Pyramid Mountain to Tripod Rock Trail, Pyramid Mountain National Historic Area, New Jersey

ACTIVITIES: Hiking

LENGTH OF HIKE: 3 miles

OUT AND BACK OR LOOP: Either

DIFFICULTY OF TERRAIN: Moderate

ELEVATION GAIN: 900+ feet

PARKING FEE/PASS: No

TOILETS: Yes, porta-potties at trailhead

CHANGING TABLE: No

NURSING BENCHES: Yes

DOGS ALLOWED: Yes

BIKES/HORSES/MOTORS ON TRAIL: No

CELL RECEPTION: Spotty

DRINKING WATER AVAILABLE: No

POTENTIAL CHILD OR BABY HAZARDS: Steep in some places

GEAR SUGGESTIONS: Baby carriers, bug spray, good hiking shoes

This is a fun trail with the reward of seeing an interesting natural sculpture as well as two scenic overlooks. The Morris County Parks Commission describes Tripod Rock as “a 160-ton boulder balanced on three smaller boulders deposited by the Wisconsin Glacier over 18,000 years ago.”

The trail is rocky and uneven, but lots of fun for experienced hikers. There’s a cute toddler trail at the trailhead if you have a toddler who will be carried on the main hike, but who needs to stretch her legs before jumping into the carrier! This is not a good trail for your first hike, but this is a great trail for families with all ages,  especially after you pass the first mile and the trail becomes relatively level. But don’t let this scare you off. Just plan to carry a bit for sections of the trail if you have a new little hiker.

Expect to see deer, squirrels, chipmunks, maybe a black bear, coyotes, snakes (some are venomous, but most are not), foxes, turtles, and frogs. These are all standard animals on New Jersey trails. As for birds, look for red-bellied woodpeckers, black capped chickadees, scarlet tanagers, and yellow warblers.

Tripod Rock is the main attraction and why you’ll want to visit this trail. Lucy’s Overlook is another reason with a great view and a climb to about 934 feet, which will allow you to see a very distant Manhattan skyline and four mountain ranges on a clear day.

This is an easy park to navigate if you are visiting for the first time. Trails are well marked, and there’s a Nature Center to help direct you if you want additional guidance. The Nature Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30
p.m.

INSIDER’S TIP
There is a large parking lot, but it does get crowded on the weekends, so plan to visit early in the morning if it’s a nice day. If you’re hungry, the Pompton Queen Diner is one of the best diners in NJ, and that’s really saying something as dinereating is a quintessentially Jersey experience. It’s located at 710 NJ-23, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444. It’s about a 15-minute drive from the parking lot
but worth every second.