 1935, Nature Friends volunteers carved the present pool out of the hillside by hand. In 1974, Walter and May Weis provided an endowment in order to realize their dream of preserving land for the purpose of environmental education. Thus the former Camp Midvale property became the Weis EcologyCenter (WEC), a private, non-profit organization created to offer the public a unique opportunity to learn about the Northern New Jersey Highlands Region. The WEC later became one of New Jersey Audubon Society's centers. WEC closed the pool in 1994. In 1995, New Jersey Audubon agreed to allow the community to open the pool and in 1996 The Community Association of the Highlands incorporated, reopening the site as the Highlands Pool. In 1998, NJAS/WEC formally donated the pool to the community. In 2012 NJ Audubon Society closed the WEC. The fate of the buildings and surrounding structures are unknown as of 2014. The Highlands Natural Pool remains open and run by the community.

The Details

Trail Map: PDF Map of Norvin State Forest Trails

Parking: See Google Maps Location below.
N41 04.192 W74 19.303

The Hike

The trek is moderate to difficult (factoring in the rockiness and uphill climbs during the trail).

Our hike was 4.09 miles and took us a 3.19 hours to complete; stopping several times for water breaks and pictures. We had fun with this hike and didn't follow one specific trail. The trail markers are very visible on the trees and the map is pretty easy to follow. Don't forget to bring your map!

Check out our adventures below!