Wanaque · US

Ramapo Mountain State Forest

Ramapo Mountain State Forest is a wooded ridge country in northwestern New Jersey where hiking and mountain-bike trails, a clearwater mountain lake and the crumbling walls of an early-1900s stone mansion sit within easy reach of the New York metro area. Spread across Bergen and Passaic counties near Wanaque and Oakland, the forest centers on the 120-acre Ramapo Lake, a small but scenic reservoir ringed by rock ledges that drop away toward the lake. On a clear day the ledges here reveal the Manhattan skyline far to the southeast, making this one of the most rewarding short escapes in the region. The signature outing is the Castle Loop Trail, a roughly three-mile circuit that follows the lake shore, climbs a rocky ridge and passes the ruins of a once-elegant mansion and its water tower. Anglers, paddlers, birders and mountain bikers all find their own version of a visit here, and the gate stays open daily from sunrise to sunset with no entrance fee—though the forest keeps a deliberately rustic, low-amenity character that rewards hikers more than casual picnickers.