Before I tell you about Buttermilk Falls NJ the highest waterfall in New Jersey, I first have to tell you what made me become an outdoors explorer.
My father always took us on adventures around New Jersey when I was a little girl. Most of our experiences would lead us to a park near our house called Shark River Park. Although there were many things to do, I mostly fell in love with the trips we took along the trails.
Walking through the dirt and, at times, muddy terrain or climbing over fallen trees to get to a nearby connecting trail was so much fun to this full of adventure child. These trips to this nearby park left a lasting impression on this little girl to find adventure in the world.
Now that I am older, I find nature adventures through nature to help me remember the joys of being a child when life was so peaceful and relaxing. It’s no wonder why every time I get a chance to go on a trip somewhere, I love to check out any nearby hiking or bike riding trails.
As I’m becoming an expert in the great outdoors, I’m learning you should never go out without a backpack full of supplies.
In this articles you will find out all there is to know about Buttermilk falls and what you need to bring with you before you start your adventure.
What you will need when hiking Buttermilk Falls, NJ.
Always bring a backpack to load up on supplies needed for your adventure. Do not make it too heavy, just in case you get tired along the way. Trust me; you probably will not be able to give the backpack to anyone else traveling in your group because if you are tired, they are probably tired too.
Whenever we travel, both adults carry the backpacks. I already know if I let my kids have their bags, more than likely, I will have to take them at some point along the way.
Wear Comfortable shoes
Not all sneakers are created equal. Make sure when you are wearing sneakers, they are comfortable and something you can walk in. I do not advise wearing shoes you purchase for hiking and haven’t tried them on yet. The last thing you want to do is to put on a brand new pair of shoes that will end up hurting your feet 1 mile into your hiking trip.
Test the shoes out first at a park close to home or walk around your neighborhood for about 45 minutes before you decide to take them on a hiking trip.
Bring water
I don’t think there’s much I have to stress about bringing a water bottle. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be thirsty even if you’re not thirsty.
If you get a bookbag with a built-in water reservoir, make sure your water reservoir doesn’t leak. That happened to me on one of my adventures.
Not only did I look like I peed on myself, but the mosquitoes had a field day with me since I was wet.
Bug Spray
There will be bugs when you’re out in the woods, and there is nothing you can do about it. You came to visit their home. The best thing you can do is to protect yourself with bug spray. Some people swear by the bug spray with DEET in it.
A bug spray I used once seems to work great on me; Captain Ron’s repellent.
What type of clothing should I wear?
Make sure you have dressed appropriately for the weather. If hiking in the late spring or summer months, don’t overdo it with clothes. I usually wear something lightweight.
I haven’t tried walking trails in the winter because I know I don’t like the cold. However, anything is possible, and one day you might catch me out there freezing my but off.
Bring a Hand towel
I like to pack a hand towel just before I start sweating. The last thing you want to do is to use your hands or shirt to wipe the sweat off your face.
Eye drops
The last time we went hiking in the woods, my daughter’s eyes got so puffy from the pollen. No one in my group realized the pollen would be so bad. From then on, we learned to bring eye drops with us on future adventures.
Snacks
Always pack a snack that will not be heavy but will refuel you and get you back on the beaten path. You could never go wrong with packing fruit or trail mix. After hiking for miles, you will want to grab something to eat.
Buttermilk Falls, NJ
How tall is Buttermilk Falls, NJ?
It is the tallest waterfall in New Jersey. It is about 85 feet tall, and looking up from the ground level, I believe the height.
Is there parking?
When we arrived at Buttermilk Falls, a gate blocked the entrance. Instead of turning around, we parked near the gate and walked to the falls. The walk to the fall was about a mile to a mile and a half.
Once we got to the fall site, we noticed a parking lot directly across from the fall. During the peak visiting season, the parking lot fills up pretty quickly.
How is the cell phone service?
The only thing your phone will be good for on this journey will be to take pictures. We tried to make a phone call while walking to the fall, but our phones did not work.
On one of our prior visits to the fall, we even lost service, so we could no longer use our GPS to guide us to the main road. We had to find the main road on a wing and a prayer.
The road to get to Buttermilk Falls, NJ.
I’m not sure how the entire road looks to get to the falls, but on the one road we walked, it was nice and paved.
However, when we went to the fall about ten years ago, the road was full of potholes. At the time, I had a sports car with a skirt. I can tell you that driving a car like that on a dirt road is not a good idea. One of the potholes was so bad it cracked the skirt on the vehicle. I was not a happy hiker.
If you can help it, take the paved road.
How challenging is the hike up to the falls?
If I had to rate this trip as easy, medium, or hard, I would rate this hiking experience as a medium. Although you are walking higher than 85 feet off of the ground level, this is still a pretty decent hike.
There is a staircase to take to the top of the fall. Each section of steps has a landing for you to take a break.
Even though you can take stairs up the mountain, I still would not consider this hike easy. Hiking the stairs is like getting on the stair climber at the gym. For the first 5 minutes, I’m feeling good and proud of myself for getting on. For the next 45 minutes, I’m questioning my sanity.
Carved in a few steps is a little saying,
“I will love you every step of the way.”
Cautious: You can not be careless going up or down the steps because you can slip and fall if you are not paying attention. I do advise you to stay on the path and not stray away from the stairs too much.
While visiting Buttermilk Falls, NJ , I saw some people climb near the edge of the fall to get a better picture.
I love mother nature, but I know there are limits to where I can go.
What’s at the top of the falls?
Once you arrive at the top, there is a bridge for you to look out over the fall. It is nice and sturdy so take advantage of the view and your accomplishment in getting to the top.
There was another trail at the top of the fall, but we did not get a chance to explore it because it was getting late and time for us to start heading back to the car.
Back to the bottom of the Falls.
After our adventure up the falls, we made our way down. We saw some people splashing in the water at the bottom. It was a little too cold for me to want to join in, but I guess that’s a thing everyone does after their journey from the top.
Buttermilk Falls is located at:
Mountain Rd. Layton, NJ 07851
As always,
Thank you again for coming along this journey with my family and me. If there’s any place you feel my family would enjoy visiting, please tell us in the comments below. You can also put any questions in the comments if there are any questions I have not answered about the Buttermilk Falls.
