{"id":234868,"date":"2026-02-22T21:00:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T02:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/?p=234868"},"modified":"2026-02-24T18:06:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T23:06:29","slug":"day-trip-califon-new-jersey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/","title":{"rendered":"A Very Quaint Day Trip Guide to Califon, New Jersey"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"custom_featured_image\" style=\"display:none;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI-800x533.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"califon new jersey day trip\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI-800x533.png 800w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI-585x390.png 585w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI-263x175.png 263w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><div id=\"custom_category\" style=\"display:none;\">travel<\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hollywood\u2019s all-time happiest <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> saddest movie tells a story set in fictional Bedford Falls, which was inspired by the small, sweet borough of Califon. Califon\u2019s modern-day residents claim that it is, indeed, a place quite amenable to creating a wonderful life. Visitors can hardly help but add to their pleasure at living when hiking, lunching, shopping, biking, fishing, sipping tea, or <a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/best-ice-cream-shops-bergen-county-nj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">licking ice cream<\/a> along the trail and on the Main Street of this famously cute community. <\/span><b>Read on to learn about what can be found in picturesque Califon, New Jersey.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-234870\" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png\" alt=\"califon new jersey day trip\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png 1000w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI-800x533.png 800w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI-585x390.png 585w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI-263x175.png 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>Quaint Califon<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Califon is a small borough of just over 1000 people in Hunterdon County. It radiates small-town charm from every angle and in every season. While sitting outside of Califon\u2019s fly fishing shop, South Branch Outfitters, Don Tretsky lays claim to 20 happy years of residency in the borough. He points to the nearby general store, Rambo\u2019s Country Store, as a great place to gather history about the area.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rambo\u2019s is a special place. Generations gone are represented in the antiquities that line the walls above the delightful array of goods for sale. This is where to go for custom-cut butchered meats, including store-made sausages, along with their traditional chicken pot pies and, perhaps, a bottle of crisp apple cider from nearby Melick\u2019s Town Farm and Orchards. Rambo\u2019s has been in continuous operation since 1888. Today, it\u2019s pretty consistently busy with shoppers, diners, and chatty regulars of all ages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Read More:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/new-jersey-diners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A New Jersey Couple\u2019s Tour of the State\u2019s Shrinking Diner Scene<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rambo\u2019s isn\u2019t even the only quaint and quirky general store frequented by Califon locals. West on Main from Rambo\u2019s is yet another small but mighty cafe\/deli selling traditional fare that combines nostalgia with deliciousness. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C2qddU9xCD-\/?igsh=OGlhOGNqbmVsNGc=\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Califon General Store<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is especially beloved for fat drippy sandwiches that hikers, bikers, and hungry day trippers can eat there or take away while continuing the Califon adventure.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>A Beautiful Borough<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-373491 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Califon-2-650x650.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The prettiness of Califon has made it a popular site for professional photographers to use as a backdrop for wedding photos. It was also the location chosen for filming scenes in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diminishing Capacity<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, featuring Alan Alda and Matthew Broderick. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/places\/califon-historic-district.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Victorian houses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> line the lovely Main Street as it wends toward an iconic iron bridge that crosses the Raritan. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This bridge appears quaint and ordinary, but was made legendary by the 1946 classic Christmas movie, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s A Wonderful Life, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was adapted after Philip Van Doren Stern\u2019s short story set in Califon, titled <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Greatest Gift<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. That humble bridge is the spot where the literary character of George Bailey leapt to escape his woes and where George\u2019s guardian angel, Clarence, showed him the great value of his wonderful life. Fans of the film will be heartened to know that this inspiration for Bedford Falls town abuts a place called Pottersville.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>A Beloved Bridge<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-373492 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Califon-3-650x650.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Legend has it that love for this historic bridge resulted in a short-lived feat of affection performed every school day by the local school children sometime in the 1970s. It is said, but some townsfolk are doubtful about the veracity of this, that engineers found the bridge to be unsafe for the weight of the student-filled school bus that traversed it throughout the school week, and so the Borough Council planned to replace it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Califon residents couldn\u2019t bear to see the old bridge go. So they came up with an ingenious plan: The story claims that Califon\u2019s heroic students came to the rescue twice every day for the duration of the time it took to reinforce the bridge. The bus would pull up to the bridge, the students would exit the bus and walk its length, then meet the bus at the other end after the driver had driven the \u2014 now within weight-bearing capacity \u2014 bus across their beloved landmark. Did it happen? Perhaps. Whatever the case, the people of Califon love their old bridge.