Pochuck Boardwalk, Stairway To Heaven, Pinwheel Vista Hike

Pochuck boardwalk to pinwheel vista is a beautiful and great hike. I love that people will go through a farm on this trail. The calves or young cows that I have met were very friendly. This is the one thing that is very unique about this hike. You can take pictures with the cows or feed them with grass. I tried to feed one but he didn’t want to eat the grass. Next time I will bring an apple or something. There are good views as well. Stairway to heaven is kind of strenuous which offers a good workout. This is a great hike that will allow you to enjoy nature and maybe if you are lucky, you will meet some cows along the trail.

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Pochuck Boardwalk, Stairway To Heaven, Pinwheel Vista Important Information

Trail Map: Trail Map 1, Trail Map 2
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 3 or 8 Miles
Elevation Gained: 1200 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: Yes

Trail Breakdown
Appalachian Trail To Bridge – 0.4 miles
Bridge to Iron Bridge – 0.8 miles
Iron Bridge To Rail Road – 0.8 miles
Iron Bridge To Second Trail Head – 0.5 miles
Second Trail Head To Pinwheel Vista – 1.5 miles
Going Back – 4 miles

https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/2365399478

Note: The information is just an approximation. I have been here multiple times and used various pictures of those times to create this article.

Parking

8 Mile Parking Lot. This article starts with this.
41.235760, -74.480476

3 Mile Parking Lot. You will start at the second trailhead.
41.219344, -74.455173

 

Start Of The Hike

Life seems to get better if I put on my hiking boots. Anyone else feel like that? Whenever I put on my hiking boots, I already know that it is going to be a good day. Hiking is good for the mind, body and soul, as it allows me to leave my habits, my daily routines and it allows me to enjoy my life in a different way. There is just something beautiful about hiking, the air, trees, mountains, plant life, and just the beautiful scenery that I see, all are exciting and invigorating at the same time.

I took a quick look whether everyone of my group members was at the trailhead, then I gave a signal that we should all go.

 

Pochuck Boardwalk

It was a trail filled with tall grasses and wild flowers, out of which a serpent like boardwalk trailed for ever and ever, without any sign of an end that I could see. The side of the boardwalk were grasses and weeds sliced to little pieces by some sort of machine. I dropped down on my knees, touched the chopped plant life on the ground and it became obviously clear that someone or a group of people were maintaining this trail.

 

Wild Flowers

Tall perennial grasses erected themselves at both sides of the Pochuck boardwalk, with wild violet flowers blooming nearby. There were lots of wild flowers as far as my eyes could see, some way too far for me to reach, while some were very close to the trail. There were white, yellow, violet, pink, red, purple and more. It was a garden of wild flowers blooming around August. I took my time slowly, just admiring the beautiful flowers that were blooming around me, walking the trail with as much appreciation and gratitude as possible.

 

Boardwalk Bridge

The wooden bridge felt strong but shook a little bit when a few hikers walked inside of it. The bridge was not made out of metal, but it was a lot longer than most hiking bridges that I have seen. It felt stable and secure as if it could hold around 20 people. I sat at the side of the rails to take a rest, but then I stood up, pulled myself upwards, and before I knew it, I was at the top. I was not sure what made me do this but perhaps it was just there or maybe I have seen to many parkour videos or played Assassin’s Creed too much. The hikers waved and greeted me, as I waved and greeted them back from the top of the bridge.

 

Iron Bridge

The weather had been cool and bright, that to hike along a beautiful trail felt delightful to the senses, and magical to my soul. I took a rest at a strong iron bridge to garner my thoughts and enjoy the scenery. A murky river ran silently at the bottom of the bridge, it seemed deep and somewhat perilous. Yet, to my surprised, there were no bugs nor insects nearby. Most of the time, a murky river like this would house a few mosquitoes and other annoying insects. Yet, on this bridge, there was just sunshine and a peaceful wind that managed to reach my skin.

 

White Trail Turn

The white trail took a turn to the left, into a dirt footpath. There were various trees, leaves and plants that looked very familiar, yet there was something magical about the plant life on this place. The shrubs, trees, and branches looked like plants you would see from a story like Harry Potter or Lord Of The Rings or some sort of fantasy story in a fictional book. A feeling of wonder infused itself onto my soul, as if I was a child looking into a new world.

