NW New Jersey

Visit the Delaware Water Gap Region for a view of New Jersey’s tallest waterfall! You won’t have to go far; it’s right at the trailhead! But if you have the time, I highly recommend this 6.5 mile loop. It’s challenging, but well worth it to experience a beautiful trek through the woods, a stretch on the Appalachian trail, and a lake only accessible by trail. Afterward, head to Hampton Township for robust brew at the viking-inspired Angry Erik Brewing! 

THE HIKE: Buttermilk Falls Loop

Length: 6.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,381 ft
Difficulty: Challenging
Time: 3 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets,
Parking: Large lot at trailhead, no bathroom facilities, road has no winter
H&H: 5/5

The Delaware Water Gap is a national recreation area managed by the National Park Service. A NRA is a different type of public lands designation with a particular focus on outdoor recreation. Most NRAs are found near urban areas so that they are more accessible to visitors! The 70,000 acre region was designated as NRA in 1975 after long controversy over the building of a dam in the area. Despite having removed families from their land, the government determined that the project was too costly and turned over the property to the NPS for recreation management. 

History 

The Delaware Water Gap region is the ancestral home of the Lenape people. There are several archaeological sites throughout the region that place the Lenape people in the area as far as 10,000 years ago. The first European settlers in the area were Dutch and French settlers from the Hudson Valley. After contact with the northern Lenape, called Munsee, the settlers named the region Minisink. For more information about the history of the region, see here. 

Geology 

A water gap is a place where a stream or river has carved a gap through a mountain ridge or range. In this area, the Delaware River cuts through the Appalachian Mountains, not only forming the gap but also acting as a border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The dramatic region was formed through hundreds of millions of years of water and glacial ice erosion. The river forms a steep gap between the Blue Mountains on the Pennsylvania side and the Kittatinny Ridge on the New Jersey side. Mount Minsi (PA) and Mount Tammany (NJ) are both very popular hikes that feature opposing sides of the DWG. 

The Hike

The Delaware Water Gap region is known for its plethora of waterfalls. Buttermilk Falls is the highest waterfall in New Jersey and is the feature of this hike. This loop will take you up the side of the Falls, along the Appalachian Trail and past two lakes, for a challenging but rewarding 6 mile loop. 

Fees: There are no fees for accessing the trails in the Delaware Water Gap Region. 

Find the Trailhead: The trailhead can be found at Mountain Rd, Layton, NJ 07851 or GPS coordinates: 41.13754848406089, -74.88950898816402. The road to the trailhead is unpaved and can be very bumpy and full of potholes. It’s best traveled with a bigger vehicle or by taking it very slow. Be aware that the road closes in winter and that the dirt parking area can fill up quickly during peak times. The access road is one lane at time and you may have to pull over to let others pass. 

Bathroom: There are no bathrooms at the trailhead but there are composting toilets at Crater Lake, approximately 2.5 miles into the hike. 

You won’t have to go far to enjoy New Jersey’s tallest waterfall; it’s right at the trailhead! But if you have the time, I highly recommend this 6.5 mile loop. It’s challenging, but well worth it to experience a beautiful trek through the woods, a stretch on the Appalachian trail, and a lake only accessible by trail. 

To start, take the stairs up the side of Buttermilk Falls. You’ll gain a lot of elevation in this hike and it’s mostly all in the first 1.5ish miles. Finally, the trail meets up with the Appalachian trail. This section of the trail is mostly flat and easy to traverse so it’s a nice break. Stay on the Appalachian trail for about 0.9 miles then follow the signs for Crater lake, leaving the AT behind. The path curves downhill and the lake is visible through the trees. From here you have a choice. You can do the whole loop around the lake (1.3 miles), or you can go to the small view point before the trail hits the access road. Whichever way you choose, you’ll retrace your steps back to where you left the AT. From there, head straight into the hemlock trees, following signs for Hemlock Lake. We followed the signs to the right for Blue Mountain Lake trail which were blazed green/red but it was difficult to tell. This trail took you around the lake and then met up with Woods Road. Turn left on Woods Road to go up to the lake and even dip your feet in if you need to cool off! From here, follow Woods Road all the way back until it crosses over Buttermilk Falls trail. It’s roughly a mile back to the parking area. 

After a hike like that, you’ve definitely earned a brew! 

THE BEER: Angry Erik Brewery

Address: 2 Camre Dr, Newton, NJ 07860
Distance from Trail Head: 16 miles, 35 mins 
Website: http://www.angryerik.com/
Food?: Bar snacks
Details: Outdoor seating, Dog friendly

Just a warning, this drive might take a long time despite being only 16 miles due to the rough road and winding state forest roads to get out of the woods. Just take it easy and enjoy the ride! 

The husband and wife team of Heide and Erik started Angry Erik Brewing back in 2014. Originally the brewery was located about a mile away but demand soon outgrew the space. Now the brewery has a sprawling 7,000 sqft brewery and taproom right on the Paulinskill Rail Trail with a large outdoor biergarten. But the most striking thing about the taproom isn’t the size; it’s the viking iconography! The bar is set up to look like a viking long ship with a dragons head sprouting from the bow and a tail curling at the stern. Behind the bar a huge mast and sail reach toward the ceiling. It’s quite impressive! To further the viking theme, Angry Erik brews many traditional belgium style ales and some with unique twists. Our favorite of the night was the Leaf Erikson, a harvest amber ale with baking spices. 

We really loved our visit to Angry Erik. I don’t think we’ve ever been to a place that was so welcoming, so ready to chat beer with us, and even willing to take some silly pictures of us. Big thanks to the team to Angry Erik! I hope we’ll be back someday!