Ringwood State Park

Ringwood State Park is a magnificent place for hiking adventures. Straddling the Bergen/Passaic county line, it is home to an extensive trail system, scenic viewpoints, mountain biking trails, a Botanical Garden, two manor homes, a recreational lake, and a shooting range. The best part…? It is steeped with American history. In the last six years of hiking in Northern NJ, the deep interior of Ringwood State Park is home to my one and only rattlesnake sighting. The wonderful thing about these trails is their seclusion. The parking lot might be full, but you’ll rarely feel that on the trails. What I love about Ringwood State Park is the wide range of history, education and activity you find here. If you have a hiking-reluctant family member but want to introduce them to the great outdoors, Ringwood State Park is perfect for you! You can take a historic tour of Ringwood Manor in the morning, picnic by Ringwood Mill Pond and then take a casual walk on Manor Trail. For the more active ones in your family, you can hike or mountain bike on the trails surrounding Shepard Lake in the cool summer morning, BBQ for lunch by the lake, and then rent a paddleboat and/or swim in the hot afternoon. For the avid hiker, these trails aren’t especially challenging when you considering the trails west of Greenwood Lake, but prepare yourself for long days: the trails east of the Botanical Garden are lengthy and connect to both Ramapo Valley County Reservation and Ramapo State Forest. Select your hike before you leave so that you can plan properly. Almost all of the trails on the east side are out and back, so it’s easy to roam quite far. Easy loop trails will primarily be found on the west side of the park. 4-season hiking and all seasons are good seasons to visit! My top three hikes in Ringwood State Park: #1. Ringwood-Ramapo Trail (red blaze), #2. Pierson Ridge Trail (blue blaze), #3. Cooper Union (yellow blaze) to Cupsaw Brook loop (blue blaze) in autumn when the trees are at their peak of color. (hike in via Ringwood-Ramapo trail at Shepard Lake).