Stairway to Heaven Trail in Wawayanda State Park, New Jersey

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Wanderin' Wawayanda

Preserving more than 35,000 acres of prime New Jersey highland wilderness, Wawayanda State Park brushes up against the state's border with New York. The park's name comes from a transliteration of the Lenape Indigenous people's word for the area, said to mean 'winding water' or 'water on the mountain.' A lake and a mountain within the park are also called Wawayanda—perhaps because it's so fun to say?

In addition to the various rivers and creeks here, the park is home to 11 miles of trails, many of them covered with wooden planks. The trail in this photo is an out-and-back hike that takes visitors up to a lookout point on Wawayanda Mountain, where stunning views inspired the trail's name – Stairway to Heaven.