West Milford, NJ Outdoor Activities

The staff of Pocono Segway Tours leads groups of up to 10 sightseers on segway-propelled escapades through the scenic Pocono Mountains. A battery-powered personal transporter, the segway allows recreationalists of all shapes and sizes to navigate the gyroscopic machine along wooded paths and roadways while taking in the area's picturesque vistas during guided, multimile excursions. With two locations, the company gives tours in mountainous Split Rock; in Shawnee Inn, which presents views of the Delaware Water Gap.

Even though the sprawling, bright-red barn that sits on Saddle Valley Farm holds 75 stalls, it doesn’t take up much space. That’s because the farm—home to riding lessons, horse boarding, and day camps—sits on 100 acres of rolling, emerald hills, lined by a thick of trees and white picket fences. The expanse of land also houses two indoor arenas and an outdoor show ring, lesson ring, and plenty of wide-open space for riding, training, and reenacting the opening sequence to The Sound of Music. Riding students can opt to learn English-style equitation or Western riding under the tutelage of instructors specialized in each field, while the farm also hosts day camps for kids aged 6–13, which include lessons in horse care, grooming, breeds, leading, and handling.

Over the course of its 22-year existence, Ocean Experience Surf School has helped somewhere in the neighborhood of over 15,000 students to safely discover and refine their passion for watersports. Students 6 or older hop atop surfboards, paddleboards, and kayaks for on-the-water practice under the care of experienced instructors during private lessons and group classes.

The local press and community showers the school's companion retail outlet with praise, which won both the Best Surf Shop and Best Skate Shop in CityBeat's 2010 Readers' Poll. In an effort to give back to the community, the organization runs an afterschool sports program offering surfing and skateboarding lessons to kids up to 18 years old and adults with a note from a certified kindergarten teacher.

Paddle Creek’s picturesque launch settings makes it an ideal jumping-off point for river excursions in single and tandem kayaks and canoes or atop a standup paddleboard. The staff of outdoor enthusiasts helps everyone from novice to advanced paddlers select their ideal vessels―for rental or purchase―and even recommends areas of interest. In addition to equipment rentals, the adventure spot offers lessons as well as self-guided tours.

Spring Valley Equestrian Center has been family owned for four decades. Current owners Marie Cotton and Chuck McWhirter spearhead instruction in both English and Western horseback-riding techniques on the scenic ranch, which abuts the Appalachian Trail Ridge. A large indoor arena complements the center's three riding rings, allowing horses to gallop comfortably throughout the year and eliminating the need for them to fly south for the winter. Spring Valley’s saddle shop allows equines to suit up onsite. In addition to group and private lessons, the center hosts summer horsemanship camps that include a week of lessons and conclude with a student horse show.

Students who want to ride one of Equestrian Enterprize's trusty steeds don't have to wait until their first lesson to meet the animals. The staff is so fond of its four-legged instructors that each one gets its own page on the website. Guests can meet Isiah, the Percheron gelding whose long white eyelashes will steal your heart, or RJ Rabbit, the 10-year-old quarter pony who fancies himself the barn clown. These introductions are engaging, but riders won't really know the team until they visit the picturesque facility, where an indoor arena and four outdoor riding rings sit flanked by lush trees and rugged trails. In this setting, teachers call on their competition experience to instill students with the skills to handle horses in the english, western, dressage, or driving disciplines. For seasoned riders or unkempt centaurs, the equestrian specialists also offer boarding services with custom feeding programs, ample turnout, and regular stall cleaning.