A thru-hiker wrapping up six days on the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey recently shared a useful secret for day-hikers and weekend backpackers: when the AT gets rocky and slow, the Iris Trail is the flatter, friendlier way to go.

The hiker, writing under the name Iris Excursion on The Trek, was covering roughly 20.5 miles southbound through High Point State Park country, camping out of a van and tackling the route in a series of two-day stints. On the final day — a chilly 38-degree morning in late October — they packed up camp near Culvers Gap and chose a scenic shortcut over re-hiking a spur to the High Point monument area.

The Iris Trail runs roughly parallel to the AT and crosses it several times before the two merge near the Mashipacong Shelter. According to the trip notes, it's about the same distance but skips the hardest climbs: wider, nicely graded, mostly rock-free, and open to bikes (though they crossed only one cyclist). Along the way it passes Lake Rutherford, a surprisingly large body of water hiding up on the ridge. One catch: a stretch of deceptively leafy trail hid several inches of wet mud, which swallowed a shoe whole. Classic AT-adjacent terrain, in other words.

The route also takes in Sunrise Mountain, where a pavilion offers one of the better views in this part of the state, and passes the Culver Fire Tower before a long downhill to the trailhead. The full day — about 20.5 miles and nearly 40,000 steps — finished with town food and a late-night cafe session in Newton, a handy base town for anyone sampling this section.

What's the takeaway for regular travellers? The Appalachian Trail in New Jersey is one of the most accessible long-hiking experiences in the US Northeast. It sits within striking distance of both New York City and Philadelphia, yet delivers genuine backpacking: deer snorting outside your tent at night, remote-feeling shelters, a fire tower, and ridge-top views. You can string together a two- or three-day trip between road crossings, or cherry-pick a single scenic day — the Sunrise Mountain pavilion makes a great turnaround point. Autumn, when the hiker in this account was out, brings cold mornings and deep leaf litter, but also peak colour and thin crowds.

This is a story for hikers, van-lifers and anyone plotting a low-cost outdoor escape in the Mid-Atlantic. The practical details — alternating between the AT and its gentler parallel trails, base towns like Newton with late-open cafes, and the reality that even 'easy' alternates hide mud bogs — read like a mini field guide to the section. Whether you're a seasoned backpacker or a fit beginner testing overnight gear, the High Point–Sunrise Mountain corridor is a solid pick with van-friendly trailheads at Culvers Gap.