AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Ringwood State Park

Bear Swamp Lake–Upper Erskine Lake, 8 sights

6.5 mi · ▲ 880 ft · 2 hr 36 min

Bear Swamp Lake–Upper Erskine Lake, 8 sights is a 6.5-mile out-and-back in Ringwood State Park near Erskine Lakes, NJ. The route passes Upper Erskine Lake, Ilgenstein Rock and Bear Swamp Lake. It climbs 880 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 79/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi568 – 1,129 ft · steepest grade: 19%7.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Spruce Place Access 41.09408, -74.24555
Nearest town Erskine Lakes, NJ
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Bear Swamp Lake–Upper Erskine Lake, 8 sights

6.5 mi · ▲ 880 ft · 2 hr 36 min

Elevation 569–1,129 ft

Out & Back · Ringwood State Park

Trailhead: Spruce Place Access · 41.09408, -74.24555

Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:30 AM · sunset 7:22 PM

  1. Start on Spruce Place Access, heading SE.
  2. 50 ftPass Upper Erskine Lake.
  3. 150 ftBear left onto Spruce Place Connector, heading SE.
  4. 350 ftTurn left onto Spruce Place Access, heading E.
  5. 0.1 miBear right, heading E.
  6. 50 ftBear left onto Cheshire Lane Trail, heading E.
  7. 500 ftBear right onto Catnest Swamp Road, heading NE.
  8. 100 ftBear right onto Cheshire Lane Trail, heading N.
  9. 250 ftBear left onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading NE.
  10. 400 ftBear right onto Erskine Connector Trail, heading N.
  11. 0.6 miTurn left onto Hoeferlin Memorial Trail, heading SE.
  12. 0.3 miPass Ilgenstein Rock.
  13. 150 ftTurn left onto Crossover/Hofferlin Memorial Trail, heading NE.
  14. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Hoeferlin Memorial Trail, heading N.
  15. 0.7 miPass Bear Swamp Lake.
  16. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Shore Trail, heading S.
  17. 50 ftContinue straight onto Hoeferlin Memorial Trail, heading SE.
  18. 450 ftContinue straight onto Halifax Trail, heading NE.
  19. 0.3 miBear left onto Algonquin/Tennessee Interconnect Service Road/Halifax Trail, heading E.
  20. 50 ftBear left onto Tennesee Gas Service Road/Halifax Trail, heading E.
  21. 100 ftContinue straight onto Halifax Trail, heading E.
  22. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  23. 0.2 miReach Bear Swamp Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  24. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Tennesee Gas Service Road/Halifax Trail, heading NE.
  25. 50 ftBear right onto Algonquin/Tennessee Interconnect Service Road/Halifax Trail, heading NE.
  26. 100 ftBear right onto Halifax Trail, heading NE.
  27. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Hoeferlin Memorial Trail, heading W.
  28. 450 ftContinue straight onto Shore Trail, heading W.
  29. 50 ftContinue straight onto Hoeferlin Memorial Trail, heading W.
  30. 0.9 miContinue straight onto Crossover/Hofferlin Memorial Trail, heading SW.
  31. 0.4 miTurn right onto Hoeferlin Memorial Trail, heading S.
  32. 0.4 miTurn right onto Erskine Connector Trail, heading SW.
  33. 0.6 miBear left onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading N.
  34. 450 ftBear right onto Cheshire Lane Trail, heading W.
  35. 200 ftBear left onto Catnest Swamp Road, heading NW.
  36. 100 ftBear left onto Cheshire Lane Trail, heading NW.
  37. 500 ftBear right, heading N.
  38. 50 ftBear left onto Spruce Place Access, heading N.
  39. 0.1 miTurn right onto Spruce Place Connector, heading S.
  40. 350 ftBear right onto Spruce Place Access, heading SW.
  41. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/bear-swamp-lake-upper-erskine-lake-out-back-9-sights

Trail surface

93% dirt1% paved6% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:30 AMSunset 7:22 PM

Hikes near Erskine Lakes, New Jersey