Up here in Warren County, in the northwestern corner of New Jersey, the long, straight crest of the Kittatinny Ridge runs along the horizon, and beyond it lies the Delaware River and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Hardwick is a rural township of farms, forest and small lakes in the valley just east of the ridge, and it feels a world away from the crowded state most people imagine.
The ridge is a single long fold of hard sandstone and conglomerate that stretches for hundreds of kilometres through Pennsylvania and New Jersey into New York, and the Appalachian Trail runs along its top. At the Delaware Water Gap, the river cuts straight through it in a spectacular gorge. Inside the recreation area, the Old Mine Road, one of the oldest roads in the United States, follows the river past abandoned farms and the restored village of Millbrook, a small cluster of nineteenth-century buildings preserved as a living museum. Nearby Blairstown was the location for the original Friday the 13th film, and its old main street and the camp setting are still recognised by horror fans.
For a swim, the clearest nearby option is Swartswood Lake, in a state park near Newton, with a public beach and lifeguards in summer. The Delaware River also has some popular swimming and tubing spots, but the current can be deceptive and drownings happen every year, so stick to guarded areas. On hot days the lakes of this area fill with families, and the water is warm and clean by midsummer.
The roads are a delight. Small county routes twist through the valley, past dairy farms and woods, over low hills and along streams, with very little traffic on weekdays. Old Mine Road itself is narrow and uneven, with tight bends and occasional gravel, and sections have been closed at times for repairs, so check before you go. Watch for deer, tractors, and cyclists.
Fuel and food are a bit thin out here. Blairstown and Newton, about twelve kilometres away, are the nearest towns with stations, supermarkets and cafes. On the way back east, the run through Sussex County to the highways is pretty and gradual, with fields and forest giving way slowly to the suburbs.