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At my own expense, I offer all of this to you: a humble tribute to Mother Gaia. It is my hope that you will spread my art and message to others, uplifting and inspiring their souls.
May my works guide photographers illuminating their path toward creating stunning and impactful images that show the raw beauty and essence of life in all its transcendent glory. —Pamela Goodyer
Paying tribute to New Jersey veterans from all wars From the top of the towering 220-foot structure, visitors can take in stunning views of the Pocono Mountains to the west, the Catskill Mountains to the north, and the Wallkill River Valley to the southeast. The area surrounding the New Jersey Veterans’ Memorial is open during regular park hours, April 1st to November 30th, from 8:00 am to sunset. December 1st to March 31st: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.
Fall is our favorite time to visit. The surrounding area is filled with beautiful, dense trees, perfect for viewing fall foliage.
This dark sky area is good for photographing the Milky Way, so keep this in mind if you plan to combine this with a trip to the Milky Way in October.
Months: The Milky Way Core can be seen from March to October, disappearing below the horizon for the rest of the year. It appears in the early morning hours in March and becomes visible earlier each month. The best time to catch a glimpse of the core is during summer, when it can be seen immediately after sunset, providing an ideal viewing opportunity for stargazers and photographers.
New Moon: Timing is crucial to seeing the Milky Way. This celestial event can only be seen on clear nights without a visible moon, limiting the viewing window.
Light Pollution: The best way to experience the full wonder of the Milky Way is to escape from areas with heavy light pollution. The area around this park location is good for minimal light pollution.
This area can be explored and photographed in just a few hours. It is a great location to pair with Stokes State Forest. (see the article).
1480 State Route 23
Wantage, NJ 07461
New Jersey Photography Locations
There’s plenty of other New Jersey photography. In this area, look at our fall foliage articles on Stanhope, Stokes State Forest and Belvidere, New Jersey.
It’s not too bad, but the parking lot can get busy. This park’s peak fall foliage weekend is jam-packed, so book your hotel in advance for this weekend.
In this area, the restaurants are closed on Monday and Tuesday. You might have to drive several miles on this day to find food, so bring some snacks and drinks.
WHERE TO STAY?
The High Point Mountain Motel – details with pictures below—Facebook page.
Our stay here was pure bliss. It is in the perfect location, just a very short drive to the park and surrounded by the beauty of Stokes State Forest and Sunrise Mountain. Our room, fully renovated with modern amenities, provided a sanctuary for us to rest and recharge after a long day of photography. The plush bedding and immaculate surroundings ensured an incredibly comfortable night’s sleep, leaving us feeling rejuvenated in the morning. We couldn’t have asked for a better place to call home during our visit.
Visitors can take advantage of complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the premises and have the choice of daily housekeeping. Enjoy the great outdoors with amenities like a scenic picnic area, a fully-equipped BBQ pit, and an inviting outdoor hearth.
High Point Mountain Motel warmly welcomes pet companions to ensure a delightful experience for all guests.
The new owner of High Point Mountain Hotel has committed to renovating every room in the establishment, including the one we stayed in. No detail is too small for this owner, who is determined to provide a superior experience for all guests. Our room had already been transformed with freshly painted walls and new furnishings, adding to the sense of anticipation and excitement for the future of this hotel. It was evident that the new owner’s dedication would result in a truly luxurious stay for all who visited.
If you book in advance, you can ask for the room Pamela Goodyer stayed in. (The two middle pictures are below.)
The new owner of High Point Mountain Motel, Marina Nikolaeva, and her husband have committed to renovating every room in the establishment, including the one we stayed in. No detail is too small for this owner, who is determined to provide a superior experience for all guests. Our room had already been transformed with freshly painted walls and new furnishings, adding to the sense of anticipation and excitement for the future of this hotel. It was evident that the new owner’s dedication would result in a truly luxurious stay for all who visited.
The couple also owns The Cobmin Ridge Motel, Hotel Belvidere, The Sussex Motel and Rolling Hills Motel, all located in northern New Jersey.
Marina Nikolaeva was a young woman with determination and a dream. In 1996, she left her home in Russia and set off to the United States. Armed with little knowledge of the English language, she took on any job that would help her get by while also learning the language. Her story is one of true success and embodies the American Dream.
She and her husband started by buying a multi-family house and renovating houses over the years, then moving on to the hotel business later in life. Today, Marina is the proud owner of a prestigious group of hotels, driven by her passion for providing exceptional accommodations for travelers passing through.
A few years ago, she and her husband made the business-savvy decision to purchase a hotel. Within a year, they had expanded their business, and today, they own five thriving hotels in the area.
Just a few months ago, they acquired High Point Mountain Motel. Marina wants the hotels to have unique and distinct characteristics rather than conforming to a standardized model. However, they also wanted a consistent theme of comfort and hominess throughout. Each room provides amenities such as refrigerators and microwaves, which is essential as guests may stay for extended periods of up to four weeks for business purposes. This is especially relevant for the Cobmin Ridge motel, located near a hospital.
Her ultimate goal is to create an unforgettable experience for each guest. It’s not about money for her; it’s about delighting her customers and exceeding their expectations. The passion and dedication she puts into her work shines through in every detail of her hotels, making them a destination in themselves.
