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June 2026
Pack a Blanket.
Lace Up Your Shoes.
Hey Neighbor,
June in New Jersey is the payoff.
After all those almost-warm days in April and the unpredictable ones in May, June just delivers. The air is right. The light stays long. And there is truly no reason to be inside on a weekend.
This month I want to talk about two of my favorite things: a good picnic spot and a really satisfying hike.
Because whether you have an hour or a whole day, New Jersey will meet you where you are.
Pack a Blanket — The Best Spots Close to Home
You do not need to drive far to find somewhere beautiful to sit outside with good food and good company.
One of those parks that has everything. A gorgeous lake, pedal boats you can rent by the hour, picnic tables, a snack bar, walking paths, a dog park where your pup can run free, and Wednesday evening concerts on the lawn in July. This is the kind of park that makes a Tuesday feel like a vacation.
Over 2,000 acres with hiking trails, a hidden 25-foot waterfall at Hemlock Falls, and picnic areas tucked into the woods. And if you want to make a full day of it — there is also the Turtle Back Zoo, pedal boats on the lake, and fishing. It is right here and most people have never fully explored it.
Ten named picnic areas — from Mayapple Hill to Tulip Springs to Summit Field — spread across the park. Bring a blanket, find your spot, and stay a while.
Lace Up Your Shoes — Hikes Worth the Drive
Now if you are ready to actually work for a view, New Jersey has some genuinely epic hikes within an hour of here. I mean it. People move here and have no idea.
Start here if you are newer to hiking or bringing kids. Close, beautiful, and the payoff — a 25-foot waterfall tucked into the woods — feels completely out of place for how easy it is to get there. Take the Lenape Trail in and you will wonder why you do not do this every weekend.
About an hour north. A 2.6-mile out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail — steep rock slabs, a boulder field, and then Pinwheel’s Vista at the top with sweeping views of the Vernon Valley, Pochuck Mountain, and the Catskills on a clear day. Arrive early. The parking lot fills up fast.
About an hour away and possibly the best view in New Jersey, full stop. A 3.5-mile hike right off I-80, up to a panoramic overlook of the Delaware River and the mountains beyond. Take the Red Dot Trail up, the Blue Trail down, and stop at Hot Dog Johnny on Route 46 on the way home. It is a whole experience.
Under 45 minutes away and completely underrated by people who live here. The Shore Trail and Long Path loop is 3.6 miles — you start at the top of dramatic 300-foot cliffs, descend to the Hudson River, walk along the water with Manhattan glittering across the river, and climb back up. The views of the George Washington Bridge alone are worth it. Park at State Line Lookout and go early on weekends.
People move here and have no idea what is in their backyard.
This month, go find out.
This Is What I Mean When I Say We Live Somewhere Special
I spend a lot of time helping people find their way into this area. And when I talk about why I love it here, I am not just talking about the school districts and the commute times.
I am talking about this.
The fact that you can pack a picnic and be in the woods in 15 minutes. That you can drive an hour and feel like you are in a different world. That June here is genuinely, honestly, beautiful.
Go outside this month.
Take the long hike. Buy the sandwiches from somewhere good. Sit on a boulder and look at a view you earned.
And if you need help finding your next home base for all of it — I am here.
Galina Kaplan
REALTOR® Associate · The Corcoran Group
Calm guidance through every move.
