Ringwood State Park
Managed by New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
3,187 acres54.1 mi of trail
Cooper Union TrailCrossover TrailRingwood-Ramapo TrailFive Ponds Loop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Ringwood
Ringwood has 110 miles of mapped trails, 4.3 for every square mile of land
37% of Ringwood’s land is conserved, about 6,146 acres. 5,630 acres are parks and preserves, 483 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Ringwood State Park (54.1 mi), Ramapo Mountain State Forest (15.8 mi), Tranquility Ridge Park (7.6 mi).
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #21 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
37%
6,146 acres · of 25.6 sq mi of land
Trails
110 mi
4.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,630 ac
483 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
85%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.0 mi
0.2 mi lanes
Highest peak
1,181 ft
Assiniwikam Mountain
Lakes & rivers
21
2 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Ringwood?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Ringwood have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Ringwood is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #21 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 Ringwood’s overall grade.
Conserved land37% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%A+Trails4.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (110 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land483 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,630 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home85% of residents within a half mile of a park · NJ 98% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 96%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Ringwood’s 37% is ahead of 91% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 99% of them.
Water is 10% of Ringwood’s area (3 of 28 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 34%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Ringwood State Park, with 54.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Nature preserve
1,132 acres15.8 mi of trail
Ringwood-Ramapo TrailCheshire Lane TrailSix Bridges LoopCannonball / Hoeferlin Memorial Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Tranquility Ridge Park
Managed by Passaic County
1,333 acres7.6 mi of trail
Hasenclever Iron TrailPipeline Road QuadBeech Road/Hasenclever Iron TrailMonks Connector Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Long Pond Ironworks State Park
Nature preserve
731 acres5 mi of trail
Monks TrailStonetown Circular/Highlands TrailMonks Connector TrailHighlands Spur Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Tory Rocks Preserve
Managed by Passaic River Coalition
322 acres4.6 mi of trail
Stonetown Circular Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ramapo Valley County Reservation
Managed by Bergen County
43 acres1 mi of trail
Old Guard TrailHoeferlin Memorial TrailRingwood-Ramapo Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 9 parks & preserves
Ringwood State Park3,187 acres · 54.1 mi of trail · New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
DirectionsRamapo Mountain State Forest1,132 acres · 15.8 mi of trail
DirectionsTranquility Ridge Park1,333 acres · 7.6 mi of trail · Passaic County
Long Pond Ironworks State Park731 acres · 5 mi of trail
DirectionsTory Rocks Preserve322 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · Passaic River Coalition
Ramapo Valley County Reservation43 acres · 1 mi of trail · Bergen County
DirectionsHighlands Meadow17 acres · Passaic River Coalition
DirectionsJerry Wyckoff Natural Preserve7 acres
Pioneer Park/ Painted Forest1 acres
Who protects it
6,146 conserved acres
37% of Ringwood’s land. Water is left out: Ringwood has 25.6 square miles of land and 2.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Ringwood’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation4,658 ac
State natural resources558 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits479 ac
Town or city265 ac
County106 ac
Regional Water Districts3 ac
State parks2 ac
Conservation Easement · 4,658 acState Resource Management Area · 435 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 329 acLocal Recreation Area · 200 acPrivate Conservation · 198 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4,658 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 40 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tory Rocks Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 321 | Open |
| Ramapo Mountain State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 276 | Open |
| Norvin Green State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 158 | Open |
| unknown Private Conservation | Not recorded | 149 | Open |
| C Wm Hoffman Recreation Facility Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 149 | Open |
| Ringwood State Park State Park | State natural resources | 123 | Open |
| Passaic River Coalition Forest Private Forest Stewardship | Land trusts & nonprofits | 115 | Open |
| Ramapo Valley County Reservation Local Recreation Area | County | 72 | Open |
