Yellow-Silver/Schuber/Cannonball Trail/Bear Swamp Lake Loop

The hike begins at a kiosk in the southwest corner of the parking area. Just ahead, you'll notice two triple blazes on a tree. The three silver-on-white blazes mark the start of the Silver Trail, while the three orange blazes designate the start of the Schuber Trail.

Follow the co-aligned Silver and Schuber Trails, which descend a slope to join a paved park road. The paved road bears left, but the trails continue ahead and cross the Ramapo River on a steel truss bridge. In another 250 feet, follow the orange blazes as they turn left, leaving the wide park road.

The Schuber Trail continues on a footpath along the shore of the Ramapo River. Since the footpath is in the floodplain of the river, it may be muddy or even flooded in places when the water is high. After passing a small cascade, the trail bears right, away from the river. Continue to follow the orange blazes, which bear left at the next intersection. Just beyond, the green-on-white-blazed Halifax Trail ends to the right.

Cross a wooden bridge over a stream and reach the ruins of a stone cabin, built by a camp that once operated on this property. Here, the Schuber Trail turns right and begins a rocky climb along the stream. The trail soon levels off, passing attractive cascades and pools in the stream to the right. After curving to the right, the Schuber Trail reaches a junction with the wide park road leading to the MacMillan Reservoir.

Follow the Schuber Trail as it turns left and continues along a paved section of the park road. After crossing a bridge, be sure to follow the main road as it curves left (don't follow the unblazed dirt road that continues straight ahead). Soon, the trail passes to the left of the stone dam of the MacMillan Reservoir. You've gone a little over a mile from the start, and this is a good place to take a break.

When you're ready to continue, find a triple yellow-and-silver blaze on a tree to the left of the Schuber Trail, which marks the start of the Yellow-Silver Trail. Turn left onto this trail, which begins to climb. As the trail levels off, you'll notice an old stone foundation to the left.

After reaching a junction with the red-blazed Marsh Loop Trail, which goes off to the right, the Yellow-Silver Trail climbs briefly and then begins a long, gradual descent. At the base of the descent, the trail passes several abandoned stone buildings - remnants of a goat farm.

The Yellow-Silver Trail briefly joins a private paved road (that leads to Camp Yaw Paw) to cross Bear Swamp Brook on a bridge, then bears right, leaving the road, and begins a steady climb, joining a woods road on the way. After a slight descent, the trail bears right and begins to climb again, following a road with numerous switchbacks.

Immediately after passing the rusted frame of an old fire tower to the right, you will reach a junction with the Yellow Trail. Turn right onto the Yellow Trail, which continues to ascend, passing a stone foundation on a rock ledge.

At the high point of the ridge (996 feet), the Yellow Trail is joined by the orange-blazed Schuber Trail. Here, to the right of the trail, there is an expansive viewpoint over northern Bergen County from a rock outcrop. On a clear day, you can see the Manhattan skyline on the horizon to the right. You've now gone about halfway, and you'll want to stop and take a break.

After you've rested and enjoyed the view, return to the Yellow/Schuber Trail and turn right (north). You follow both yellow and orange blazes as you descend from the ridge, steeply in places, passing the start of the green-on-white-blazed Old Guard Trail on the left. At the base of the descent, the Schuber Trail goes off to the right, but you should continue ahead, following the yellow blazes. After crossing a pipeline, then traversing a wet area on wooden bridges, the Yellow Trail ends at a junction with the Cannonball Trail (blazed with a white "C" on red) just beyond the Dogwood Cabin of Camp Yaw Paw.

Turn right on the Cannonball Trail, which follows the route of the historic Cannonball Road, used during the Revolutionary War to transport munitions without being intercepted by the British. You'll pass a small lean-to on the right and then an A-frame building (used by the camp as a nature center) to the left. Just beyond the A-frame, the Green Trail starts to the left, but you should continue ahead on the Cannonball Trail.

After paralleling the dam of Iaoapogh Lake, the Cannonball Trail turns sharply left, passes the camp's Coyle Cabin, and heads into the woods. It goes by the terminus of the white-blazed Crossover Trail, then descends to end at a junction with the blue-blazed Shore Trail at Bear Swamp Lake.

Turn right onto the Shore Trail, which immediately crosses a footbridge over the outlet of the lake. The dam which formerly regulated the level of the lake has been breached, and the depth of the lake has dropped several feet, leading to the growth of water lilies over much of the lake.

On the opposite side of the bridge, the blue-blazed trail turns left onto a wide road, of which portions are paved, which parallels the eastern shore of the lake. At the next fork in the road, turn right, leaving the Shore Trail, and begin to follow the Red-Silver Trail. This trail, marked by red/silver blazes, immediately crosses a gas pipeline and soon begins to descend on a rocky footpath.

After leveling off and crossing a stream, the Red-Silver Trail ends at a junction with the orange-blazed Schuber Trail. Bear left and follow the Schuber Trail along a woods road, passing the western end of the blue-blazed Ridge Trail to the left. After the red-blazed Marsh Trail leaves to the right, the Schuber Trail begins to descend. It soon reaches the dam at the eastern end of the MacMillan Reservoir, where the Yellow-Silver Trail begins on the right.

Below the dam, the Schuber Trail turns right, but you should continue ahead on the road, now following the Silver Trail. Follow this trail as it descends to Scarlet Oak Pond and continues across the bridge over the Ramapo River to end at the parking area where you started the hike.