Highlands Gran Fondo 2026

Thirty minutes from Manhattan, the New Jersey Highlands are a completely different world — rolling farmland, winding back roads, and forested ridgelines that most New Yorkers don’t know exist. The Highlands Gran Fondo uses all of it. The Gran route covers 100 miles across three counties and two states, crossing the Appalachian Trail eight times on the way to the highest point in New Jersey. Eight thousand feet of climbing makes this one of the harder courses on the Gran Fondo National Series calendar.

Like all GFNS events, your overall time from start to finish doesn’t matter — only your splits on the timed segments. That format tends to draw competitive roadies who want a race without the chaos of a full criterium, alongside fondo riders who just want to push hard on a well-organized course. The 60-mile Medio and 35-mile Piccolo options share the same scenery at lower stakes.

The start and finish is at High Point Brewery in downtown Butler, which should tell you something about how seriously the organizers take the post-ride experience. June in the Highlands means long days and warm temperatures — good conditions for a hard effort on quiet country roads with a cold beer waiting at the end.