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    Allamuchy Mountain State Park

    5.0 (1 review)

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    6 years ago

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    Ramapo Mountain State Forest - View from the top

    Ramapo Mountain State Forest

    4.3(24 reviews)
    34.1 mi

    A nice area for hiking with castle ruins and a lake and changing elevations. There are some paved…read moreroads but also trails off that path. You can hear the sound of cars on the highway both at the end and beginning of the hikes. Lots of dogs off leash even though there are signs that say to leash all dogs. The parking lot can get crowded later in the afternoon especially in the spring and summer, but there were plenty of spots on a Sunday morning at 9:30.

    My 350th Yelp review is a banger…read more I try to stop by Ramapo at least once a year, usually at the beginning of hiking season; there's a nice 5- or 6-mile route I do in there that helps me build up for the more hardcore hikes later in the year, and it's unusual for me to do this one so late into the actual summer. Boy, is this a different hike in June. Ask the gazillion bears I saw. Yesterday I did about 6 miles, starting at the Ramapo Lake Trailhead parking lot, going on the blue trail to the aforementioned lake and then turning left onto N Shore Drive. I then veered off toward the castle ruins but made a pretty quick right before the path up to said ruins onto Cannonball to Skyline Drive, joining up with the Castle Point Trail back to and through the castle ruins, before heading down back to the lakefront and continuing all the way around the lake until getting back to the blue trail and the parking lot. The official hike in my book says it's 6.6 miles when you include an additional loop to the south of the lake that gets you very close to 287, but i bypassed that today. One of the big issues with this section of Ramapo is the parking situation. I can't tell you how many times I've had to pivot and do a different hike because this Ramapo Lake parking lot was completely full by mid-morning, and the powers that be insist on plastering no parking signs in every other conceivable area going literally miles down Skyline Drive. I get that Skyline is a busy road but there ARE sections where you can theoretically park safely on the shoulder without bothering anyone else - I think there's a compromise here somewhere, but because they don't have one, this lot is usually full by 8:30am on a nice day, and then you have vulture cars just lurking in the middle of the lot for ages waiting for hikers to come back so they can immediately grab the new spot. You can't tell me that's much safer than the alternative. Anyway. The other mild annoyance for me is that you can often hear car traffic, especially in the southern section by 287, but it is what it is. The lake and the castle are the real selling points here, especially the castle. Ruins are one of my all-time favorite hiking kinks, and this adventure has them in droves. The one drawback (again, because of the time of year) is that it gets overgrown with foliage very quickly, so this is a rare instance where I would recommend exploring it in the early spring before you're bushwhacking to get through. Very cool optics though, and a definite must at some point if you're in the area. The wildlife situation? Man. This was one for the books. I usually see one or two bears a year, but I saw that many today, and numerous hikers told me they'd encountered others as well. It was insane and I've never seen anything like it. I got a picture of the biggest one I saw (attached) as I was slowly backing away, and I'd guess this was a 700 pounder? Big boy, and wasn't particularly fazed by my bear horn (though he did ultimately wander off after a few toots on it). Absolutely would not do this hike without a bear horn. I don't even want to ponder what would have happened otherwise. Neither of the bears seemed aggressive but you just never know, and if cubs had been around? Ugh. I encountered a park ranger toward the end of the hike who said it had been insane bear-wise the entire summer and they're just getting more comfortable with humans so again, be careful, use common sense, etc. The trail conditions were pretty decent. Some of the blazes/markers were not the best, and a few sections of Cannonball were one way (meaning you had to keep turning around to confirm the markers because they were only on one side of the trees/poles). As mentioned, the trail section by the castle is overgrown right now but I'm not crazy about advocating for maintenance in an area that by definition should probably be preserved and as authentic as possible. To me there aren't too many significant inclines on the trail (there's one small section very close to the parking lot where you have to take a minute for footing on the rocks, as well as the climb up to the castle if you're going on that trail) but it's definitely rocky and not particularly flat except by the lake. This is one of the better hikes in the area but it's not my absolute favorite - it's crowded and a little too close to civilization. But arguably the bears cancel some of that out. Memorable day.

