Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Upper Erskine Lake–Catnest Trail-Renegade, 3 sights
4 mi · ▲ 521 ft · 1 hr 36 min
Upper Erskine Lake–Catnest Trail-Renegade, 3 sights is a 4-mile out-and-back in Ramapo Mountain State Forest near Erskine, NJ. The route reaches Upper Erskine Lake at the turnaround, 2 miles in. It climbs 521 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 58/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Upper Erskine Lake–Catnest Trail-Renegade, 3 sights
4 mi · ▲ 521 ft · 1 hr 36 min
Elevation 498–787 ft
Out & Back · Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Trailhead: Cheshire Lane Access · 41.08106, -74.24847
Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:30 AM · sunset 7:22 PM
Bikes allowed on the whole route
- Start on Cheshire Lane Access, heading NE.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Cheshire Lane Trail, heading NE.
- 1 miBear right onto Catnest Swamp Road, heading N.
- 100 ftBear right onto Cheshire Lane Trail, heading NE.
- 250 ftBear left onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Catnest Swamp Road, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading N.
- 100 ftBear right onto Catnest Trail-Renegade, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Erskine Trail, heading W.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 350 ftReach Upper Erskine Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Catnest Trail-Renegade, heading E.
- 50 ftBear left onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftBear left onto Catnest Swamp Road, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading E.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Cheshire Lane Trail, heading E.
- 200 ftBear left onto Catnest Swamp Road, heading S.
- 100 ftBear left onto Cheshire Lane Trail, heading SE.
- 1 miBear left onto Cheshire Lane Access, heading SW.
- 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
Good to know
- Bikes allowed on the whole route
More from Cheshire Lane Access Trailhead
- Duck Pond–Black Bear Trail, 4 sights 4.1 mi · ▲ 536 ft
- Ilgenstein Rock–Cheshire Lane Trail, 4 sights 4.3 mi · ▲ 586 ft
- Brushwood Pond–Gatun Pond, 4 sights 4.4 mi · ▲ 363 ft
- Old Guard Viewpoint–Old Guard/Ringwood-Ramapo Viewpoint, 4 sights 4.7 mi · ▲ 559 ft
- Brushwood Pond–Weyble Pond, 6 sights 6.5 mi · ▲ 628 ft
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