Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Bergen and Passaic Counties,
New Jersey
Hiking Trail:
Skyline Connector Trail: White/Red blaze
Cannonball Trail: Red blaze
Macevoy Trail: Blue blaze
Castle Point Trail: Red blaze
Total Time: 1:30 hour
Estimated Distance: 2.6 Miles
Pros: Scenic area, nice views, and pretty lake
Cons: Homes take away from wilderness feel at first part of trail
There was still plenty of snow here from the big storm a week and a half prior. I had hike this area in 2012, and remembered it being very scenic. I was never along these trails in the winter, and I did a reverse hike than the one I did in 2012. I parked I parked on the upper parking area on Skyline Drive, and took the short Skyline Connector Trail to the Cannonball Trail. I took the Cannonball Trail down towards Ramapo Lake as it descended the ridge, and then too a short bushwack near Ramapo Lake to the Macevoy Trail.
I took some pictures at the lake, and then continued on the Macevoy Trail along the northern shore of Ramapo Lake for a very short distance to the Castle Point Trail. I took the Castle Point Trail up the steep hill to the castle ruins, a large home built by stockbroker William Porter in 1910, and abandoned in the 1940's, and then ruined in the 1950's. At this area there is also a nice view of the Wanaque Reservoir and Wyanokies. I continued along the Castle Point Trail to the Cannonball Trail, and then back to the Skyline Connector Trail, and then back to my car.
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9wjxz_pDm2c/WsmoHgvuxyI/AAAAAAACq2U/OWTulmO1EiggtsJh7l50A4BvJS1Ak-l0ACLcBGAs/s400/2018-03-18-Ramapo-Lake-and-Castle-Point-Winter-Hike.jpg) |
Map of the Route |
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQmREpKqFhE/WsmoHoqchuI/AAAAAAACq2I/XK8TCCdi6108HA1GgswLBCjXlKV-1IvSACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-01.jpg) |
Skyline Connector Trail, Full of Snow |
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W_cO95JAaHQ/WsmoHjWJCUI/AAAAAAACq2M/oqQXaGQC7FIVfseUn9iqtWqznSNT64DRgCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-02.jpg) |
Ramapo Lake, Northern Part |
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SX_1QXdxnpo/WsmoHx1QTdI/AAAAAAACq2Y/wzeVtjgwZFIp0qTrbF_i8t7EJrswRi49ACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-03.jpg) |
Another View at Ramapo Lake |
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-atYynh_Urbs/WsmoISRdHvI/AAAAAAACq2c/4s8vZ7CnKV8UrSSLppN2sVDd-TNPqF5cQCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-04.jpg) |
Me at Ramapo Lake |
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lHIQQEV4Cl0/WsmoIy9ytxI/AAAAAAACq2g/fqzHi49c0MkYOqrZNdoDQr2r0MQAy7wkQCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-05.jpg) |
Ramapo Lake Islands |
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgCpb7OqFQ0/WsmoJbH-hzI/AAAAAAACq2k/l7EMqWS_bMYp3Px-5RiDgkw0t9sJngCtACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-06.jpg) |
Ramapo Lake Facing South |
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b_Lq_D2MBVU/WsmoJw9LqzI/AAAAAAACq2o/mOfiprNZHbAAIINLFR5ks2T5pzyMln_yACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-07.jpg) |
Another View of Ramapo Lake |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iWCkLOwdJDQ/WsmoKZar-lI/AAAAAAACq2s/wOtXaxAFZ9kBSkszX33u4k9kEV5NFlSiACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-08.jpg) |
Castle Point Trail Sign |
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fjbHbI6xVxs/WsmoKxF2qGI/AAAAAAACq2w/lPb8Fwl9P-QpmxsiaOSQ5_Qhp8QE3Mg8QCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-09.jpg) |
View Southwest from Castle Point |
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aeHercJ5xyc/WsmoLcpFKvI/AAAAAAACq20/C5830myNSsAFYcGKa30K6_lwkvA9hY0zQCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-10.jpg) |
View West from Castle Point Overlooking Wanaque Reservoir |
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lJ1o_KIQJgw/WsmoLzYy9QI/AAAAAAACq24/B1oGd2_zKYYD70-mzUIZib33AH9Pi3BtwCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-11.jpg) |