| Weis Ecology Center Private Conservation | Not recorded | 71 | Open |
| Tranquility Ridge Local Other or Unknown | County | 51 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
91 places to go in Ringwood
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Ringwood
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Ringwood
Highlands Natural Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Ringwood
6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Ringwood
Off Leash K9 Training Northern New JerseyHours: Mon–Sat 9 am – 5 pm; Sun closed
DirectionsBoat launches in Ringwood
South Boat LaunchIn Long Pond Ironworks State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Ringwood
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Ringwood
Matapan RockIn Ramapo Mountain State Forest
DirectionsSignal RockIn Tory Rocks Preserve
DirectionsTory RocksIn Tory Rocks Preserve
DirectionsWarm Puppy RockIn Ringwood State Park
DirectionsPlus 26 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Ringwood
Assiniwikam Mountain1,181 ft elevation
DirectionsWindbeam Mountain1,040 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Defiance1,037 ft elevation · In Ringwood State Park
DirectionsHarrison Mountain961 ft elevation · In Long Pond Ironworks State Park
DirectionsHarrison Mountain South Peak961 ft elevation · In Long Pond Ironworks State Park
DirectionsBear Mountain899 ft elevation
DirectionsHope Mountain899 ft elevation · In Ringwood State Park
DirectionsTranquility Mountain899 ft elevation · In Tranquility Ridge Park
Directions8 more peaks
Board Mountain860 ft elevation
DirectionsBoulder Hill817 ft elevation
DirectionsBellot Mountain745 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Windbeam741 ft elevation
DirectionsCupsaw Mountain719 ft elevation · In Ringwood State Park
DirectionsRicker Hill640 ft elevation
DirectionsGovernor Mountain620 ft elevation · In Ringwood State Park
DirectionsHickory Mountain502 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Ringwood
Reservable Picnic AreaIn Ringwood State Park
Directions32 picnic areas are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 21 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 68.3 miHorses · 7.6 miUnpaved · 63.5 mi
Ringwood-Ramapo Trail6.4 mi
Stonetown Circular/Highlands Trail5.7 mi
Cooper Union Trail4.7 mi
Crossover Trail3.7 mi
Hasenclever Iron Trail3.1 mi
Stonetown Circular Trail2.9 mi
Five Ponds Loop Trail2.4 mi
Mountain Bike Loop/Race Trail2.3 mi
Manor Trail2.0 mi
Monks Trail1.2 mi
15 more trails
Pipeline Road Quad
1.2 miHoeferlin Memorial Trail
1.1 miCU Bypass Trail
1.1 miCheshire Lane Trail
1.1 miHewitt Connector Trail
1.1 miCupsaw Brook Trail
1.1 miMidwood Road/Mountain Bike Loop/Race Trail
1.0 miSix Bridges Loop
0.9 miCannonball / Hoeferlin Memorial Trail
0.9 miWhite's Road/Mountain Bike Loop/Race Trail
0.9 miSkylands Trail
0.9 miThe Knob
0.8 miCups Trail
0.8 miMonks Connector Trail
0.8 miCooper Union Bypass Trail
0.8 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Brushwood PondlakeCupsaw LakereservoirDuck PondErskine LakereservoirFountain Spring LakereservoirGatun PondGlasmere PondsHarrison Mountain LakelakeHidden Valley LakepondLake RickondareservoirPotake PondlakeSally's PondpondScarletelli PondpondShepherd LakelakeSkyline LakeslakeSwan PondpondThe BogpondUpper Erskine LakelakeWanaque ReserviorreservoirWeyble PondWanaque River
Biking & sports
6.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
5.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
5Baseball
5Basketball
4Soccer
2Tennis
1Beach volleyball
1Lacrosse
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 10 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Ringwood: 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 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 40 | 48 | 61 | 71 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Ringwood →
Next door
Ringwood and its neighbors
Ringwood has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ringwood | 37% | 4.3 | 483 | 85% | A+ |
| Wanaque | 41% | 3.5 | 34 | 97% | A+ |
| West Milford Township | 59% | 3.1 | 592 | 80% | A+ |
| Bloomingdale | 10% | 2.3 | 20 | 90% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ringwood
Where can I hike in Ringwood?
The longest trail networks: Ringwood State Park, 54.1 miles; Ramapo Mountain State Forest, 15.8 miles; Tranquility Ridge Park, 7.6 miles; Long Pond Ironworks State Park, 5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Ringwood is conserved land?
37% 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 Ringwood’s trails?
Ringwood State Park and Ramapo Mountain State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Ringwood?
6.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes and 5.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Ringwood?
121,636 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ringwood or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,998 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Ringwood have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #21 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 Ringwood 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 →