Righter Mine Trail

Righter Mine Trail is a short, easy hike of about 1.7 miles in New Jersey's Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area, managed by State Fish and Wildlife. The trail rises from a low point of about 556 feet to a high of 978 feet, with a total elevation gain of 297 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.65 miles in, where the grade reaches 39 percent. The trail is a point-to-point route, and it works well as a quick outing. It takes about half an hour to complete, and it is open to bikes, so it can be done on foot or on a mountain bike. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 70°F and September highs around 75°F, with July the warmest month at about 83°F. Old Koehler Trail starts just 0.1 mile away, and Flyway Spur is about 0.6 mile off. Climbers can head to Hogs Pen, about 1.6 miles away, and paddlers to the Rockaway River, roughly 4.7 miles away.