View of Rockland Lake from Castle Point |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lt2wupRYRj4/WsmoMfk04qI/AAAAAAACq28/M4eHMes07p4jEU3Yz2Tg-gHLeXsEtuMkwCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-12.jpg) |
Another View of Ramapo Lake |
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Lr5-kvcqqM/WsmoM9Ny_EI/AAAAAAACq3A/qw0sKBg0KnUv-Q28FUBGnxH43zXFya6gACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-13.jpg) |
Overlooking Castle from Across the Mountain |
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UIqwKIA34eA/WsmoNeYOSgI/AAAAAAACq3E/pI6Q_fvbsEYsUm10HTDA43fWejNjHB4AQCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-14.jpg) |
View from Castle Point Facing East to High Point and NYC Skyline |
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BWNs6YN0tp8/WsmoNxCK5aI/AAAAAAACq3I/z74zmckqe288XDwDE11ynpInOEbJUz3JACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-15.jpg) |
Zoomed in to NYC Skyline |
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nx1bVE4R8_s/WsmoOSu8y-I/AAAAAAACq3M/Km-_6glpL4slAPyE_tYtwrKEHD5UPSeKACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-16.jpg) |
Wanaque Reservoir from Castle Point |
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iheOUBteLTo/WsmoO_wkTHI/AAAAAAACq3Q/l4W6-ynlOtkhdOZDlhgrc1fm6POi-pu7gCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-17.jpg) |
Selfie at Castle Point |
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uq-UzYI4Cbc/WsmoPVI8vPI/AAAAAAACq3U/q-xOBj1nUNk3yMPUTp3IdS56Hbw2PLKbQCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-18.jpg) |
Another NYC Skyline View |
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-emPZp07vcqU/WsmoPxfsfOI/AAAAAAACq3Y/NRnKeh69n20PN4V7DHKH0JQKRpl-UbqWwCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-19.jpg) |
The Abandoned Castle |
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4HH2GEPqEY/WsmoQQTRPJI/AAAAAAACq3c/iqUJTjUfjKYlgtWVpj9DiCl8wgBC6b7MACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-20.jpg) |
Another View of the Abandoned Castle |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-duErlXLOLAk/WsmoQ_f45MI/AAAAAAACq3g/wk_Mci5TxikjX9J6LRTpx1snjKyE_dFBwCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-21.jpg) |
Inside the Castle |
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NZc57YA3F68/WsmoRVCTo8I/AAAAAAACq3o/DVkUAoq-bYokytEIQfJLX5G8JPrWKw7VACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-22.jpg) |
The Trail in the Castle |
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Ey8JXDFRIQ/WsmoRylIcYI/AAAAAAACq3k/R2-_CWXAywgxc0AQe-v_LhA_RdvFUhJ_ACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-23.jpg) |
The Next View at Castle Point, Further Up |
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-taGQaYHVU1I/WsmoSThROcI/AAAAAAACq3s/VMULbFtMb68uT0Siwyb48Yoqtz8rmBNRgCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-24.jpg) |
Another View of the Wanauqe Reservoir |
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PRNkF3zlkvA/WsmoSW5ZiWI/AAAAAAACq3w/2cyf1SPMsIUrt8fmxw0THZQ1YdNdAI3qACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-25.jpg) |
And Another |
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ghTTQC-Bqro/WsmoSrCjRjI/AAAAAAACq30/cQH2j9JtaBwzTbyzwp5Rbmu0Rbmp07KqwCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-26.jpg) |
And One More |
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OVIqt9IRZn8/WsmoS0yjgLI/AAAAAAACq34/ozvTddq6peAhq5oNBBFv1ShSw9rThOJjQCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-27.jpg) |
Another Structure North of the Castle |
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iMKdnsb-0mw/WsmoTUWm-7I/AAAAAAACq38/HMURwLSau3wEB9Vh1uwfiV-JRCTym2dOACLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-28.jpg) |
A Closer View |
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4zk5r4uDZyo/WsmoTxG0VAI/AAAAAAACq4A/_y10vSVtASsYnVUzwkvaeVQe0plbUXWbwCLcBGAs/s400/ramapo-lake-nj-snow-29.jpg) |
View Right Before Descending |