How far can kids hike?
Plan on about 1 mile per hour. That pace sounds slow, but it accounts for what actually happens on a trail with children: rock climbing, stick collecting, and bug inspection. The key is lots of breaks with water and snacks. Under those conditions, most kids can do 1 to 4 miles and finish happy. Pick a route at the short end for your youngest hiker.
Nature center trail at Liberty State Park (Jersey City)
Start at the Nature Interpretive Center off Freedom Way and walk the path through the Richard J. Sullivan Natural Area, a 36-acre tidal salt marsh with the Manhattan skyline behind it. The Richard J. Sullivan Natural Area Loop on AllTrails runs 1.4 flat miles, and the center itself gives kids a reason to linger. Park in the lot at the Nature Center on Freedom Way. Park information is on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Liberty State Park page.
Caven Point at Liberty State Park (Jersey City)
Caven Point is a natural beach, salt marsh, and boardwalk at the south end of the park, and it is the closest thing to a wild shoreline in the harbor. It is open only from fall through late winter; the trail closes the rest of the year to protect nesting shorebirds, so check the NJDEP park page for current dates. Park at the Camp Liberty parking lot, not the boat ramp lot, where you will get a ticket. The walk to the beach and back runs about 2 miles, or follow the full Liberty State Park, Caven Point, Port Liberty route on AllTrails for 4.6 miles.
Richard W. DeKorte Park (Lyndhurst)
DeKorte Park sits in the middle of the Meadowlands, with flat gravel paths and boardwalks running between tidal pools full of egrets, herons, and skyline views. Individual trails run about 1 mile each, so families can combine them to fit the day; the Shorewalk, Marsh, Transco, Sawmill, and Lyndhurst Nature Trails network on AllTrails covers 3.3 miles in all. Park in the main lot at DeKorte Park Plaza. Sections have been closed for storm damage, so check current conditions on the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) parks page.
Hawk Rise Sanctuary (Linden)
This 95-acre New Jersey Audubon sanctuary hides behind an industrial stretch of Linden, which makes the osprey nests and marsh overlooks feel like a discovery. The Hawk Rise Sanctuary loop on AllTrails is 1.3 flat miles of gravel and boardwalk, a comfortable length for the youngest hikers. Park in the small lot at the sanctuary entrance off Lower Road. Trail information is on the New Jersey Audubon Hawk Rise page. Note that dogs are not allowed and the only facility is a portable toilet.
Flat Rock Brook Nature Center (Englewood)
Flat Rock Brook packs a cascading stream, a quarry pond with snapping turtles, a playground, and a nature center into 3.6 miles of trails on the Palisades ridge. The White Loop and Red Loop combination on AllTrails is a 1.2-mile circuit that reviewers single out for kids. Park in the nature center lot on Van Nostrand Avenue. Download the trail map from the Flat Rock Brook trails page before you visit, since printed maps are no longer available on site.
South Mountain Reservation (Millburn)
The Fairy Trail is the best first hike in New Jersey for young kids. Dozens of miniature houses line a half-mile stretch of the white-blazed Rahway Trail from the Locust Grove parking lot, steps from the Millburn train station. Continue along the river for the Rahway and Maple Falls Trail Loop on AllTrails. Visitor details are on the South Mountain Conservancy Fairy Trail page, and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (NYNJTC) publishes free maps of the reservation in its Lenape Trail guide.
Watchung Reservation (Mountainside)
Union County's largest park is built for families: the Trailside Nature and Science Center has exhibits and a playground, the shoreline paths around Lake Surprise stay mostly flat, and the Deserted Village of Feltville gives kids ruins to explore. Park at the Trailside Nature and Science Center lot on New Providence Road. Browse the kid-friendly trails in Watchung Reservation on AllTrails, and print the Union County trail map or start from the county park page.
Hike with us
Wilderness Ramblers hikes and camps year round with families from Jersey City and the surrounding towns. If your kids are ready for trails, campfires, and time outdoors, we would love to meet you. Express interest here.
