New Jersey · Hiking

Life Trail

Life TrailPhoto: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.8 mi
one way
45 ft
climb
1,397 ft
high point
Point to point
route
Apr–Oct
best months

Life Trail is a short, easy hike in New Jersey, about 3 miles from the town of Colesville. The route is 0.75 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 45 feet, and it is rated easy. The trail is flat for most of the way, with the steepest stretch at about 0.32 miles, where the grade reaches 5%. The route starts at about 1,362 feet and ends at about 1,397 feet, so it's a gentle walk with no real climb. Bikes and horses are both allowed on the trail, according to OpenStreetMap tags. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 69°F and September highs around 73°F, with July the warmest month at about 82°F. Several other trails sit close by. Fuller Trail is about 0.4 miles away, and Mashipacong Trail and Iris Trail are each about 0.9 miles off. High Point State Park, a climbing area, is about 1.1 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Oct

    Best time to visit Life 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.

    1. Jan

      35° / 18°

    2. Feb

      37° / 19°

    3. Mar

      46° / 27°

    4. Apr

      59° / 38°

    5. May

      69° / 48°

    6. Jun

      77° / 57°

    7. Jul

      82° / 62°

    8. Aug

      81° / 61°

    9. Sep

      73° / 53°

    10. Oct

      62° / 42°

    11. Nov

      49° / 33°

    12. Dec

      39° / 24°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sussex 8 Nnw, NJ, 2.6 mi away at 1,020 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Mashipacong TrailPhoto: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mashipacong Trail

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Iris TrailPhoto: Tainanian, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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Steenykill TrailPhoto: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Old TrailPhoto: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Monument TrailPhoto: Zeete, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Appalachian TrailPhoto: Tainanian, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors