Ramapo Lake–Castle Viewpoint, 8 sights is a 3.9-mile out-and-back in Ramapo Mountain State Forest near Wanaque-Midvale, NJ. The route passes Castle Viewpoint, Ramapo Lake and East Shore Drive/Ramapo Lake Loop/Castle Viewpoint. It climbs 504 ft, with sections as steep as 22% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 28/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi548 – 919 ft · steepest grade: 22%4.2 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Wolfe Drive Trailhead 41.05448, -74.26330
Nearest town Wanaque-Midvale, NJ
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Ramapo Lake–Castle Viewpoint, 8 sights
3.9 mi · ▲ 504 ft · 1 hr 33 min
Elevation 546–917 ft
Out & Back · Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Trailhead: Wolfe Drive Trailhead · 41.05448, -74.26330
Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:30 AM · sunset 7:22 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Wanaque Ridge Spur Trail, heading SE.
- 450 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Algonquin Gas Transmission Service Road, heading SE.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Algonquin Gas Transmission Service Road/Castle Loop Trail, heading E.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Castle Loop Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miPass Castle Viewpoint.
- 100 ftTurn left onto Cannonball Trail, heading E.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Hoeferlin Memorial Trail, heading N.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Tamarack Road/Hoeferlin Memorial Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftBear left onto Castle Loop Trail, heading S.
- 1 miPass Ramapo Lake.
- 350 ftSharp right onto Ramapo Lake Spur/Castle Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 200 ftBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right onto East Shore Drive/Ramapo Lake Loop/Castle Loop Trail, heading S.
- 0.4 miPass East Shore Drive/Ramapo Lake Loop/Castle Viewpoint.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Foxcroft Road/Castle Loop Trail, heading N.
- 350 ftTurn left onto Cannonball Trail, heading W.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Wanaque Ridge Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Algonquin Gas Transmission Service Road/Wanaque Ridge Trail, heading N.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Wanaque Ridge Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Wanaque Ridge Spur Trail, heading N.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading N.
- 250 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
90% dirt1% paved9% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:30 AMSunset 7:22 PM
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Wolfe Drive Trailhead Trailhead
- Stephens Lake & Wanaque Ridge Spur Trail via Wanaque Ridge Trail 2.1 mi · ▲ 346 ft
- Water Tower Ruins–Ramapo Lake, 6 viewpoints 2.4 mi · ▲ 405 ft
- Tamarack Viewpoint–Castle Viewpoint, 4 viewpoints 3.3 mi · ▲ 651 ft
- Tamarack Viewpoint–Castle Viewpoint, 4 viewpoints 3.3 mi · ▲ 525 ft
- Todd Hill–Todd Lookout, 5 viewpoints 3.6 mi · ▲ 713 ft
- Matapan Rock–Castle Viewpoint, 5 sights 3.7 mi · ▲ 539 ft
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