Pochuck Boardwalk

Walking the Pochuck Boardwalk

The Pochuck Boardwalk took roughly a quarter century to become real: years of land acquisition and planning, then seven years of construction, with volunteers hand-carrying nearly every board into the swamp. When it opened in 2002, it rerouted the Appalachian Trail off the road shoulders of Vernon and out over the Pochuck Quagmire, a 240-acre wetland left behind by a prehistoric glacial lake. The result is about a mile of elevated boardwalk, the longest on the entire AT, and one of the easiest, most rewarding walks anywhere in Sussex County.

The path is nearly flat from end to end, which makes it a favorite for young kids, casual strollers, and anyone easing into hiking. Out and back from Route 517 runs about 1.8 miles and can be done in under an hour.

What You’ll See Along the Way

The boardwalk snakes through cattails and wet meadow with Wawayanda Mountain rising across the valley. Turtles sun themselves beside the planks, herons stalk the shallows, and birders regularly spot hawks and the occasional bald eagle overhead. Scattered benches invite you to sit and let the marsh do its thing.

The showpiece is the wooden suspension bridge over Pochuck Creek, engineered to float above flood level since the whole quagmire can turn back into a lake after heavy rain. That’s the one caution worth repeating: skip this walk right after a big storm, when sections of boardwalk can sit under water.

Parking, Access, and Extending Your Hike

Here’s the honest local scoop: parking is the crux of this hike. The main trailhead on County Route 517 in Vernon holds maybe 15 or so cars along the shoulder, and on a nice summer weekend those spots go fast. Arrive between 7:30 and 8:00 am and you’re usually fine; much later and you may be circling. The allowed parking areas are clearly and obviously signed, and Vernon police do ticket vehicles parked outside them, so don’t chance it. Weekdays, you can nearly always find a spot without any trouble.

One thing worth saying plainly: don’t park in the nearby residential areas where parking isn’t permitted. The neighbors deal with a steady influx of hiker traffic on busy days, they understandably find illegally parked cars along their streets a nuisance, and they will call the police to have illegally parked vehicles ticketed. Being a good guest keeps this trailhead pleasant for everyone.

A smart alternative when 517 is full is the small public lot on Canal Road. From there, a pleasant woods walk on the Appalachian Trail brings you to the far end of the boardwalk, turning the outing into a roughly 3 mile round trip and adding a quiet forest stretch most visitors never see.

Want more? Continue east on the white-blazed AT toward Route 94 and climb Stairway to Heaven and Pinwheel Vista for one of the best views in northwestern New Jersey. Or browse our other hiking trails in Sussex County for your next easy walk.