West Ridge Trail
3.8 mi · ▲ 402 ft · 1 hr 28 min
West Ridge Trail is a 3.8-mile out-and-back in South Mountain Reservation near Short Hills, NJ. It climbs 402 ft. It scores 1/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
West Ridge Trail
3.8 mi · ▲ 402 ft · 1 hr 28 min
Elevation 276–546 ft
Out & Back · South Mountain Reservation
Trailhead: 40.74747, -74.30745
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 77°F / low 64° · precip 1% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 6:29 AM · sunset 7:25 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto West Ridge Trail, heading N.
- 0.7 miBear right onto Lenape Trail (Yellow), heading E.
- 0.6 miBear right onto Yellow Bypass, heading NE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Lenape Trail (Yellow), heading NE.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto Lenape Trail (Yellow) / Turtle Back Trail (Orange), heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Unblazed, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Hillspur Road, heading SE.
- 100 ftBear left onto Reservoir Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Hillspur Road, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Unblazed, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Lenape Trail (Yellow) / Turtle Back Trail (Orange), heading SW.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Lenape Trail (Yellow), heading S.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto Yellow Bypass, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left onto Lenape Trail (Yellow), heading N.
- 0.6 miBear left onto West Ridge Trail, heading NW.
- 0.7 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 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 7:05 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:25 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 7:53 PM.
More from this trailhead
- West Ridge Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 202 ft
- West Ridge Trail 3.2 mi · ▲ 341 ft
- West Ridge Trail 3.5 mi · ▲ 372 ft
- Elmdale Trail (Blue)–Hemlock Falls Loop, 7 sights 4.5 mi · ▲ 609 ft
- Elmdale Trail (Blue)–Lenape Trail (Yellow) Loop, 6 sights 5.3 mi · ▲ 737 ft
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