Ringwood State Park
Shepherd Lake–Swan Pond, 5 lakes
3.3 mi · ▲ 367 ft · 1 hr 17 min
Shepherd Lake–Swan Pond, 5 lakes is a 3.3-mile out-and-back in Ringwood State Park near Skylands, NJ. The route passes Swan Pond, The Bog and Shepherd Lake before reaching Ringwood State Park Beach at the turnaround, 1.5 miles in. It climbs 367 ft. It scores 57/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Shepherd Lake–Swan Pond, 5 lakes
3.3 mi · ▲ 367 ft · 1 hr 17 min
Elevation 597–830 ft
Out & Back · 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 ftBear left onto Swan Pond Road/Crossover Trail, heading N.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Arbor Trail, heading N.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Old Morris Road, heading N.
- 0.4 miSharp left onto Mountain Bike Loop/Race Trail, heading E.
- 0.5 miPass Shepherd Lake.
- 50 ftPass Ringwood State Park Beach.
- 250 ftBear left onto Ringwood-Ramapo/Shepherd Lake Trail/Mountain Bike Loop, heading SE.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftReach Shepherd Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear right onto Ringwood-Ramapo/Shepherd Lake Trail/Mountain Bike Loop, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Mountain Bike Loop/Race Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miSharp right onto Old Morris Road, heading S.
- 0.4 miSharp left onto Arbor Trail, heading SW.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Swan Pond Road/Crossover Trail, heading SW.
- 250 ftBear right onto Swan Pond Road/Crossover/Five Ponds Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Swan Pond Road/Five Ponds Loop Trail, heading S.
- 350 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.6 mi in (~45 min). Leave by 6:17 PM for the 7:22 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:21 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
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
- Ringwood-Ramapo Viewpoint–Five Ponds Viewpoint Loop, 7 sights 1.8 mi · ▲ 311 ft
- Gatun Pond–Duck Pond, 5 sights 2.2 mi · ▲ 351 ft
- Warm Puppy Rock–Duck Pond, 4 sights 2.7 mi · ▲ 383 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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