Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Nature preserve
755 acres10.9 mi of trail
LeGrande Loop TrailCastle Loop TrailTamarack LoopRamapo Lake Spur Trail+1
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Oakland
Oakland has 24 miles of mapped trails, 2.8 for every square mile of land
17% of Oakland’s land is conserved, about 913 acres. 862 acres are parks and preserves, 67 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Ramapo Mountain State Forest (10.9 mi), Ramapo Valley County Reservation (4.6 mi), Campgaw Mountain Reservation (1.9 mi).
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #143 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
913 acres · of 8.5 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
2.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
862 ac
67 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
68%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.5 mi
Highest peak
912 ft
Millstone Hill
Lakes & rivers
6
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Oakland?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Oakland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Oakland is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #143 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Oakland’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (24 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land67 acres of park per 1,000 residents (862 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home68% of residents within a half mile of a park · NJ 98% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 93%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 70%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Oakland’s 17% is ahead of 63% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 96% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Ramapo Mountain State Forest, with 10.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ramapo Valley County Reservation
Managed by Bergen County
539 acres4.6 mi of trail
Yellow TrailSchuber TrailMillstone TrailTamarack Loop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Campgaw Mountain Reservation
Managed by Bergen County Department of Parks
177 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Great Oak Park
Managed by Oakland
38 acres1.1 mi of trail
Parante PathRamapo River Walk NorthWhite Oak WalkNuckel Pass+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Pleasureland Parking Lot
Potash Lake Recreation Area
Managed by Oakland
37 acres0.5 mi of trail
Potash Lake Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 7 parks & preserves
Ramapo Mountain State Forest755 acres · 10.9 mi of trail
DirectionsRamapo Valley County Reservation539 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · Bergen County
DirectionsCampgaw Mountain Reservation177 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Bergen County Department of Parks
Great Oak Park38 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Oakland
DirectionsPotash Lake Recreation Area37 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Oakland
DirectionsVeterans Park2 acres
DirectionsSoon's Field1 acres
Who protects it
913 conserved acres
17% of Oakland’s land. Who manages Oakland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County584 ac
Town or city404 ac
Not recorded241 ac
Local Recreation Area · 457 acLocal Park · 306 acLocal Conservation Area · 238 acLocal Other or Unknown · 227 acLocal Resource Management Area · 2 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramapo Valley County Reservation Local Recreation Area | County | 754 | Open |
| Campgaw Mountain Reservation Local Conservation Area | County | 177 | Open |
| Breakneck Preservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 64 | Open |
| Camp Tamarack Local Park | County | 64 | Open |
| unknown State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 41 | Open |
| Great Oak Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Oakland Borough Water Body Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| Trumen Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Stewarts Woods Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Soons Field Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
26 places to go in Oakland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Oakland
Crystal Lake Beach Club
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Oakland
Manito Elementary School Playground
DirectionsToddler Playground
DirectionsPlus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Oakland
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Oakland
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Oakland
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Oakland
Todd LookoutIn Ramapo Mountain State Forest
DirectionsPlus 13 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Oakland
Millstone Hill912 ft elevation · In Ramapo Valley County Reservation
DirectionsLeGrande Hill719 ft elevation · In Ramapo Mountain State Forest
DirectionsTodd HillIn Ramapo Mountain State Forest
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.2 miUnpaved · 14.5 mi
LeGrande Loop Trail1.8 mi
Castle Loop Trail1.3 mi
Tamarack Loop1.2 mi
Yellow Trail0.9 mi
Schuber Trail0.8 mi
Cannonball / Hoeferlin Memorial Trail0.5 mi
Potash Lake Trail0.5 mi
Ramapo Lake Spur Trail0.5 mi
Pool Hollow Trail0.5 mi
Castle Loop Bypass0.5 mi
15 more trails
Millstone Trail
0.5 miHoeferlin Memorial Trail
0.4 miCannonball Trail
0.4 miTamarack Loop Trail
0.4 miLeGrande-Lake Connector Trail
0.4 miTodd Hill Loop
0.4 miEast Shore Drive/Ramapo Lake Loop/Castle Loop Trail
0.3 miSouth Shore Drive/Ramapo Lake Loop Trail
0.3 miParante Path
0.2 miDeer Ledge Road/Cannonball Trail
0.2 miPool Hollow Lake Loop
0.2 miRamapo Park
0.2 miRamapo River Walk North
0.2 miWhite Oak Walk
0.2 miNuckel Pass
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
10Baseball
2Soccer
1Tennis
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Oakland: April to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 40 | 49 | 61 | 72 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 53 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Oakland →
Next door
Oakland and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 17% | 2.8 | 67 | 68% | A |
| Franklin Lakes | 9% | 0.8 | 54 | 74% | A− |
| Mahwah Township | 46% | 3.0 | 264 | 83% | A+ |
| Pines Lake | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wayne Township | 16% | 1.3 | 23 | 98% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Oakland
Where can I hike in Oakland?
The longest trail networks: Ramapo Mountain State Forest, 10.9 miles; Ramapo Valley County Reservation, 4.6 miles; Campgaw Mountain Reservation, 1.9 miles; Great Oak Park, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Oakland is conserved land?
17% of its land, against a typical 11% for a New Jersey town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Oakland’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Ramapo Mountain State Forest. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Oakland?
0.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Oakland?
73,573 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Oakland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,613 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Oakland have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #143 of 468 in New Jersey. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Oakland neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →