Swartswood Day Use Area
Campground
Campground · 0.7 mi from the trail
New Jersey · Hiking · Near Hackettstown
Bear Claw Trail
Photo: _jmeeter, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 0.6 mi
- round trip
- 242 ft
- climb
- 572 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–Oct
- best months
Bear Claw Trail is a short, moderate out-and-back hike in New Jersey, about half a mile from the town of Paulins Kill. The trail is 1.2 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 242 feet, and the high point reaches 572 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.56 miles, with an 8% grade. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Newton run to highs around 70°F in May and 75°F in September, while July highs average about 84°F. The hike takes about half an hour. Limestone Trail and Duck Pond Trail both start within a tenth of a mile, and Passage Trail is about 0.7 miles away. For climbing, bouldering Northwest NJ is roughly 4.8 miles off.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Kathy's Restaurant
Restaurant
On your way back · 2 mi
If it rainsZeete, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsZinc mine and museum in Ogdensburg, New Jersey
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0 (commons)
More in HackettstownLocal outfitters
- Pier 13 Hoboken47 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit Bear Claw Trail
Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
37° / 17°
Feb
40° / 19°
Mar
48° / 28°
Apr
61° / 38°
May
70° / 48°
Jun
80° / 56°
Jul
84° / 62°
Aug
83° / 60°
Sep
75° / 52°
Oct
64° / 41°
Nov
52° / 32°
Dec
41° / 24°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Newton, NJ, 3.4 mi away at 605 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: _jmeeter, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Duck Pond Trail
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Easy out-and-back pond walk in New Jersey.
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14.62-mile out-and-back trail in New Jersey with 1,889 ft elevation gain
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8.8-mile out-and-back trail in New Jersey with 1,512 ft elevation gain
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Passage Trail
~1 min drive
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Spring Lake Trail
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