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"fd-form-62f928dc85187de9a550434a\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<p><script>\n  window.fd('form', {\n    formId: '62f928dc85187de9a550434a',\n    containerEl: '#fd-form-62f928dc85187de9a550434a'\n  });\n<\/script><\/p>\n<h3><b>Local Legends and Lore<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further foundational <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hunterdon-chamber.org\/califon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">storytelling<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> attributes the odd borough name to a resident named Jacob Neighbor, whose enthusiasm around the surge in milling that coincided with the 1848 gold rush out west inspired him to name the New Jersey town California.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At least two competing stories circulate on the subject of how the borough name became its current condensed form. Both tales blame sign painters. One version has the painters stumped when California could not fit on the spot allotted for the borough name on the train station. The other has a sign-painting duo too drunk to complete the name upon the sign with the same fated outcome.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Old Train Tracks, New Hiking Paths<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-373493 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Califon-4-650x650.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The old train station, built in 1875, stands empty at this moment but is sometimes host to exhibitions installed by the Califon Historical Society. The Central Railroad branch that once ran through the town was abandoned in 1776. Its former route forms the Columbia Trail. This scenic hiking and biking trail extends south from Califon toward High Bridge and northward to Morris County.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The decades of easy train travel in the US must have been grand. In the early 1900s, Califon was a popular day-trip destination for people from all over. City folk took the train into town to see the lovely countryside surrounding it, and their train tickets came with a voucher for ice cream.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Worth a Trip by Horseless Carriage<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Califon remains a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BnRmuQVBDob\/?igsh=OHBrMTQza2FjcWJq\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">great destination<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, even without the train or the ice cream voucher. Lunch at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/oscarsgourmetcafenj.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oscar\u2019s Gourmet Cafe<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can be followed up by ice cream at either of the general stores or with dessert at Cookie Maven. For so few people, there are actually quite a number of options for eating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Califon is an ideal spot for revelling in New Jersey\u2019s natural beauty. Along with the opportunity for exploring along the Columbus Trail, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.califonboro.org\/califon-island-treasure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Califon Island Park<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a great place for picnics and for play. There is easy access to the lovely waters of the South Branch of the Raritan River and to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C9tQvkPthe8\/?igsh=MWluMHNibmt4Zzc1cA==\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ken Lockwood Gorge<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for fishing. The New Jersey Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries stocks the river with rainbow trout and supports a healthy population of wild brown trout, though they have strict catch-and-release restrictions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And what should you do at night in Califon? Why George and Mary Bailey would most certainly tell you to \u2014 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/uAERYfeiYBc?si=Ikr7aunHCbbvoh5Y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dance by the light of the moon<\/span><\/a>!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>See More:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/union-street-park-hackensack-nj-art-graffiti\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hackensack\u2019s Union Street Park: Part of an Expanding Art + Graffiti Scene<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Follow @thebergencountygirl on&nbsp;<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thebergencountygirl\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thehobokengirl\/?hl=en\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">Instagram<\/a>&nbsp;for the latest Bergen County updates,&nbsp;<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/thebergencountygirl.myflodesk.com\/uu0mgpgtm0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/view.flodesk.com\/pages\/62f92877e5ea6b3d8aea50ad\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">sign up for our email list here<\/a>&nbsp;that shares everything you missed each week, and check out our&nbsp;<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/events\/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">events calendar<\/a>, which has over 30+ events weekly to peruse.<\/p>\n<div class=\"categories\"><a class=\"button\" href=\"#\">Stories<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>travelHollywood\u2019s all-time happiest and saddest movie tells a story set in fictional Bedford Falls, which was inspired by the small, sweet borough&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":358,"featured_media":234870,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[8833,7997,9847,9593],"tags":[9698,9683,9702,9678,9691,9783,9709],"class_list":["post-234868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-lifestyle","category-nature","category-local-girl-rss-feed","tag-entertainment","tag-historic-landmarks","tag-lifestyle","tag-new-jersey","tag-outdoor-activities","tag-tlg","tag-travel"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Very Quaint Day Trip Guide to Califon, New Jersey - The Bergen County Girl<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Califon, New Jersey, is a small, cute borough with plenty to do, from hiking paths to shopping and enjoying local ice cream.