Ringwood State Park
Warm Puppy Rock–Duck Pond, 4 sights
2.7 mi · ▲ 383 ft · 1 hr 5 min
Warm Puppy Rock–Duck Pond, 4 sights is a 2.7-mile out-and-back in Ringwood State Park near Skylands, NJ. The route passes Duck Pond and Warm Puppy Rock. It climbs 383 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 61/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Warm Puppy Rock–Duck Pond, 4 sights
2.7 mi · ▲ 383 ft · 1 hr 5 min
Elevation 519–736 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 Five Ponds Loop Trail, heading SE.
- 0.2 miSharp right onto Defiance Road/Crossover/Five Ponds Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miPass Duck Pond.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading S.
- 350 ftPass Warm Puppy Rock.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.4 miSharp left onto Ice Pond Road/Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading SW.
- 250 ftBear right, heading W.
- 450 ftBear right onto Ryerson Access, heading SW.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Black Bear Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn right onto Whaleback Access, heading W.
- 0.1 miReach Warm Puppy Rock, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
- 450 ftTurn right onto Black Bear Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Ryerson Access, heading E.
- 250 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 450 ftBear left onto Ice Pond Road/Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading N.
- 250 ftSharp right onto Ringwood-Ramapo Trail, heading E.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading E.
- 450 ftTurn left onto Defiance Road/Crossover/Five Ponds Loop Trail, heading NE.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Five Ponds Loop Trail, heading N.
- 0.1 miArrive 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
- 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
- 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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