Best 5 Road Trip Ideas from New Jersey

Wondering where to go on a road trip from New Jersey? New Jersey is perfectly situated within a day's drive of incredible locations on the East Coast, which means whether you want to explore big cities, small towns, vast mountains, or picturesque beaches, there's no shortage of quality drivable vacations from NJ.  

Drivable Vacations from NJ: What to Know

You need two things to make a great road trip. First, you need an exciting destination that's within driving distance. Second—and just as important—the drive itself has to be enjoyable. 

A road trip is as much about the journey as the destination, so it's important to plan a route with engaging scenery and some fun stops along the way. 

Some of the best road trips include an overnight stay somewhere to break up the drive. With that in mind, these are some of the best road trip ideas from NJ:

The Poconos, Pennsylvania

A mountainous region that spans 2,400 square miles in Northeast Pennsylvania, the Poconos are a prime road trip destination from New Jersey because they're just minutes away across the state line. The wooded peaks and valleys of this region are dotted with picturesque small towns and crisscrossed by hiking trails and scenic drives. 

Old Mine Road, a 250-year-old route that stretches 104 miles through Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a great place to start. This route offers rugged scenery, numerous overlooks, and historic sites along the PA/NJ border. Hop off to explore the charming town of Stroudsburg, PA.

It's also possible to drive to the summit of Camelback Mountain in Big Pocono State Park and take in the panoramic view. The nearby Camelback Mountain Adventures is Pennsylvania's largest adventure park, offering ziplines, rock climbing walls, and aerial adventure courses. 

Niagara Falls, New York

About a seven hour drive from northern New Jersey, Niagara Falls is a spectacular natural wonder that straddles the border between New York and Ontario, Canada. Between 8 and 10 million people visit the falls every year, and driving there is one of the best road trips from NJ. 

Along the way, you can experience some charming Upstate New York towns, stop for a meal or spend the night in Syracuse or Rochester, and maybe take a little detour to check out the wine country in the Finger Lakes region. Visiting Niagara Falls from New Jersey can be a great long weekend. 

Once you reach Niagara Falls, you have a lot of exciting options on either side of the border. Get up close with the mighty falls aboard the Maid of the Mist or experience a real adrenaline rush on a Niagara Falls jet boat tour. History buffs will also get a kick out of visiting Old Fort Niagara. 

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach is one of the best vacation spots on the East Coast and a very drivable vacation from NJ. The trip takes about four to six hours, depending on what part of the Garden State you call home. Along the way, you get to experience a beautiful coastal drive through parts of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. 

Perfect for a family beach getaway, Virginia Beach has three miles of oceanfront boardwalk bordering a beautiful strip of sand. You can also experience some fascinating sea life at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, and see the spot where the Jamestown colonists arrived from England in 1607 at First Landing State Park. 

The swimming season at Virginia Beach is generally considered to be May through September. This is a great summer road trip, but you can also beat the crowds—and still enjoy comfortable water temperatures—by visiting slightly before Memorial Day or after Labor Day. 

Green Mountains, Vermont

Vermont is the ultimate romantic getaway on the East Coast, and the Green Mountains stretch the entire length of the state from Massachusetts to Quebec. It's a rugged, beautiful landscape of rolling peaks and valleys, all within a six- or eight-hour drive of New Jersey. 

New England's fall foliage is legendary, so Vermont makes for a particularly great fall road trip. It's a pretty perfect winter destination too, especially if skiing some of the best slopes in the Northeast is appealing to you. Killington and Stowe each offer extraordinary skiing in the Green Mountains. 

Other highlights of a Vermont road trip include a scenic drive on the Route 100 Byway, a few stops at some of the state's 100 19th-century covered wooden bridges, and a craft beer tour in the birthplace of New England IPA. Stop for lunch in Montpelier, a charming little city that happens to be America's smallest state capital. 

Ultimate New Jersey Road Trip

Can you experience a great road trip without ever leaving New Jersey? Absolutely you can. From the beaches to the mountains, and from the Palisades to the Pine Barrens, New Jersey offers plenty of options for road trippers. A getaway in your home state should never be off the table. 

For starters, New Jersey has some great beach getaways. You can drive the coast from Long Branch to Cape May in under two hours, but this is a road trip best spread out over multiple days. Catch a concert in Asbury Park, check out the Barnegat Lighthouse on Long Beach Island, and walk the boardwalk in Atlantic City. 

Looking for something a little more wild and woolly? The Western Highlands Scenic Byway and Warren Heritage Scenic Byway traverse a combined 42 miles of the rugged northwestern part of the state, including Highlands State Park, Waywayanda Lake, and access to New Jersey's 71-mile section of the Appalachian Trail.

Plan the Best Road Trip from NJ

One thing you'll always need when you're on an epic road trip from New Jersey is a place to rest your head at night. Luckily, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts offers 8,900+ hotels worldwide, so there's pretty much always one within a day's drive of wherever you may be. 

Download the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts app today to streamline the planning of your next adventure with faster booking, mobile check-in and checkout, and seamless Wyndham Rewards account access.