 

*If I went passed this sign, then I would end up at a road or highway and not the correct way.

 

Small Planks

Beautiful and tiny yellow flowers blanketed the top of the tall green grasses on this part of the trail, with the purple lavender flowers mixing in. I placed my left hand on the side, touching some of the flowers and tall grasses as I walked by. They felt nice and rough on my fingertips while being very beautiful to the eyes as they waved back and forth from the touch of the cool wind. It was a beautiful garden that was wildly growing wherever it pleases, almost untamed by man, and there was something rebellious about them showing their elegance and charm in August instead of Spring.

 

The wind was still whispering, brushing up against my skin, cooling our bodies as we hiked on a narrow wooden footpath. The bright and beautiful flowers were dwindling down and we could tell that we were heading to another part of the land as the shadows became more prevalent and evident than the light of the sun. There was something about this hike that was enchanting and extraordinary that was not in other hikes that I have done. The way the wild grasses and weeds flourished all around us, the trees and the way their branches hang, and even the dead trees that stood proudly upwards, all made this landscape somewhat unique and peculiar.

 

Tunnel Of Trees

It was a doorway to another world, a portal to a secret garden or to the land of Narnia, well at least that was what it felt to me. The small narrow wooden footpath led us to a doorway like structure that was designed and naturally made by nature. The sunlight played upon the landscape, casting a mysterious glow and creating bizarre shadows all over the scenery. I stepped foot on the stable platform with astonishment at how magical the placed looked. It was as if a fantasy story was about to start and unfold, and we were the main characters.

 

A battlefield of yellow and green leaves surrounded us further up ahead of the trail, with a few tiny pink and red wild flowers chaotically placed in the landscape. The vibrant colors of the forest became more lively as we got deeper and deeper. The soft mellow light seemed to caress the plant life all around us, with a soft glow that made the greens and yellow colors brighter. It was a bewitching landscape as the colors were enchanting to the eyes and senses.

 

Rail Road

After the forest was a railroad, with the sun’s rays shining fully, and no shade or tall trees to block the light. The railroad did not feel friendly as my group members just passed it by without even inspecting it or being curious about it. Normally, people would stand on the beams like children but in this railroad, my group members were not even remotely interested in it. Still, the railroad felt secure, strong, and well made. A marvel creation or prize for the ingenuity of us, human beings.

 

Farm

A herd of cows could be seen from a distance heading towards a house, a few waves of disappointment engulfed my emotions, as we were just a few minutes late. A few minutes earlier and my group members could play with the cows, take pictures and have a good time. Sadly, the moment the cows entered the housing complex, they refused to go out or move at all. Forcing us to abandon them and moved on.

 

Second Trail Head

Groups of cars were parked in front of us, to our right and to our left as we reached the second trailhead. This is a very popular hike after all, and lots of beginners and tourists often come here. The footpath was mostly flat, straight and even, with very little chance of getting lost. Some of the faster hikers walked the trail, as I waited for the rest of my group to arrive.

 

Forest

Into the heart of the darkness we went, a forest where the sky disappeared almost completely with fragments of sunlight scattered all over the ground. The forest was eerie, mysterious and dark, that even the fast hikers in my group stopped and waited for others. There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere as we were showered with sunlight throughout the hike but in here, the sunlight could barely get in, giving our surroundings a dimness that was not anticipated.

 

Stairway To Heaven

The footpath was an incline going upwards, composed of various stones gathered together to resemble a set of stairs. The footpath seemed man-made and yet natural at the same time, a combination of man and nature put together. The fast hikers disappeared completely, leaving me with the slow hikers and beginners. With their hands firmly on their waist, breathing heavily, they marched on, slowly trying to get to the top. There was fatigue written all over their bodies, as they hunched their backs, and dragged their feet to the ground.

 

Stairway To Heaven Footpath

I stayed with the beginners, making sure that they do not get hurt or get lost, but the footpath kept going upwards, with some steep parts as well. I could see the energy leaking out of their bodies as they walked slower and slower, and their breaths becoming more heavier. There was nothing I could do but offer them rest, and give them encouragement that we were very close to the top.

