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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
Each year will be slightly different, and you should consult the websites that monitor fall foliage colors. These photos were taken on October 21st and 22nd. When we left on the 23rd, many leaves fell off the trees here, but we went to another location in New Jersey to continue our fall foliage photography.
Also, this is a DARK SKY area that is good for the Milky Way photography, so keep this in mind if you want to pair this with a Milky Way trip. Only if you get lucky will the peak fall foliage coincide with the ten days of the month when you can view the Milky Way. October is the last month of the year when you can see the Milky Way.
Milky Way 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, hence getting lucky with peak foliage week.
Light Pollution: The best way to experience the full wonder of the Milky Way is to escape from areas with heavy light pollution. Branchville, New Jersey, is in the darker sky area of New Jersey. Check out our How-To Section for more details, including using a light pollution map to guide you to dark sky locations.
This area can be explored and photographed in just a few days. We suggest viewing our two other articles, Stanhope, New Jersey Fall Foliage, and our two upcoming articles, Highpoint, New Jersey and Belvidere, New Jersey fall foliage, which you will see by tomorrow.
New Jersey Photography Locations
There’s plenty of other New Jersey photography, so it depends on where you are coming from and your time frame. If you have enough time, you can start in south or central New Jersey and work up the state.
It’s not too bad at all. Remember, one big fall foliage weekend will be in October; the hotels will book this in advance.
The Combin Ridge Motel – See details with pictures below.
The sprawling landscape of Stokes State Forest boasts an extensive network of over 63 miles of marked trails. These paths vary in length, ranging from a mere half mile to a challenging seventeen miles (Blue Mountain Trail), and encompass a mix of terrains, from easy flatlands to rugged mountainous regions. With many interconnected routes, cyclists can embark on short hour-long journeys or longer treks spanning an entire day.
The trailhead is off Tilman Road and takes you on a picturesque journey through Stokes State Forest. As you traverse the lush greenery, you will encounter a charming stream accompanied by quaint wooden footbridges, a ravine, and a tranquil waterfall. The shimmering waters also provide an excellent opportunity to photograph the calming effect of the cascading movement.
This was our favorite location in the area overall. It was an incredible drive in a beautiful location with a lot of fall colors.
The peak of Sunrise Mountain stands as a popular attraction in Stokes State Forest. Visitors can take in the breathtaking scenery from this vantage point at 1,653 feet above sea level. The harsh environment of the mountain, with its thin soil and intense weather conditions, makes it difficult for plants to thrive. However, hardy species such as mountain laurel, wild blueberry, pitch pine, and scrub oak can be found throughout the area. The pavilion at the top was constructed in the late 1930s by workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Although scenic overlooks don’t make for great photography, the overall experience was one of the best parts of the trip. It’s not always just about the photographs.
THE COMBIN RIDGE MOTEL – We absolutely adored our stay at this idyllic location, located amongst the vibrant and breathtaking fall foliage of Stokes State Forest. The rooms were pristine yet surprisingly affordable. We were blown away by the recent renovation, which resulted in unbeatable prices for a motel in this area. We will most definitely be returning next year to once again bask in the glory of autumn’s splendor. This establishment far exceeded our expectations; in fact, it deserves our prestigious “Hotel Mattress of the Year” award! We had the most comfortable night of our entire year at the Combin Ridge Motel.
For those who have an affinity for nature and adventure, this motel is the perfect basecamp for all your hiking expeditions. Make sure to introduce yourself to Joe, the knowledgeable manager who has explored every nook and cranny of the surrounding trails. Under his guidance, we discovered our favorite spot – Sunrise Mountain. The winding paths through lush greenery and breathtaking views left us in awe at every turn. After a day of exploration, we returned to our cozy motel feeling content and fulfilled.
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 that for a non-oversized vehicle.
Stokes State Park is the perfect destination for those seeking serenity and adventure. With a vast network of trails spanning 63 miles, visitors can hike to stunning spots such as Sunrise Mountain, the Appalachian Trail, Tillman’s Ravine, and Stepping Stones Falls. The park offers more than just photography spots. It also boasts opportunities for mountain biking, hunting, camping, skiing, snowmobiling, and so much more!
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.
(See photos above)
This Motel offers you everything you need: immaculate rooms and excellent management at one of the best prices in the area.
This is our choice for a great affordable motel when photographing the area. We highly recommend you stay here! BOOK HERE FOR THE BEST PRICE
JUMBO LAND DINER
We had a great experience at the diner, which is located just down the street from the Cobmin Ridge Motel. The food was great, and the service was outstanding!
438 US-206, Branchville, NJ 07826
(973) 948-6802
Monday – Sunday 6:00 am – 9:00 pm
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.
High Point State Park, N.J. Fall Foliage Photography
