Shepherd Lake–Scarlet Oak Pond, 10 sights is a 10.9-mile out-and-back in Ramapo Valley County Reservation near Darlington, NJ. The route passes Scarlet Oak Pond, Vista, Shepherd Lake and Ringwood State Park Beach before reaching Ringwood State Park Beach at the turnaround, 5.4 miles in. It climbs 2,056 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade. It scores 60/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi240 – 1,027 ft · steepest grade: 25%11.6 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 41.07729, -74.18699
Nearest town Darlington, NJ
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Shepherd Lake–Scarlet Oak Pond, 10 sights
10.9 mi · ▲ 2,056 ft · 4 hr 40 min
Elevation 241–1,026 ft
Out & Back · Ramapo Valley County Reservation
Trailhead: 41.07729, -74.18699
Weather Sep 7: Overcast, high 76°F / low 57° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:30 AM · sunset 7:21 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 250 ftBear left onto Vista Spur Trail, heading W.
- 350 ftPass Scarlet Oak Pond.
- 250 ftPass Vista.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Pond/Vista Loop Trail, heading NW.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Vista-Ridge Connector Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Ridge Loop Trail, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Vista Loop Trail, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Ridge/Vista Loop Trail, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Ridge Loop Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Vista Loop Trail, heading N.
- 400 ftBear left onto White Trail, heading NW.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Havemeyer / White Trail, heading NW.
- 450 ftBear left onto White Trail, heading N.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Halifax Trail, heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Tennesee Gas Service Road, heading NW.
- 1.9 miTurn right onto Mountain Bike Loop/Race Trail, heading N.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading W.
- 0.3 miBear left onto Ringwood-Ramapo/Shepherd Lake Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miPass Shepherd Lake.
- 50 ftPass Ringwood State Park Beach.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail/Mountain Bike Loop/Race Trail, heading N.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Ringwood-Ramapo/Shepherd Lake Trail/Mountain Bike Loop, heading N.
- 0.1 miPass Ringwood State Park Beach.
- 250 ftReach Shepherd Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail/Mountain Bike Loop/Race Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Ringwood-Ramapo/Shepherd Lake Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading E.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Mountain Bike Loop/Race Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Tennesee Gas Service Road, heading S.
- 1.9 miTurn left onto Halifax Trail, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto White Trail, heading E.
- 0.6 miBear right onto Havemeyer / White Trail, heading SE.
- 450 ftContinue straight onto White Trail, heading SE.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Vista Loop Trail, heading S.
- 350 ftTurn left onto Ridge Loop Trail, heading SE.
- 100 ftBear right onto Ridge/Vista Loop Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Vista Loop Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Ridge Loop Trail, heading S.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Vista-Ridge Connector Trail, heading S.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Pond/Vista Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Vista Spur Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading NE.
- 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 surface
56% dirt7% gravel37% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 76°F57°
Precip0%Wind5 mphUV6Humidity63%
Rained 0.2″ 4 days ago (0.4″ over the last week)
Hourly temperature
80°55°
Sunrise 6:30 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:21 PM
Tue
79°61°
Wed
85°61°
Thu
80°67°
30%
Fri
76°56°
22%
Sat
80°56°
Sun
84°59°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.4 mi in (~163 min). Leave by 4:19 PM for the 7:21 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:12 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- MacMillan Brook Falls–Scarlet Oak Pond Loop, 5 sights 1.6 mi · ▲ 215 ft
- Ridge Overlook–Scarlet Oak Pond, 4 viewpoints 1.6 mi · ▲ 464 ft
- Cactus Ledge–Scarlet Oak Pond Loop, 8 sights 2.3 mi · ▲ 581 ft
- MacMillan Reservoir–Mill Race Ruins, 5 lakes 2.7 mi · ▲ 398 ft
- MacMillan Reservoir Overlook–MacMillan Reservoir, 6 sights 3.5 mi · ▲ 739 ft
- Monroe Ridge–Cactus Ledge Loop, 11 sights 3.9 mi · ▲ 633 ft
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