 

Cairn

A big pile of rocks taller than myself could be found at the center of an intersection. The cairn stood tall with various rocks of different sizes piling up on top of each other and a sign at the tree near it gave us directions to the pinwheel vista. There was gladness in the smiles from my group members, as the ascent was over, and they could all finally take a long break at the view point. I could hear relief and sense of accomplishments on their voices, as they eagerly walked towards the outlook.

 

Pinwheel Vista

A lone eagle kept flying in the distance, it glided along with the wind with such elegance and grace that my heart kept beating in envy. From a distance, the forest seemed like green bubbles floating in a green sea, with the cool wind refreshing my weary body, and the sunlight giving warmth to my skin. Cool and hard, the rock was a delightful place for solitude and deep thoughts if it weren’t for the bursts of laughter that I could hear from my group members that were very hard to ignore. Blurred noises of conversations, laughter, and random voices filled the air, it was as if I could taste the sweetness of the fun that my group members were having as they all told stories and conversed with each other.

 

Pinwheel Vista Left Outlook

The muffled voices and the laughter disappeared as I spiraled down to a secluded viewpoint. There was a deafening silence on this spot, as only the whispers of the wind could be heard. I took out my lunch, ate it in peace, and just appreciated the viewpoint in front of me. The warm light from the sun, and the cool gentle wind felt like loving kisses to my skin. I will talk to my group members later at dinner time anyway, right now, I just wanted to take a moment to enjoy nature and the silence that I found myself into.

 

An ocean of green with varying degrees of hues was in front of me; bright and blue, cool and refreshing, exquisite and fascinating, made the scenery reverberate in beauty. The pleasing light that brightened the landscape, and the fresh mountain wind hitting my skin, were all delightful to the senses. The beautiful landscape seen from pinwheel vista captivated the hearts of the few lucky hikers who were destined to be in this place on this bright and blue day. Every tree, every plant, and every thing in the scenery had a sense of grace and elegance, that such a feeling went straight to my heart, then traveled through my arteries, infusing into all of the cells in my body, creating a sense of beauty and artistry that everything in my life is beautiful and everything in my life is going to be beautiful.

 

Cows

My heart was jumping in joy as I found my group members enjoying the playfulness of the cows as we headed back to the parking lot. The cows gave this hike a unique experience and I wanted the cows to come near the footpath so that my group members could interact with them briefly. Everyone was taking pictures, and taking a few moments to look at the cows that were near the trail. There was excitement in the smiles on some of my group members as they knew that this type of experience does not happen all the time.

 

I raised my hand towards a calf, like I would do to a dog to become friendly with the animal. I was expecting the calf to sniff my hand but what the calf did was licked it. The rough tongue grazed my hand, covered it with a slimy saliva, and it just felt weird when the back of my hand touched his tongue. I was startled for a second and the calf started jumping around, scaring me a little bit, I guess he was startled too. The calf had a lot of flies buzzing on his face as I tried to brush it off with some grass. The calf closed its mouth and refused to open it as I tried to feed it some of the grass.

Maybe next time, I will bring an apple or two just to give it to the cows. These cows seemed very playful yet dangerous at the same time.

 

End Of The Hike

The rays of the afternoon sun were fading into a yellowish color, as its streaks could be seen marking the soil and illuminating the forest that we were traversing. The green leaves gave a hint of yellow underneath the beautiful light, and there was a cool air surrounding us, keeping us cool and fresh in every second of time. I could no longer hear nor see most of my group members as most of them walked very fast to the parking lot. I stayed with the slow ones, making sure everyone made it safely back to their cars, and I took lots of pictures along the way.

The hike was interesting and wonderful, that wandering around a garden of wildflowers, walking through a dark forest, looking at a beautiful viewpoint, and goofing around with the playful cows, were all delightful to the senses and gave healing to my soul. We all went to a restaurant after the hike, had a few laughs, and I made a few jokes. I said goodbye to everyone, and drove myself home. Tired but happy, I slept soundly that night knowing that I hosted a very wonderful hike.

 

 

For More Hikes

For more hikes similar to this one, you can go to my Best NYC Hikes Or Best New Jersey Hikes.