Hike of the Week 3/24/2006

Description:

At the southeast end of the parking area, you will see the yellow blazes of the Hoeferlin Memorial Trail, which will be your route for the first part of the hike. Proceed south, heading into the woods on a gravel road. After passing a small pond to the right, follow the yellow blazes as they turn left onto another woods road. Soon, you’ll reach a Y-intersection, where the yellow-blazed trail bears right and begins to descend.
        Watch carefully for a turn, and continue to follow the yellow blazes as they turn right, leaving the road, and proceed over undulating terrain on a footpath, crossing a stream along the way. After another descent, the Hoeferlin Trail reaches a woods road – the route of the blue-blazed MacEvoy Trail. Turn right, now following both yellow and blue blazes. Soon, the trail bears left and descends a short pitch to a paved road.
        Turn left along the road, and head down to Ramapo Lake. At the lakeshore, the yellow-blazed Hoeferlin Memorial Trail continues ahead, crossing the dam, but you should turn right, following the blue blazes of the MacEvoy Trail. The MacEvoy Trail follows a gravel road along the northeast shore of the lake, passing a private home to the right and then crossing a small stream on a stone-arch bridge, with an attractive cascade to the right.
        A short distance beyond, you’ll come to a rock ledge on the left that overlooks the lake. This is a good place to take a break. Once known as Rotten Pond, and later as Lake LeGrande, Ramapo Lake is the centerpiece of Ramapo Mountain State Forest. It was formerly surrounded by private property, but most of the land around the lake was acquired by the state in the 1970s.
        Just beyond, the trail reaches the northern tip of Ramapo Lake. Bear right at the fork in the road and pass between two concrete pillars. Just ahead, the blue-blazed MacEvoy Trail leaves to the left, but you should continue ahead on the road, now marked with the white “C”-on-red blazes of the Cannonball Trail. The road now curves sharply to the right. As you reach the point of the curve, you’ll notice a triple white blaze on the left, which marks the start of the Castle Point Trail.
        Turn left, leaving the road, and follow the white-blazed trail as it climbs steadily and rather steeply. As you approach the top of the climb, bear left onto a rock ledge that offers a spectacular view. Directly below you is Ramapo Lake, with the Wanaque Reservoir to the right (west). On a clear day, you can see the New York City skyline on the horizon to the left. You’ll want to pause here to rest from the steep climb and enjoy the view.
        When you’re ready to continue, follow the white trail uphill. After climbing over a stone wall, you’ll reach the ruins of a mansion. Known as Foxcroft, it was built around 1910 by William Porter, a stockbroker. His widow occupied it until her death in 1940, and it fell into ruin in the late 1950s. Use caution if you wish to explore the remains of this once-elegant stone structure.
        The trail continues to the north, passing the remains of a concrete swimming pool. A short distance beyond, an unmarked side trail to the left leads to an unobstructed west-facing viewpoint over the Wanaque Reservoir and the Wyanokie Mountains. Continue on the white trail, which soon climbs to reach a stone tower. Contrary to what one might think at first glance, this was not a lookout tower; rather, it held a cistern that supplied water to the mansion (note the rusted pipes adjacent to the tower). Just beyond, there is another view from an open rock ledge to the left of the trail over the Wanaque Reservoir to the west. The trail now begins to descend.
        Watch carefully as the Castle Point Trail turns right, just before reaching the route of a gas pipeline. It briefly joins a woods road, turns left onto a footpath before reaching a wide gravel road, then again turns left onto the woods road. It turns right and follows the gas pipeline for 350 feet, then turns right again, leaving the pipeline, and crosses a stream. The trail now climbs, first gradually, then rather steeply through mountain laurel, to a rock ledge, which provides a view of the stone tower you passed about half a mile back.
        A short distance beyond, the Castle Point Trail ends at a paved road – the route of the Cannonball Trail, blazed with a white “C” on red. Turn left and follow the road for 125 feet to Skyline Drive, then cross Skyline Drive and enter the woods, continuing to follow the white “C”-on-red blazes.  Soon, you will reach an intersection with the yellow-blazed Hoeferlin Memorial Trail. Turn sharply right and follow the yellow trail as it ascends through mountain laurel to reach a rock outcrop. After descending steeply from the outcrop, a sign points the way to an Indian shelter, believed to have been used by the Native Americans during their hunting season. From here, it is only a short distance ahead on the yellow trail to Skyline Drive and the parking area where the hike began.

V3 Last updated: April 23, 2006   Copyright © 1996-2004  New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Privacy Statement.