South Mountain Reservation

Crater View–Orange Reservoir, 9 sights

5.8 mi · ▲ 312 ft · 2 hr 5 min

Crater View–Orange Reservoir, 9 sights is a 5.8-mile out-and-back in South Mountain Reservation near Saint Cloud, NJ. The route passes Orange Reservoir and Flamingo before reaching Crater View at the turnaround, 2.9 miles in. It climbs 312 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 3/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi315 – 554 ft6.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Reservoir Loop / Zoo Loop (Green Dot) 40.76897, -74.28318
Nearest town Saint Cloud, NJ

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Crater View–Orange Reservoir, 9 sights

5.8 mi · ▲ 312 ft · 2 hr 5 min

Elevation 315–554 ft

Out & Back · South Mountain Reservation

Trailhead: Reservoir Loop / Zoo Loop (Green Dot) · 40.76897, -74.28318

Weather Sep 5: sunrise 6:29 AM · sunset 7:25 PM

Dogs allowed on leash · Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Zoo Loop (Green Dot), heading S.
  2. 50 ftPass Orange Reservoir.
  3. 50 ftPass Flamingo.
  4. 0.7 miBear left onto Connector, heading SE.
  5. 50 ftTurn right onto Reservoir Trail, heading S.
  6. 0.4 miBear right onto Hillspur Road, heading S.
  7. 200 ftContinue straight onto Turtle Back Trail (Orange), heading W.
  8. 250 ftBear right onto Reservior Road, heading SW.
  9. 0.3 miSharp right onto Longwood Trail, heading SE.
  10. 0.1 miBear left, heading E.
  11. 50 ftBear right onto Summit Trail, heading E.
  12. 0.8 miBear right onto Swampy Trail, heading SW.
  13. 0.4 miTurn left onto Grassy Trail, heading S.
  14. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Crest Trail, heading S.
  15. 50 ftTurn right onto Grassy Trail, heading S.
  16. 50 ftReach Crater View, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  17. 50 ftTurn left onto Crest Trail, heading S.
  18. 50 ftContinue straight onto Grassy Trail, heading S.
  19. 0.1 miTurn right onto Swampy Trail, heading SE.
  20. 0.4 miBear left onto Summit Trail, heading NE.
  21. 0.8 miBear left, heading NE.
  22. 50 ftBear right onto Longwood Trail, heading N.
  23. 0.1 miSharp left onto Reservior Road, heading E.
  24. 0.3 miBear left onto Turtle Back Trail (Orange), heading NE.
  25. 350 ftContinue straight onto Hillspur Road, heading SW.
  26. 100 ftBear left onto Reservoir Trail, heading W.
  27. 0.4 miTurn left onto Connector, heading NE.
  28. 50 ftBear right onto Zoo Loop (Green Dot), heading NE.
  29. 0.6 miArrive back at the trailhead.

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

Trail surface

87% dirt13% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:29 AMSunset 7:25 PM

Good to know

  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Reservoir Loop / Zoo Loop (Green Dot) Trailhead