The 7 Wonders of New Jersey: From Natural Marvels to a Majestic Refinery

The Seven Marvels of the Early World encompassed a temple, lighthouse, statue, mausoleum, and gardens.

The Seven Wonders of New Jersey are far more impressive; they feature a temple even grander than the Temple of Artemis, and we have so many lighthouses that we couldn't settle for just one. The same goes for our gardens and statues.

Our seven wonders form quite a varied list: the state’s most awe-inspiring (or hair-raising) bridge; a refinery you can tour by car; and the peak representing the state’s tallest spot.

Several deserving entries did not make the cut: the George Washington Bridge, Eagle Rock Reservation, Island Beach State Park, Lucy the Elephant, Delaware Water Gap, The Great Swamp, Mount Mitchill, Palisades Interstate Park, and the Trenton Makes the World Takes sign (Alright, I admit my local bias is showing here).

READ MORE: The best aspect of each individual town across New Jersey

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mahdir, Robbinsville

The first time I laid eyes on the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville, I was utterly astounded, mesmerized, and awestruck—feel free to add more superlatives as you see fit. For a moment, I believed I had somehow been whisked away to India.

Perhaps someone might imagine the temple situated in a more densely inhabited region—pretty much anywhere across North Jersey—but within the rural township of Robbinsville, which up until now was solely recognized for its two legendary pizza spots, De Lorenzo’s and Papa’s?

The Hindu temple boasts an impressive architectural design with 40 spires, 98 columns, 144 intricately sculpted deities, 91 elephant statues, and over 13,499 individually crafted stone elements. As the biggest Hindu place of worship in the country, it welcomes visitors but requires appointments during weekends.

Moreover, surprisingly enough, there are some delightful dishes within. Nestled deep inside the primary entryway lies the Shayona Cafe, which boasts an entirely vegetarian selection. Their tomato and basil soup stands out for being robust, flavorful, and deeply fulfilling. Additionally, their signature dish, the Swaminarayan Khichadi & Yogurt—a blend of steamed legumes, rice, and assorted veggies—is truly exceptional.

Bayway Refinery , Linden

Consider it New Jersey’s grandest piped illusion or a scene plucked right from "Blade Runner," a massive structure featuring numerous chimneys, conduits, and columns called Bayway.

By day, great puffy clouds of steam billow from Tinkertoy-like structures; at night, flames shoot from the tops of columns.

Bayway spans 1,235 acres with an extensive network of pipes totaling 675 miles. This site stands out as one of New Jersey’s most impressive sights, particularly when illuminated at nighttime. You can view this spectacle from the Turnpike nearExit 13, which cuts directly through it. Established in 1909, Bayway holds the distinction of being both America’s first oil refinery and the biggest along the Eastern Seaboard.

An impressive variety of fuels and other items are produced here: gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel, home heating oil, propane, and even chewing gum base. I had the opportunity to tour this facility many years ago, and it left me quite impressed.

City Hall, Camden

Certainly, there are stunning city halls throughout New Jersey (such as those in Newark, Trenton, Jersey City, etc.), yet none compare to Camden’s. Although it doesn’t match their grand scale and magnificence, its slender classical charm distinguishes it. Finished in 1931, this structure stands tall as both Camden’s highest skyscraper and the loftiest municipal edifice in the entire state. Right beside the entryway lies The Lunchbox , Number 2 on our list for Camden’s 11 best restaurants, ranked.

The Great Falls , Paterson

Sure, sure, everybody knows about the Great Falls, but have you personally visited and stood on the bridge gazing at the state’s most impressive natural marvel? (at present, the bridge happens to be temporarily closed).

In 1792, Paterson was founded as the nation's premier planned industrial hub, with the Great Falls at its heart. Witnessing it during high water will amplify your awe. I plan to write endlessly about the Great Falls until each resident of New Jersey has seen it. This might take some time—surprisingly few locals have visited yet. So head over now; otherwise, consider yourself warned—I’ll be reminding you perpetually. In our feature highlighting "The Best Part of Each New Jersey Community," the Great Falls stood out for Paterson.

High Point State Park, Montague

The tallest peak in this state reaches an elevation of 1,803 feet, yet how many people do you reckon have made it all the way up? Unlikely they did. High Point State Park officially opened back in 1923. Its landscape architecture came courtesy of the renowned Olmsted Brothers out of Boston—sons of none other than Frederick Law Olmsted himself, designer behind iconic Central Park. Drive your vehicle right up to the summit because, somewhat surprisingly, there lies a beach en route as well; then revel in panoramic vistas atop New Jersey once you get there. During my visit during early fall, I enjoyed solitude throughout the park. While some may argue that 1,803 feet doesn’t sound particularly lofty, consider this: That height surpasses what can be found at the peaks of ten additional U.S. states. So, not too shabby after all!

The Pine Barrens

The Pine Barrens is an enigmatic and enchanting region spanning over a million acres, covering almost a quarter of New Jersey.

Even so, it barely registers on the radar of state awareness (especially within North Jersey). Have you ever seen the Pine Barrens listed among the Top 20 things to do in New Jersey? Me neither. If you ask ten random people from New Jersey whether they've truly spent time in the pine lands—whether hiking, canoeing, camping, or staying overnight for multiple days—and exclude simply driving through, I bet less than half would respond affirmatively.

I've traveled through the pine forests many times, yet had never set up a camping site there until 10 years back, when my buddy and I put up our tent in freezing temperatures. I read about it. that misadventure here . You can go on canoe journeys, nature hikes, and much more through Pinelands Adventures in Shamong.

Pulaski Skyway

You either feel strongly positive or negative about it; there's no middle ground. In my view, the Skyway (no real Jerseyan refers to it as the Pulaski Skyway) represents what New Jersey is all about. greatest, grittiest sight, Three and a half miles of sheer madness or magic, depending on how you view a bridge lacking shoulders entirely and having an impractical speed limit soaring above a desolate terrain as either a nightmarish sight or a heavenly one.

One of New Jersey's most stunning bridges, which earned the title "the most beautiful steel structure" among long-span bridges upon its completion in 1932, now serves as the state's premier adrenaline-pumping destination. This jet-black edifice winds and meanders through a dimly lit landscape featuring an array of industrial sights such as warehouses stocked with millions of bottles of alcohol, active container terminals, smoking chimneys, fuel stations, railway lines, electric cables, pubs, a prison, and even a wastewater processing facility.

Everything you see belongs to South Kearny, a perpetually intriguing realm filled with truck drivers and rugged characters, not to mention countless remains likely hidden beneath its soil across the decades. This bridge stretches all the way from Jersey City to Newark.

Clips from the 1979 film "Hair" were filmed on the Skyway. During Orson Welles' iconic "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast in 1938, a "huge being" was described as perching across the Skyway.

While other bridges might be grander and more significant (like the George Washington Bridge), none match the Skyway when it comes to audacious boldness. If not for all the graves around it, I'd prefer to have my final resting place there.

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Peter Genovese can be contacted at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com . On Twitter, @petegenovese . On Instagram, @peteknowsjersey and @themunchmobile.

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