Water Tower Ruins–Ramapo Lake, 7 viewpoints is a 5-mile out-and-back in Ramapo Mountain State Forest near Oakland, NJ. The route passes North Shore Drive/Ramapo Lake Loop/Cannonball Viewpoint, Ramapo Lake Loop/Cannonball Viewpoint, Ramapo Lake and Wanaque Reservoir Overlook before reaching Water Tower Ruins at the turnaround, 2.5 miles in. It climbs 861 ft, with sections as steep as 26% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 25/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi233 – 837 ft · steepest grade: 26%5.5 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 41.01408, -74.27813
Nearest town Oakland, NJ
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Water Tower Ruins–Ramapo Lake, 7 viewpoints
5 mi · ▲ 861 ft · 2 hr 6 min
Elevation 232–837 ft
Out & Back · Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Trailhead: 41.01408, -74.27813
Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:44 AM · sunset 6:58 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 250 ftBear left, heading N.
- 350 ftBear right onto South Ridge Trail, heading N.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Pool Hollow Trail, heading N.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Indian Rock Trail, heading N.
- 400 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 0.6 miPass North Shore Drive/Ramapo Lake Loop/Cannonball Viewpoint.
- 50 ftPass Ramapo Lake Loop/Cannonball Viewpoint.
- 50 ftPass Ramapo Lake.
- 100 ftBear right onto North Shore Drive/Ramapo Lake Loop/Cannonball Trail, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Wanaque Ridge/Cannonball Trail, heading NE.
- 450 ftTurn right onto Cannonball Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Cannonball Trail / Castle Loop, heading E.
- 50 ftBear left onto Castle Loop Trail, heading E.
- 0.3 miPass Wanaque Reservoir Overlook.
- 250 ftReach Water Tower Ruins, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Cannonball Trail / Castle Loop, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Cannonball Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Wanaque Ridge/Cannonball Trail, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn right onto North Shore Drive/Ramapo Lake Loop/Cannonball Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear left onto North Shore Drive, heading S.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Indian Rock Trail, heading S.
- 400 ftBear left, heading S.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Pool Hollow Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto South Ridge Trail, heading S.
- 0.6 miBear left, heading SW.
- 350 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 250 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 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
96% dirt1% paved3% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:44 AMSunset 6:58 PM
More from this trailhead
- Pool Hollow Viewpoint–Ramapo Lake, 5 sights 4.5 mi · ▲ 506 ft
- South Ridge Trail Loop 1.9 mi · ▲ 428 ft
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