    Photos
    Ramapo Mountain State Forest - The lake

    The lake

    Ramapo Mountain State Forest - Van Slyke castle ruins

    Van Slyke castle ruins

    Ramapo Mountain State Forest

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    Delaware and Raritan canal - D&R Canal (New Hope, PA)

    Delaware and Raritan canal

    4.6(5 reviews)
    30.9 mi

    There are over 70 miles of paths/trails along the D&R canal, passing through many historic towns…read moreand landmarks in NJ with some pretty houses along the way, from near Frenchtown down to Trenton, then up to New Brunswick, in a V shape. The D&R runs parallel to the Delaware & Lehigh (D&L) trail on the Pennsylvania side, so you're also getting a view of the Delaware River for that part of the track. The trail is mostly flat and is suitable for walking or biking. We love riding this trail and exploring sections of it at a time and the surrounding towns. Some sections are more scenic than others. A favorite easy ride (or hike) of ours is to start in Lambertville NJ, ride up to Stockton, cross over Center Bridge to the PA side, grab a burger at Dilly's, then ride down to New Hope, PA, walk around town, and return to Lambertville via the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge. It's only about 8 miles roundtrip and makes for a leisurely day, and is very doable even for kids.

    The towpath along the Delaware and Raritan canal is a fantastic spot to stoll, run, or bicycle. The…read morepath is about four feet wide, and mostly flat packed dirt. Some spots are muddy or rutted at times. There's also some spillways made from stone blocks. Lots of people come here with small children since the towpath is smooth enough to push a stroller and even enough for little ones to walk on safely. The scenery is peaceful with lots of deciduous trees and occasional views of the majestic Raritan River. Turtles are plentiful in the canal, swimming and basking on logs. You're also likely to see snakes, chipmunks, voles, squirrels, toads, and frogs. As for birds, keep an eye out for herons, geese, and ducks in the water, and woodpeckers in the trees. The canal banks have abundant wildflowers and flowering bushes. One place to park is just off Easton Ave at the Historic Van Wickle House. Another parking lot is a couple miles further up Easton Ave by the entrance to Rte 287. Due to the current Coronavirus Pandemic, I wear a mask when walking here, and most others do too. The path is too narrow in some spots to allow for 6' between people when passing.

    Photos
    Delaware and Raritan canal - March 2025

    March 2025

    Delaware and Raritan canal
    Delaware and Raritan canal - D&R Canal (New Hope, PA)

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    D&R Canal (New Hope, PA)

    Waterloo Village - Morris Canal

    Waterloo Village

    4.5(30 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    Awesome wedding venue!!! So well run, quick bartenders and food service. We were greeted by alpacas…read moreand beautiful scenery, shaded, grassy areas perfect for socializing with the crew. The cocktail hour was held in a separate building from the rest of the ceremony. There were a ton of food options for the cocktail hour. Charcuterie, a pasta bar with a delicious mushroom bolognese, and lots of drink options. Everything was beautiful, lots of decks and corners to round, and places to gather. Never had to fight anybody for a place to sit or anything. The actual reception room was large, but felt very intimate. The chairs were comfortable. The acoustics were good enough I could hear everybody at my table while the band was still playing. There were plenty of bathrooms. After the sun went down, they started a bonfire outside. There were lots of mosquitos out, though. We only sat out there a couple minutes because we were getting eaten up. I wouldn't expect them to spray the whole property, but I imagine there might be some sort of bug control solution that could work for event nights. Tiki torches? Citronella something? We had so much fun, and Waterloo really was beautiful. I'm sure that most events here play Waterloo by ABBA. It was a crowd pleaser.

    This is a "town" lost to time. It is a piece of history that is in desperate need of…read moreacknowledgment and repair. But it is one that should be seen regardless. I have done here for years and it has always been a peaceful walk. I just happened to go up on canal day when a lot of the buildings are open and people are allowed to look around inside them. It is a great doorway to our country's past. I would suggest anyone to go at least once.

    Photos
    Waterloo Village
    Waterloo Village
    Waterloo Village

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    Allamuchy Mountain State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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