Ringwood State Park

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Park Overview:

The Park features both wild lands and landscaped gardens. It consists of four distinct areas separated by several miles [but all are encompassed within the park boundary]: Ringwood Manor, Skylands Manor/NJ State Botanical Garden, Shepherd Lake, and Bear Swamp Lake.
Trail Uses:Hiking, Mountain biking, Bridle path, Handicapped
Dogs:See park description
Trail Miles:50 miles
Park Acreage:4044 acres
City/County/
State:		Ringwood/Passaic/NJ
Buy Trail Map:North Jersey Trails Map
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Park Description:

Ringwood State Park features both wild lands and landscaped gardens. It consists of four distinct areas separated by several miles: Ringwood Manor, Skylands Manor/NJ State Botanical Garden, Shepherd Lake, and Bear Swamp Lake.

The park is named after Ringwood Manor, a large mansion containing a priceless collection of relics from the iron-making days, as well as furnishings of the Ryerson, Cooper and Hewitt families from about 1810 to 1930. Tours of the manor house are regularly scheduled (973-962-7031).

Skylands Manor, located a few miles away, is home of the New Jersey Botanical Garden. Samuel Parsons, Jr., founder of the American Society of Landscape Architects and protégé of Frederick Law Olmstead, the one time NYC Parks commissioner, designed the grounds. The Manor itself was built in the 1920s based on English Jacobean architecture common in the English countryside 400 years ago. Tours are offered one Sunday per month March through November.

Shepherd Lake is principally for seasonal activities: swimming, boating, and picnicking. Oddly, on a nearby hill are trapshooting facilities, making it possible to swim to the sound of muffled guns. It may also be possible to have Shotgun Weddings since down the hill from Thunder Mountain Shooting Range is St. Luke's Chapel which is tied in to weddings at Skylands.

Parking Fees are charged Memorial Day to Labor Day [click on park "Contact Information" below]
Trails Overview:

There are seven trails, most beginning around Ringwood Manor going on either side of Sloatsburg Road. Individual trails range from 1.0 to 7.3 miles.

  • Advisory: Approximately a 3/4 mile portion of the Hasenclever Iron Trail [yellow blaze] is temporarily closed to the public in the area of Peter's Mine. From Ringwood Manor it is approximately 1.5 miles in. There is currently no reroute, please plan accordingly. [May, 2008]

Ringwood Manor: Aside from enjoying the grounds and buildings, the Manor Trail is a relatively easy loop through the woods west of Ringwood Manor [3.0 miles; blue blaze]. The Crossover Trail [white blaze] connects Ringwood Manor to Skylands Manor and then proceeds to Bear Swamp Lake thus gaining access to Ramapo Valley County Reservation in Mahwah further east [5.6 miles to the lake].

Skylands Manor: With perennials, annual plantings, and unusual plant species the Skylands is a place of beauty in any season. One can stroll amid the elegance of formal gardens, or along gentle paths winding through the woods. Only the Crossover Trail passes through Skylands. The Halifax Trail [green blaze] begins on the far side of the big lawn of the gardens.

Shepherd Lake: An informal trail goes around part of the lake, and the Ringwood-Ramapo Trail [red blaze] passes by the parking lot. A new orange-blazed trail starts at the dock and stays in the area.
Directions:
  • Ringwood Manor - NY 17 just south of Sloatsburg, New York, via Sterling Mine Road (County 72) which becomes Sloatsburg Road when it crosses into to New Jersey, Ringwood Manor is on the right.
  • Skylands Manor & Shepherd Lake - Continue another half-mile south on Sloatsburg Road, turn left onto Morris Road [a large sign will direct you].
  • All three areas have large or multiple parking areas but Shepherd Lake can get crowded on summer weekends
  • Public Transportation: NJ Transit Bus # 197 from Port Authority Bus Terminal. Bus stop is not so near, but a walk to the park is feasible from Skylands Road.
Contact Information:NJ DEP, Division of Parks and Forestry
973-962-7031
Region:Ramapo Mountains
Fees:Some times and places; check with park
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Comments

Ringwood Manor closed for cleaning for the rest of winter 2012

On February 3rd, 2012 kmalkin@nynjtc.org says:

The furnace malfunctioned and blew soot all over the place. First theft, now this! When will the plagues end?

See http://www.state.nj.us/dep/newsrel/2012/12_0009.htm for details.

From the "Forums/Hike Recommendations" page

On March 16th, 2010 Phil McLewin says:

 

hasenclever trail status?

On February 21st, 2010 jeffs says:
hi does anyone know if the trail through the ford waste site is reopened in ringwood yet? jeff jeffstoveken@yahoo.com
On February 21st, 2010 Estelle says:
A section is still closed 
On March 5th, 2010 jpylka says:
I did see something recently that the cleanup may be completed in the next month or two. Probably would have to be some updating of trail markers (I had also heard that many were missing in the vicinity of the mines...) The markers from JPISP and to Stop 7 appear to have been refurbished and maintained sometime late last summer.