With careful consideration and an eye for potential, she handpicked a team of managers with a deep sense of care and passion for their work. Each comes from a unique background and has a different story, but she saw the potential and heart in those hired. The managers reside on the business premises, dedicated to their roles well beyond 9 to 5 hours. They are actively involved in decision-making processes, and their voices are valued and respected by the owner; Marina wants her managers to feel like they have a stake in the business, treating them as partners rather than employees. In return, she ensures that her managers are well cared for, recognizing their hard work and dedication with utmost appreciation and respect.
The Belvedere Motel, recently acquired by the owner, has already undergone a thorough renovation. The other hotels are undergoing renovations to transform their appearances. Many of these establishments were previously dilapidated and in disrepair but have been meticulously restored by the owner, often requiring complete gutting down to the building’s framework.
The Combine Ridge Motel will soon boast additional rooms equipped with charging stations and a revamped exterior featuring fresh paint and an enhanced aesthetic. The High Point is undergoing renovations room by room. Maria has two trusted contractors who are doing all of the work.
Our journey took us to three unique and charming motels: Cobmin Ridge, High Point Mountain, and Belvedere. Each had its character, but we were immediately drawn to the first stop. The rooms were immaculate, exuding luxury and attention to detail. As artists, we appreciated the personal touches that made each room feel like a work of art. We visited the other two hotels as we traveled the state doing fall foliage photography. We plan our future visits to discover the details at Sussex and Roling Hills Motels. Our travels will continue with excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead.
If you have moving subjects, you will want to shoot in shutter priority to ensure your shutter speed is high enough to have your subject in sharp focus. Approximately 1/250th of a second is appropriate for people walking by, and adjust your ISO accordingly. If they are moving fast, increase your shutter speed to about 1/500th of a second. A fast bird flying by would be shot at about 1/1000th of a second. If it’s a bright sunny day, go as high as 1/1600th of a second. Remember, the higher your shutter speed, the less light comes into the camera. For More Details, see our Shutter Priority Page.
You can do your long-exposure running and milky water shots if you have moving waters at the location. You will have to use a tripod for this effect. Your settings will vary depending on the lighting and your neutral density filter. You will shoot in manual mode for the milky waters. ISO is always 100 or as low as your camera will allow. The aperture is f22, or the highest f-stop your camera will allow. Your shutter speed will be the only variable depending on the light. Roll your shutter speed until your meter reads zero. (In the center) Use your shutter release or 2-second timer to prevent camera movement when exposing. You will want at least a 2-second exposure for milky water. If you don’t have a neutral density filter, you may not get more than 1/15th of a second in the sun.
You can buy an ND filter here. We highly suggest you do not go anywhere without one. Long exposure for moving waters makes all the difference between lifeless images and outstanding, dynamic images.
Aperture Priority is often used to blur the background of your images and control your depth of field (how much from the subject to the background is in focus). For more information on this – see our Aperture page
The higher you set it, the more light is when exposing an image. The higher the number, the more digital noise, so stay below 800. If you need to go higher to get the shot, you can use Topaz Denoise to filter out the digital noise later. See the ISO page here.
Be sure to set your white balance each time the lighting changes. Auto mode is not always accurate on many cameras, and we prefer to set it manually. IIt’sone of the easier basics of photography to master. If you need more help, you can get some more details here. See the white balance page here.
Park Fees:
After Labor Day to Memorial Day Weekend – Free
From Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day – Weekdays
NJ Residents $5.00
Non Residents $10.00
Weekend and Holidays
NJ Residents $10.00
Non Residents $20.00
*The fee for an oversized vehicle shall be twice the fee for a vehicle that is not oversized
Park Hours:
Park Office 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Gate
April 1st to November 30th: 8:00am – Sunset
December 1st to March 31st: 8:00am – 4:30pm
Monument Exterior: Same as gate hours
Monument Interior: (as staffing permits)
Open Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day: 7 days per week
After Labor Day through Columbus Day: Weekends only
Hours: 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
Add your campground here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your campground to stay during their ghost-hunting trip? Put your campground information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number and your information on your campground to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you.
Would you like to be featured in an article as a place to stay while doing photography or ghost hunting? If so, please send us an email. You will be surprised at how affordable our prices can be.
The High Point Mountain Motel
This Motel offers you everything you need: immaculate rooms and great management at one of the best prices in the area. Look no further.
This is our choice for motels in the area. We highly recommend you stay here!
1328 State Rt 23 – Sussex, NJ 07461
See photos above
If you are a vegetarian like us, the only local option is a pizza parlor nearby, which is closed on Monday and Tuesday. There is a comfort food restaurant near the park, but it does not offer any vegetarian options. A little farther away, a pizza parlor will deliver to the High Point Mountain Motel, which is open seven days a week.
Don’t forget that you can use a rain sleeve on your camera if it is raining. If it is bright and sunny, you want to use a low ISO such as 100.
If you are doing photography along with your ghost hunting on cloudy days, you can do running water or waterfall photography to avoid the glaring sun. You can also use an ND filter to get a long exposure for dramatic effects, even in the sunshine. If you ghost hunt indoors in abandoned places be careful!
Photography, Lessons, Workshops and Classes.
Belvidere, NJ Fall Foliage Photography
