Profile Rock–Castle Viewpoint, 6 sights is a 5.3-mile out-and-back in Ramapo Mountain State Forest near Oakland, NJ. The route passes Castle Viewpoint and Profile Rock. It climbs 1,022 ft, with sections as steep as 24% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 40/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi397 – 879 ft · steepest grade: 24%5.6 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Castle Loop Trail 41.04703, -74.25168
Nearest town Oakland, NJ
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Profile Rock–Castle Viewpoint, 6 sights
5.3 mi · ▲ 1,022 ft · 2 hr 17 min
Elevation 396–880 ft
Out & Back · Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Trailhead: Castle Loop Trail · 41.04703, -74.25168
Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:30 AM · sunset 7:22 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Castle Loop Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Cannonball/Castle Loop Trail, heading N.
- 450 ftBear right onto Deer Ledge Road/Cannonball/Castle Loop Trail, heading N.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Castle Loop Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Castle Viewpoint.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Algonquin Gas Transmission Service Road/Castle Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Castle Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Algonquin Gas Transmission Service Road, heading NW.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Wanaque Ridge Trail, heading SW.
- 1.1 miPass Profile Rock.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 300 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Cresent, heading NW.
- 500 ftReach Profile Rock, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading S.
- 300 ftBear left onto Wanaque Ridge Trail, heading SE.
- 1.3 miTurn left onto Algonquin Gas Transmission Service Road, heading S.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Castle Loop Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Algonquin Gas Transmission Service Road/Castle Loop Trail, heading NE.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Castle Loop Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Deer Ledge Road/Cannonball/Castle Loop Trail, heading E.
- 150 ftBear left onto Cannonball/Castle Loop Trail, heading NE.
- 450 ftTurn left onto Castle Loop Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 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
84% dirt4% paved12% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:30 AMSunset 7:22 PM
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Castle Loop Trail Trailhead
- Castle Viewpoint & Hoeferlin Memorial Trail via Castle Loop Trail 1 mi · ▲ 96 ft
- Lake Tamarack & Schuber Trail via Castle Loop Trail 1 mi · ▲ 120 ft
- Todd Hill–Todd Lookout Loop, 6 viewpoints 1.7 mi · ▲ 320 ft
- Water Tower Ruins–Ramapo Lake Loop, 8 sights 2.3 mi · ▲ 431 ft
- Matapan Rock–Algonquin Gas Service Road, 4 sights 2.7 mi · ▲ 252 ft
- Lake Tamarack–Lake Vreeland, 3 lakes 2.9 mi · ▲ 447 ft
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