Stairway to Heaven Trail
Stairway to Heaven Trail
4.5
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Duration: More than 3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
61 reviews
Excellent
44
Very good
15
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Marc M
5 contributions
Sep 2022
After figuring out where the heck to park, this is a beautiful trail. Nothing rigorous as far as hiking goes as it's a boardwalk created part of the trail. Only a small section doesn't have the boardwalk. We walked to the bridge and back. Really peaceful, nice scenery, good hike. Def. recommend for a very casual hiker or a family.
Written September 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Megan C
4 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
Found it extremely hard to find. Be sure to type in ‘Cuilcagh Mountain’ and not the forum which is a 50 min drive from where you want to go! Once you find it after great difficulty it is soooo worth it! Be sure to pack plenty of water as it is needed! When you reach the top it is worth all the hassle of finding it! Amazing and would recommend it to anyone
Written May 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joe G
Vernon, NJ223 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
This is a moderately hard trail that is quite steep in some places. Before it had a name (Stairway To Heaven) it was a locally known part of the AT leading up from Vernon to Waywayonda State Park. In the past it was lightly traveled but now it's part of the "Bag an Iconic Trail" scene with the small parking lot on Route 94 at the trailhead totally jammed with cars. Getting to the top will take an hour to hour and a half if you take your time and enjoy the forest with its several lookouts on the way up. Many switchbacks allow for a gradual ascent but again there are some fairly steep parts. Kids 5 or 6 and older can probably make it if you take your time, as can older folks. Wear good hiking shoes with nonslip soles and good ankle support. Many parts of the trail are wet and/or slippery. The view from the top is beautiful especially if you time your visit to make the top at sunset. View faces due West with High Point Monument visible in the distance. Bring water and a snack. There is no reliable potable water on the trail.
Written July 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Acer
1 contribution
Oct 2020
This place used to be gorgeous...but now it's incredibly overcrowded no matter what day you go. Litter everywhere, people laying loud music, hard to park. Impossible to keep a safe distance on narrow, steep, rocky trail. Probably a COVID-19 hotspot. Definitely skip it and find somewhere else to hike!
Written October 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary M
282 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
My Girlfriend and I have wanted to do this hike for a while now and finally got a chance to do it yesterday. The view from the top was amazing, and we were able to see the High Point monument in the distance. Plenty of places to sit and eat lunch when you are up top.
For starters we did the whole trail and by that I mean we parked on Rt 517 and started on the boardwalk. In my opinion you are better off just parking at the Rt 94 parking lot and heading up the mountain, your not missing much. I GPS tracked our walk from the starting point to the top of the mountain and it was roughly 4 miles one way with an elevation gain of 1007'. Not doing the boardwalk portion would easily cut almost 2 miles out which would save your legs for scrambling up the mountain. It was a beautiful view from the top, well worth the hike. Not as good as Mt. Tammany on the NJ/PA border or Breakneck Ridge in NY state but still a great hike nonetheless.
For starters we did the whole trail and by that I mean we parked on Rt 517 and started on the boardwalk. In my opinion you are better off just parking at the Rt 94 parking lot and heading up the mountain, your not missing much. I GPS tracked our walk from the starting point to the top of the mountain and it was roughly 4 miles one way with an elevation gain of 1007'. Not doing the boardwalk portion would easily cut almost 2 miles out which would save your legs for scrambling up the mountain. It was a beautiful view from the top, well worth the hike. Not as good as Mt. Tammany on the NJ/PA border or Breakneck Ridge in NY state but still a great hike nonetheless.
Written May 3, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patti B
Vernon, NJ77 contributions
May 2015 • Family
I made the climb with my daughter. We're both in reasonable shape, but we could both use a lot more exercise. We made it to the top of the mountain and took a picture on Pinwheel. We had a great sense of accomplishment because we're not avid hikers, and I hope this review convinces others to do so as well.
Don't forget the bug spray. :)
Don't forget the bug spray. :)
Written April 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
coachmikec
Chatham, NJ393 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
If you were going to begin on the boardwalk section which is a very popular and very fun place to walk, I highly recommend you bring bug spray. Especially in the summer months, the mosquitoes are quite troublesome.
There are wonderful scenic portions to the hike and the stairway itself while challenging is very manageable. You will get a wonderful view and this trail has something for everyone
There are wonderful scenic portions to the hike and the stairway itself while challenging is very manageable. You will get a wonderful view and this trail has something for everyone
Written August 27, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mogulz
New Jersey43 contributions
Jun 2016
There is usually plenty of parking along route 94 where the AT crosses the road. Be careful of fast vehicles. The hike begins pretty tame across a couple fields. The trail enters the woods then runs to the south a bit. Once through a boulder field the trail begins to climb. "Annie's Bluff" is a small lookout early in the steep section that is easy to miss. The steep section is a bit more than 1/2 mile. When the tough part is over you'll see an enormous pile of rocks. Keep left here and follow blue blazes a few hundred feet to the Pinwheel Vista. The view is great and there's plenty of room for all the hikers this place attracts.
