Wanaque Ridge

"Beautiful views over Wanaque. I highly recommend taking the hike. Very low cell phone single along the trail so be safe. I did see a rather large bear and bald eagle so it was well worth the walk."

"I wish there were better directions to the trail head, but the view from the top is well worth it!"

"Breath taking. Beautiful lake. Completely immersive. The ruined castle is spectacular and you can even see Manhattan in the distance wide and clear. Its so beautiful in the fall with the colorful leaves. Never felt lost. The paths were marked clearly. Some of the paths were very steep so if you are concerned you should review the specific paths. Be warned this path in particular in comparison to others is longer and zigzags up and down frequently."

"This ridge offers scenic views of Norvin State Forest and Wanaque Reservoir. There are several ways to get there. The best way is to park your car at Back Beach Park off 511, where parking spaces are always availabe. I feel safe because of the frequent police car patrols. Passing the kiosk at a parking lot corner, take the red trail all the way up to the orange trail on your left and turn left. Hike on the orange trail for about 30 minutes to reach Wanaque Ridge. There are three scenic lookouts. To form a loop to go back to the parking lot, walk on the scenic ridge, orange trail, to north. At Profile Rock turn right to unmarked trail back to the orange trail, which leads to the red trail to the parking lot. This trail is easy but offers magnicent views of New Jersey and New York Highland. It reminds of the highland in musical "Sound of Music"."

"Wanaque Ridge Trail is pretty demanding but well worth it. The view from the ridge is amazing. I have been hiking around the lake for years and just discovered Wanaque Ridge trail this summer. WOW"