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Very Quaint Day Trip Guide to Califon, New Jersey\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Califon, New Jersey, is a small, cute borough with plenty to do, from hiking paths to shopping and enjoying local ice cream.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Bergen County Girl\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-23T02:00:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-24T23:06:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Griesbach\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarah Griesbach\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sarah Griesbach\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/aaa31d8a41939b304b28450b41d33c49\"},\"headline\":\"A Very Quaint Day Trip Guide to Califon, New Jersey\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-23T02:00:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-24T23:06:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1140,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Entertainment\",\"Historic Landmarks\",\"Lifestyle\",\"New Jersey\",\"Outdoor Activities\",\"The Local Girl\",\"Travel\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Culture\",\"Lifestyle\",\"Nature\",\"The Local Girl\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/\",\"name\":\"A Very Quaint Day Trip Guide to Califon, New Jersey - The Bergen County Girl\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-23T02:00:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-24T23:06:29+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/aaa31d8a41939b304b28450b41d33c49\"},\"description\":\"Califon, New Jersey, is a small, cute borough with plenty to do, from hiking paths to shopping and enjoying local ice cream.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":666,\"caption\":\"califon new jersey day trip\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Very Quaint Day Trip Guide to Califon, New Jersey\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Bergen County Girl\",\"description\":\"A lifestyle site dedicated to all things Local \u2014 with a New Jersey twist.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/aaa31d8a41939b304b28450b41d33c49\",\"name\":\"Sarah Griesbach\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/SarahG-260-96x96.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/SarahG-260-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/SarahG-260-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Sarah Griesbach\"},\"description\":\"Sarah is a New Jersey resident who's a long-time museum educator and culture writer. Bergen Girl gives Griesbach an excellent excuse to ask questions and seek answers from the countless creative movers, shakers, and thinkers who populate our vibrant region. She\u2019s ever on the lookout for stories about nature and people pushing up toward a better world.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/bergen\\\/author\\\/sarahg\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Very Quaint Day Trip Guide to Califon, New Jersey - The Bergen County Girl","description":"Califon, New Jersey, is a small, cute borough with plenty to do, from hiking paths to shopping and enjoying local ice cream.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Very Quaint Day Trip Guide to Califon, New Jersey","og_description":"Califon, New Jersey, is a small, cute borough with plenty to do, from hiking paths to shopping and enjoying local ice cream.","og_url":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/","og_site_name":"The Bergen County Girl","article_published_time":"2026-02-23T02:00:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-24T23:06:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":666,"url":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Sarah Griesbach","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sarah Griesbach","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/"},"author":{"name":"Sarah Griesbach","@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/#\/schema\/person\/aaa31d8a41939b304b28450b41d33c49"},"headline":"A Very Quaint Day Trip Guide to Califon, New Jersey","datePublished":"2026-02-23T02:00:04+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-24T23:06:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/"},"wordCount":1140,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png","keywords":["Entertainment","Historic Landmarks","Lifestyle","New Jersey","Outdoor Activities","The Local Girl","Travel"],"articleSection":["Culture","Lifestyle","Nature","The Local Girl"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/","url":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/","name":"A Very Quaint Day Trip Guide to Califon, New Jersey - The Bergen County Girl","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png","datePublished":"2026-02-23T02:00:04+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-24T23:06:29+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/#\/schema\/person\/aaa31d8a41939b304b28450b41d33c49"},"description":"Califon, New Jersey, is a small, cute borough with plenty to do, from hiking paths to shopping and enjoying local ice cream.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/califon_newjersey_daytrip_FI.png","width":1000,"height":666,"caption":"califon new jersey day trip"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/day-trip-califon-new-jersey\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Very Quaint Day Trip Guide to Califon, New Jersey"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/#website","url":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/","name":"The Bergen County Girl","description":"A lifestyle site dedicated to all things Local \u2014 with a New Jersey twist.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/#\/schema\/person\/aaa31d8a41939b304b28450b41d33c49","name":"Sarah Griesbach","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SarahG-260-96x96.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SarahG-260-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SarahG-260-96x96.jpg","caption":"Sarah Griesbach"},"description":"Sarah is a New Jersey resident who's a long-time museum educator and culture writer. Bergen Girl gives Griesbach an excellent excuse to ask questions and seek answers from the countless creative movers, shakers, and thinkers who populate our vibrant region. She\u2019s ever on the lookout for stories about nature and people pushing up toward a better world.","url":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/author\/sarahg\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/358"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234868\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}