Rockleigh Woods Sanctuary and Lamont Reserve Loop

This hike traverses two preserved tracts on the western slope of the Palisades - the 84-acre Rockleigh Woods Sanctuary, located in the Borough of Rockleigh, which purchased it in 1975, and the 134-acre Lamont Reserve, located in the Borough of Alpine, and purchased jointly by the County of Bergen, the Borough of Alpine and the Borough of Rockleigh in 1996. Both tracts were formerly part of Camp Alpine of the Greater New York Councils, Boy Scouts of America.

From the parking area, follow a handicapped-accessible path to a playground, where three blue blazes on a trail mark the start of the Hutcheon Trail. Follow this blue-blazed trail past a "Green Acres" sign into the woods.

In a short distance, you'll notice a triple yellow blaze on a tree to the right. Turn right and follow the yellow-blazed Sneden-Haring Trail, which heads south, closely paralleling the sanctuary boundary. Continue to follow this trail as it turns right and crosses a brook on a culvert. To the right is the Sneden Ice Pond (the level of the pond is currently low because the dam has been breached). Just beyond, the trail turns left at a signpost.

As the trail approaches a wider brook, three red blazes on the right mark the start of the Roaring Ravine Trail. Turn left and follow this red-blazed trail uphill. The scenic trail parallels the cascading Roaring Brook, first on the level of the brook, then high above it. As it approaches the top of the western slope of the Palisades, the trail moves away from the brook.

Near the top, the red-blazed trail ends at an intersection with a wide woods road - the route of the yellow-blazed Lamont Loop. Turn right and follow this trail, which crosses Roaring Brook on rocks and, just beyond, turns right, leaving the road. The trail now begins to descend, first gradually and then more steeply.

As the trail nears the base of the slope, it bears left and again descends more gradually. Soon, you'll come to an intersection with the Hutcheon Trail. Straight ahead, this blue-blazed trail joins the yellow-blazed trail, but you should turn sharply right and follow the blue blazes, which soon join a woods road and level off.

Upon reaching a deeply eroded section of the road, the blue-blazed trail turns left and descends. A short distance beyond, the trail reaches Roaring Brook. It turns left, briefly parallels the brook, then turns right and crosses it on rocks. On the other side, it crosses the red-blazed Roaring Ravine Trail (which you followed up the hill).

Continue ahead on the blue-blazed trail, which makes a short climb, then begins a gradual descent, crossing a stone bridge over a brook. Follow the blue-blazed trail all the way back to the parking area where the hike began.