Written July 4, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hertravel13
NJ289 contributions
Sep 2015 • Family
A rewarding hike at the top of NJ. The AT goes through Vernon and this is a trail cut into Pochunk Mountains. The climb is a little challenging for the very casual, out of shape hiker like me. The trail is rocky and the "stairs" are rocks that have been placed on the trail to make the climb easier. It is not like a flight of stairs. It is like a flight of stairs with rocks, dirt, trees, switchbacks, that climb 1000 feet to the top of the mountain leading to an amazing view at Pinwheel's Vista. Follow the white AT blazes from the parking lot to the top. At the huge rock caron, take the final walk on the blue blazes trail to the very top. If you follow the white trail to the very top, the view is minimal, but you can sign the AT register. This hike isn't for small kids. They'd love the beginning of stepping over branches and rocks, but easily tire of the steep climb an hour in. The trail is about 2.5 miles from the parking lot to the top. Plan about 90 minutes one way up for the casual hiker. Less time if you are physically fit. Coming down is a lot faster but be wary of some of the steep spots. Good weather weekends are busy and you'll pass lots of other hikers. Certain times of the year you can meet thru-hikers on the AT. Bring water and bring a celebratory snack for the top. No bathrooms. For a longer walk, there are other sections of the AT nearby.
Written September 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ejcc273
Clifton, New Jersey3 contributions
Jul 2018
Worth the view, but getting there was very very difficult. And we do hike. At some sections we were literally climbing, hanging on with our bare hands. It was tough to tough for us, but if you are a climber, not just a hiker try it. It is a beautiful view from the top.
Written January 15, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi. I want to do this hike but I want to include the suspension bridge, cow pasture and boards. I have been given conflicting info. Where do I start/park and how long would it be round trip?
Written November 25, 2020
Hi, you should park on Rt 517, start of the boardwalk and walk to Rt 94 at the base of stairway to heaven hike (pinwheel vista). Be careful to not to park in the no parking zone. See the map at njhiking website.
Written November 26, 2020
I’m in pretty good shape, have a bad knee but still love to walk and exercise. My kids are afraid after traveling two hours there might be stuff I might not be able to do. Also, if we wanted to cut the seven miles short can we?
Written July 6, 2019
There is trailhead parking on rt94 that makes the round trip @3miles. You can add more miles once down from the viewpoint by adding the boardwalk
Written August 24, 2019
I'm coming from NYC. What would I type into my GPS to get to the beginning of the trail? (boardwalk).
Written September 15, 2018
It’s just before the intersection of Route 517 and Carol Drive in Vernon NJ if you are heading north on Route 517. There is no parking lot but you can park on the side of the road - only where indicated. They will ticket you if you park on Carol Drive or one of the local side streets because of owners complaints.
Written September 15, 2018
Stairway To Heaven Trail:
Can you tell me how to actually get there? from rt.. 515 or rt.. 94 ? where is the entrance ? parking ?
I'm coming from rt. 23 north..
If I had an address to the parking lot or start I can put it in my GPS..
thanks
Written June 11, 2018
Hey there...we wound up taking Rte. 94. The parking was on the side of the road but you'll know you're there because there's usually other people parked on the side with you. This is the starting point before getting on the boardwalk and suspension bridges. There is parking by the 515 entrance; however we wanted the full experience starting off by the 94 entrance. It's a challenging hike with some rough, uphill terrain...but totally worth it! Have fun ;-)
Written June 22, 2018
Does anybody know how long for this hike? For the whole trip, walk in and out.
Written December 5, 2017
for the Stairway ~2-3 hours depending on stamina and weather. for the entire area trail including the boardwalk plan to double that.
Written December 18, 2017
Does anyone know the address to the entrance to the beginning of the boardwalk area?
Written September 22, 2017
route 517 vernon. you'll pass Some place special plaza if coming from vernon rt 94. you'll see roadside parking ad many cars. I'd you get to The Candy Apple shoppe then you went too far but take advantage of going too far and buy some yummy treats with homemade chocolate.
Written October 3, 2017
How physically fit must an individual be to be able to do this hike? I have arthritis and have a hard time with stairs but I can do a moderate amount of them.
Written July 20, 2017
Zonia,
in your case I would do the hike from the top of the ride out to the scenic outlook. the bottom up to the scenic outlook is pretty much a vertical climb and far too difficult with bad arthritis (I have it in both knees but push through). From the top out was much easier and afforded many spots to stop and rest along the way.
Hope this helps!
Written July 23, 2017
Are there any camping sites near this trail ? I'm going with my aunt on June 28, 2017 to the trails and she would like to camp out for the night.
Written June 25, 2017
Are there any camping sites by this trail ?
Written June 25, 2017
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