Who doesn’t love a waterfall hike? Especially one in a beautiful park not far from New York City and Philadelphia.
The hike to the waterfalls at Schooley’s Mountain is a fun and family-friendly way to spend time outdoors. You can have several options to reach the waterfalls, making the hike as short as 1 mile or almost 3 miles, depending on where you start and how you combine the trails.
The guide below shares an option hiking from Fairview Avenue, as well as a few alternatives. So, let’s start planning your next adventure!
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Schooley’s Mountain Waterfall Hike
Schooley’s Mountain County Park is a beautiful, almost 800-acre mountain park in Morris County, New Jersey. There are several trails throughout the park that you can combine in various ways to create the perfect hike for you.
During our hike to the waterfalls, we started at Fairview Avenue, followed the Patriot’s Path (teal trail) to the overlook, and then continued to the Blue Trail to the falls. We treated the hike as an out-and-back, but you can easily make it into a loop using the Pink and Yellow Trails.
Before you visit Schooley’s Mountain, look at a map of the park to plan the best hike for you!
Prepare For Your Hike at Schooley’s Mountain County Park
Parking
We parked at the Langdon Palmer Fishing Access Area on Fairview Avenue for our hike. It’s across the street from the Patriot’s Path, which is the trail we took to the waterfalls at Schooley’s Mountain.
You can also park at the main lot on E. Springtown Road. The hike to the falls from the main lot is shorter (about 1 mile out and back) and a little easier than the route we took.
Amenities
There are no bathrooms at the Langdon Palmet Fishing Access Area parking lot. However, you can find bathrooms near the boathouse at the main parking lot on E Springtown Road.
Pets
Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail.
Be a Responsible Visitor
Remember, as you visit this park, to respect nature. Stay on established paths, pack out your trash (including food waste), and leave what you find behind.
The more popular these destinations become, the more we need to be diligent about keeping our parks and lands clean and safe for all. You can learn more here.
Hike to Schooley’s Mountain Waterfalls via Patriot’s Path
| Trail Location: | The southern entrance of the Patriot’s Path is on Fairview Avenue, across from the Langdon Palmer parking lot |
| Trail Length: | 2.2 miles |
| Trail Difficulty: | The trail is on the harder side of moderate. It is steep at first but then levels out somewhat. |
| Trail Type: | Out and back |
| Elevation Gain: | 530 feet |
| Dog Friendly: | Yes |
Trailhead
It’s easy to access the Patriot’s Path trail from the Langdon Palmer parking area. Just cross the street at the crosswalk to access.
The Initial Climb
Coming from Fairview Avenue, whether you choose to follow the Teal Trail, like we did, or loop via the Yellow (Bee-Line) Trail, you’ll have a moderately steep climb in front of you. The grades of this portion of the trail were about 15-18%, so it’s not as steep as other New Jersey trails, like Mount Tammany, but it still makes you feel like you’re getting a workout!
False Trail to the Falls
About 4/10 mile on the Teal Trail, we saw a sign for the Boulder Gorge Trail. The sign makes it look like you should follow the trail to get to the falls. Don’t do it!
We followed it for a bit before realizing (thanks to my Strava App) that this was not the way to go. The trail to the waterfalls (the Blue Trail) begins at the overlook.
The Overlook at Schooley’s Mountain
The overlook itself is a small opening in the trees, but it still offers some pretty views to the southwest. It’s very open in this area, as several trails converge here. You can pick up the Blue and Pink Trails at this location.
There are also a few benches here, so it’s a nice place for a rest break, especially after that climb.
Blue Trail to the Waterfalls
Follow the Blue Trail down to the waterfalls. This part of the trail is a bit of descent. After about 2/10 mile, you’ll reach the falls.
Waterfalls at Schooley’s Mountain
The falls at Schooley’s Mountain aren’t the most impressive, but they are still very pretty to see.
There are various pools along Electric Brook, including the base of the largest waterfall.
The Blue Trail follows the falls, using stone steps to reach the top.
You can continue along the Blue Trail another half-mile to the main parking lot (and bathrooms) if you’d like. Otherwise, you can do what we did and turn around.
Alternate Return Route
Due to timing and weather, we chose to return to our car via the Teal Trail. However, you can lengthen your hike by taking the Pink Trail (passing the rock outcrop) and continuing on the Yellow Trail.
Schooley’s Mountain Waterfall Hike Wrap-Up
Overall, we really enjoyed our hike at Schooley’s Mountain. I would have loved to have spent more time at the park, but the weather decided otherwise.
One of the park’s best features is the many trails you can combine to “choose your own adventure”. They are all well-marked (except for the one misleading sign) and well-maintained. This is a beautiful place to hike in North Jersey! It reminded me a bit of the Moncacy Hill Recreation Area in Pennsylvania, so if you enjoyed this hike, you’ll like that one, too.
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