Ringwood State Park
Ringwood-Ramapo Viewpoint–Five Ponds Viewpoint Loop, 7 sights
1.8 mi · ▲ 311 ft · 45 min
Ringwood-Ramapo Viewpoint–Five Ponds Viewpoint Loop, 7 sights is a 1.8-mile loop in Ringwood State Park near Skylands, NJ. The route passes Swan Pond, The Bog, Five Ponds Viewpoint and Ringwood-Ramapo Viewpoint. It climbs 311 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 60/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Ringwood-Ramapo Viewpoint–Five Ponds Viewpoint Loop, 7 sights
1.8 mi · ▲ 311 ft · 45 min
Elevation 592–908 ft
Loop · Ringwood State Park
Trailhead: Five Ponds Loop Trail · 41.12013, -74.23815
Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:30 AM · sunset 7:22 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Swan Pond Road/Five Ponds Loop Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miPass Swan Pond.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.1 miPass The Bog.
- 150 ftBear right, heading N.
- 500 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Swan Pond Road/Crossover/Five Ponds Loop Trail, heading E.
- 100 ftSharp right onto Five Ponds Loop Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miPass Five Ponds Viewpoint.
- 350 ftBear right onto Skylands Trail, heading SE.
- 350 ftPass Ringwood-Ramapo Viewpoint.
- 100 ftBear left onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto The Knob, heading S.
- 0.2 miSharp right onto Defiance Road/Crossover/Five Ponds Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 450 ftSharp left onto Five Ponds Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miThe loop closes back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 7:02 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:22 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 7:50 PM.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Five Ponds Loop Trail Trailhead
- Ringwood State Park Viewpoint–Swan Pond, 3 lakes 1.4 mi · ▲ 80 ft
- Gatun Pond–Duck Pond, 5 sights 2.2 mi · ▲ 351 ft
- Warm Puppy Rock–Duck Pond, 4 sights 2.7 mi · ▲ 383 ft
- Shepherd Lake–Swan Pond, 5 lakes 3.3 mi · ▲ 367 ft
- Swan Pond–The Bog, 8 sights 4.4 mi · ▲ 460 ft
- Upper Erskine Lake–Gatun Pond, 8 sights 4.6 mi · ▲ 614 ft
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