Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Welcome to Ramapo Mountain State Forest! Today we are going to be hiking near a portion of Ramapo Lake, see outstanding views and explore old ruins!
Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Ramapo Mountain State Forest extends six miles between Pompton Lakes and Oakland NJ and is maintained by the NJ Division of Parks and Forestry. Ramapo Mountain Reservation is located to the east of the park and Ringwood State Park is located to the north. These three parks form a combined 10,000 acres of protected forest.
Virtual Hike
Today’s hike will be an estimated 2.9 miles. We will be using this Trail Map (Note: map is of neighboring Ramapo Mountain Reservation but shows Ramapo Mountain State Forest trails near Ramapo Lake) to help us find our way through the woods. Ramapo Mountain State Forest trails were built by the New Jersey Youth Conservation Corps in 1978 and are now maintained by volunteers of the NYNJ Trail Conference.
Hoeferlin Trail
From the parking area off of Skyline Drive in Oakland, let’s head past the kiosk and head to the yellow blazed Hoeferlin Trail. The 6.0 mile Hoeferlin Trail, formerly called the Suffern-Midvale Trail, is named after Bill Hoeferlin, who was a well known north Jersey trail builder and map maker. Ready? Let’s go!
Pond
As we begin our hike a small pond appears to our right which forms the start of a Ramapo River tributary we will be following (and crossing) as we head south on the Hoeferlin trail.
Witch Hazel in Bloom
Just past the pond we spot Witch Hazel in bloom off the trail. Witch Hazel is one of the last native plants to flower in the fall and is unusual because it’s conspicuous yellow flowers stay in bloom even after the leaves have fallen off.
Ramapo River Tributary
As we walk the only noise we hear besides the crunch of newly fallen leaves under our feet is the sound of the Ramapo River tributary flowing nearby.
Sassafras
Continuing south we find Sassafras in fall colors. Sassafras has three types of leaves: Solid, Three Prong and Mitten Shaped. Click here to view pictures and descriptions of this unique tree! All parts of Sassafras are fragrant.
Mile-a-Minute
Continuing south we cross over the Ramapo River tributary and find some Mile-a-Minute weed growing at our feet. Native to eastern Asia, Mile-a-Minute is an established invasive species in New Jersey and is capable of forming a monoculture excluding native plants.
Hoeferlin-MacEvoy Combined Trail Blazes
Continuing south the Hoeferlin trail briefly becomes combined with the blue blazed MacEvoy trail coming from the east.
MacEvoy Trail
The MacEvoy trail is named for Clifford E. MacEvoy who was a wealthy contractor of large public works. MacEvoy helped conceive and construct the nearby Wanaque Reservoir. In the 1920’s, MacEvoy bought property in the Ramapo Mountains to form the Bergen County Hunting and Fishing Club. MacEvoy’s estate was sold and purchased by the State of NJ using Green Acres and federal funds in 1976 and became what is now known as Ramapo Mountain State Forest.
Ramapo Lake
Heading northwest on the dual blazed Hoeferlin/MacEvoy trail we see Ramapo Lake before us. Here the Hoeferlin trail leaves to the south and we continue on the Blue Blaze MacEvoy trail which becomes a paved road. The 120 acre Ramapo Lake is the centerpiece of Ramapo Mountain State Forest. Fish such as Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch and Pickerel among other species are found in the lake. Ramapo Lake was originally a 25 acre pond known as Roten Pond. (“Roten” is Dutch for Muskrat). English translation corrupted “Roten” to “Rotten” Lake. The pond was later dammed to form the present Ramapo Lake.
Cannonball Trail Blaze
After passing a private residence and the Cannonball Trail to our right we come to the 1.0 mile White Blazed Castle Point Trailhead.
Castle Point Trail
Leaving the MacEvoy trail we turn right to head north on Castle Point.
Castle Point Trail Climb
Almost immediately Castle Point proves to be an uphill challenge.
Wanaque Reservoir
Stopping we can see glimpses of the Wanaque Reservoir to the west. The Wanaque Reservoir was constructed in 1928 and is the second largest reservoir in NJ. Water is received from the Pompton, Ramapo and Wanaque Rivers. After enjoying the view, let’s continue our climb on Castle Point.
Castle Point Climb over Old Wall
As we walk, a wall appears with the white blaze of the castle point trail. Let’s carefully climb the wall over the rocks.
Castle
Wow! What’s this? A medieval castle in the middle of the woods? The ruins we see before us were known as Van Slyke Castle. The ruins stand 350 feet above Ramapo Lake on Fox Mountain.
Ramapo Lake View near ruins
The Castle (aka Foxcroft) was a stone mansion built by a William and Alice Porter in 1909 as their summer home. William died in 1911 and Alice died in 1940. The mansion sat empty for years until vandals broke in and torched the mansion in 1959 giving the appearance we see today.
Nature reclaims castle
Castle Point Blaze on ruins
Leaving the castle behind, we head north on the Castle Point Trail.
Ruined Swimming Pool
A short distance from the ruins of the castle we come to the ruins of the castle’s swimming pool.
Water Tower
Leaving the pool behind we arrive at the Ramapo Water Tower which provided water to the Van Slyke Castle. The water tower is still in great shape.
Ramapo Lake View
Stopping to catch our breath we look behind us to see the distant Ramapo Lake.
New York City View from Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Looking east we see the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan in the distance just visible to the right of High Mountain.
Ramapo Lake View
Heading northeast on the Castle Point Trail we turn around one last time to say goodbye to Ramapo Lake which appears even further in the distance.
Castle Point Trail End
We’ve now arrived at the end of the Castle Point Trail. Ahead of us is a paved road leading to private residences nearby. Let’s turn right heading south on the paved road skirting the Cannonball Trail.
Red White Trail Head
A Red and White Trailhead (Skyline Connector Trail) appears to our left. This is our route back to our cars!
Red White Trail
The Red White Trail is a brief pleasant trail…
Red White Trailend
…which ends too soon at the parking lot where we began. I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of Ramapo Mountain State Forest and that it inspires you to check it out for yourself!
Directions (As per the NYNJ Trail Conference webpage)
Take Interstate Route 287 to Exit 57 (Skyline Drive) and proceed north on Skyline Drive for about one mile to the upper parking area for Ramapo Mountain State Forest on the left side of the road, just beyond milepost 1.4, opposite the entrance to Camp Tamarack.
Hiking/Ecology Books!
1.Eastern Deciduous Forest Ecology and Wildlife Conservation - This book is a useful tool for anyone who wants know or hopes to help one of North America’s great natural resources!
Click here for more information!
2. Don’t miss The Highlands: Critical Resources, Treasured Landscapes! The Highlands exemplifies why protection of New Jersey’s Highlands is so important for the future of the state. It is an essential read on the multiple resources of the region.
Click here for more information!
3.60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: New York City: Including northern New Jersey, southwestern Connecticut, and western Long Island – Packed with valuable tips and humorous observations, the guide prepares both novices and veterans for the outdoors. From secluded woods and sun-struck seashores, to lowland swamps and rock-strewn mountain tops, this practical guidebook contains all the information needed to have many great hikes in and around New York City.
Click here for more information!
4. Take a Hike New York City: 80 Hikes within Two Hours of Manhattan – In Moon Take a Hike New York City, award-winning writer Skip Card shows you the best hikes in and around The Big Apple—all within two hours of the city.
Click here for more information!
Feel free to e-mail NJUrbanForest at NJUrbanForest@gmail.com with any comments, memories or suggestion! Thank you and have fun exploring!
