2025-07-22 11 58 21 View northbound ascending the "Stairway to Heaven" section of the Appalachian Trail in Vernon Township, Sussex County, New Jersey.jpg
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0

Wawayanda Lake–Wawayanda Beach, 5 sights is a 12.3-mile out-and-back in Wawayanda State Park near DeKays, NJ. The route passes Wawayanda Beach and Wawayanda Lake. It climbs 2,067 ft, with sections as steep as 29% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 57/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi440 – 1,352 ft · steepest grade: 29%12.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Appalachian Trail 41.21934, -74.45526
Nearest town DeKays, NJ

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Wawayanda Lake–Wawayanda Beach, 5 sights

12.3 mi · ▲ 2,067 ft · 5 hr 8 min

Elevation 439–1,352 ft

Out & Back · Wawayanda State Park

Trailhead: Appalachian Trail · 41.21934, -74.45526

Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:31 AM · sunset 7:23 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Appalachian Trail, heading SE.
  2. 3.9 miBear right onto Iron Mountain Road/Trail, heading S.
  3. 1.4 miPass Wawayanda Beach.
  4. 50 ftPass Wawayanda Lake.
  5. 300 ftTurn right, heading S.
  6. 150 ftContinue straight onto Wawayanda Lake Loop Trail, heading W.
  7. 0.4 miTurn left onto Wawayanda Lake Loop, heading NW.
  8. 0.5 miReach Wawayanda Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  9. 0.5 miTurn right onto Wawayanda Lake Loop Trail, heading E.
  10. 0.4 miTurn left, heading SE.
  11. 1.4 miBear left onto Appalachian Trail, heading E.
  12. 3.7 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

95% dirt1% paved4% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:31 AMSunset 7:23 PM

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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