Ranger Tales
High Point: The Roof of New Jersey
Driving tourSussex County, New JerseyWorks with CarPlay

High Point: The Roof of New Jersey

13 stops· 16 min· 2.9 mi· narrated by Ranger Quinn

🎧 Listen in the app

Buy the self-guided tour now, or get it in the app.

🎫 One-time purchase♾️ Yours forever — no expiry📡 Works fully offline🚗 Apple CarPlay
Highlights include
  • The Long Stone Wall
  • The Couple Who Gave Away a Mountain
  • Lake Marcia — the Highest Lake in New Jersey
  • Why the Ridge Turns First
  • Three States, One View
  • The First People of the Ridge
  • The Tower for the Fallen
  • The High Point Monument
The tour

A drive to the literal top of New Jersey — up the Kittatinny Ridge to High Point, 1,803 feet up, where a great stone obelisk stands against the sky and three states roll out below you in every color of autumn. Ranger Quinn drives you up the scenic road from the park gate, past the highest lake in the state to the foot of the monument and out along the ridge, telling you how this high, wild corner of New Jersey works and what to look for as the leaves turn. Ranger Boone Merrick rides along with the tales: the millionaire couple who bought a mountain and gave it to the people; the 220-foot tower they raised to the state's war dead; and the strange, ancient bog near the summit that has no business being up this high. Come in October if you can — but on a clear day, any season, the view from the top of New Jersey is one you don't forget.

The route

Driving route · 13 stops. Live GPS playback and turn-by-turn pins are in the app.

Every stop

What you'll see and hear

13 narrated stops along the way — waterfalls, overlooks, history, and Ranger Boone's campfire tales.

  1. Welcome to the Top of New Jersey
    01

    🥾 Welcome to the Top of New Jersey

    High Point State Park, Sussex NJ (1480 Rt 23) — the highest point in the state, 1,803 ft, crowned by a 220-ft monument. A ~3-mi scenic drive up the ridge past Lake Marcia to the summit. Best foliage late Sep–Oct. Monu…

  2. The Long Stone Wall
    02

    🎧 The Long Stone Wall

    The geology of the Kittatinny Ridge — the hard quartzite spine that makes this the high country of NJ.

    The Long Stone Wall guide →
  3. The Couple Who Gave Away a Mountain
    03

    🔥 The Couple Who Gave Away a Mountain

    I'm Ranger Boone Merrick, and let me tell you how this whole mountaintop came to belong to you and me — because it comes down to one rich, generous couple and a very grand idea. Back around the turn of the last centu…

    The Couple Who Gave Away a Mountain guide →
  4. Lake Marcia — the Highest Lake in New Jersey
    04

    🌲 Lake Marcia — the Highest Lake in New Jersey

    A spring-fed, ~20-acre lake near the summit — the highest lake in the state, with a swimming beach.

    Lake Marcia — the Highest Lake in New Jersey guide →
  5. Why the Ridge Turns First
    05

    🎧 Why the Ridge Turns First

    The science of fall color — and why this high ridge lights up ahead of the valleys below.

    Why the Ridge Turns First guide →
  6. Three States, One View
    06

    🌲 Three States, One View

    The ridge-top panorama — the Delaware Valley, the Catskills, the Poconos — at peak foliage.

    Three States, One View guide →
  7. The First People of the Ridge
    07

    🔥 The First People of the Ridge

    Before we talk any more about millionaires and monuments, let me set the record straight about who knew this high ground first — because it wasn't the Kusers, and it wasn't the hotel guests. It was the Lenape. Long b…

    The First People of the Ridge guide →
  8. The Tower for the Fallen
    08

    🔥 The Tower for the Fallen

    So look up again at that great white obelisk on the summit, and let me tell you why it stands there — because it isn't just decoration, and it isn't a lighthouse or a lookout. It's a memorial. A war memorial. After t…

    The Tower for the Fallen guide →
  9. The High Point Monument
    09

    🌲 The High Point Monument

    The 220-ft quartzite obelisk at the summit — New Jersey's war memorial and its highest structure.

    The High Point Monument guide →
  10. The Footpath on the Ridge
    10

    🎧 The Footpath on the Ridge

    The Appalachian Trail along the Kittatinny crest through the park.

    The Footpath on the Ridge guide →
  11. The Bog That Shouldn't Be Here
    11

    🌲 The Bog That Shouldn't Be Here

    The Dryden Kuser Natural Area — a rare high-elevation Atlantic white-cedar swamp near the summit.

    The Bog That Shouldn't Be Here guide →
  12. The High Woods
    12

    🎧 The High Woods

    The cooler, northern forest and wildlife of the ridge-top — and what to watch for.

    The High Woods guide →
  13. Down Off the Mountain
    13

    🌲 Down Off the Mountain

    The close of the drive along the ridge — and a farewell from your rangers.

    Down Off the Mountain guide →
Along the way

What you'll see

Tap any landmark for a visitor guide — what it is, where it is, and how to hear its story.

Down Off the Mountain
Down Off the Mountain
Lake Marcia — the Highest Lake in New Jersey
Lake Marcia — the Highest Lake in New Jersey
The Bog That Shouldn't Be Here
The Bog That Shouldn't Be Here
The Couple Who Gave Away a Mountain
The Couple Who Gave Away a Mountain
The First People of the Ridge
The First People of the Ridge
The Footpath on the Ridge
The Footpath on the Ridge
The High Point Monument
The High Point Monument
The High Woods
The High Woods
The Long Stone Wall
The Long Stone Wall
The Tower for the Fallen
The Tower for the Fallen
Three States, One View
Three States, One View
Why the Ridge Turns First
Why the Ridge Turns First
Explore all of High Point State Park →
Plan your visit

Good to know

How long is the High Point: The Roof of New Jersey tour?
The tour has 13 stops over about 2.9 miles with roughly 16 min of narrated audio. You set the pace — pause, linger, or skip ahead anytime.
Do I need cell signal to use the tour?
No. Download the tour before you go and it works completely offline — the audio plays by GPS even with no bars, which is exactly where most park tours lose signal.
How does a self-guided audio tour work?
You drive the route at your own pace and the Ranger Tales app plays the story for each stop automatically when you arrive, using your phone's location. No tapping, no reading while you drive. Ranger Quinn guides and Ranger Boone tells the campfire tales.
Where does the High Point: The Roof of New Jersey tour take place?
High Point State Park (Sussex County, New Jersey). The roof of New Jersey — the 1,803-foot summit of the Kittatinny Ridge, crowned by the High Point Monument with three-state views across the Delaware Valley.
How do I get the tour?
Download the free Ranger Tales app from the App Store, then unlock this tour inside the app. The tour downloads to your phone so it's ready offline before you arrive.
Can I cancel or get a refund?
Change of mind? Full refund if you request it within 24 hours of purchase. If a verified technical issue prevents access, contact support within 7 days for a refund or credit. All requests are reviewed at our discretion and refunded to your original payment method.
Buy this tour

Buy your self-guided tour

Pick a date and book online — checkout is secure, and your unlock code arrives by email. Works offline once it's in the app.

🎧 Get the tour

High Point: The Roof of New Jersey — in your pocket

Download the app, unlock the tour, and let it drive with you. Works offline.

Get it on the App Store

Buy the self-guided tour, or get it in the app.

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High Point: The Roof of New Jersey
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