Long Pond Ironworks State Park
Nature preserve
4,618 acres49.8 mi of trail
Jennings Hollow TrailSafari 1Green Turtle LoopWarthog+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: KForce at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in West Milford Township
More than half of West Milford Township’s land is conserved: 59%
59% of West Milford Township’s land is conserved, about 28,936 acres. 238 miles of mapped trail cross West Milford Township, 3.1 per square mile of land. 14,628 acres are parks and preserves, 592 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #24 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
59%
28,936 acres · of 76.1 sq mi of land
Trails
238 mi
3.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
14,628 ac
592 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
80%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
22 mi
1.2 mi lanes
Highest peak
1,460 ft
Bearfort Mountain
Lakes & rivers
50
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is West Milford Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does West Milford Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, West Milford Township is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #24 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of West Milford Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land59% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%A+Trails3.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (238 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land592 acres of park per 1,000 residents (14,628 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home80% 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 95%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so West Milford Township’s 59% is ahead of 99% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 97% of them.
Water is 6% of West Milford Township’s area (5 of 81 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 56%.
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 Long Pond Ironworks State Park, with 49.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Newark (Pequannock) Watershed
Managed by City of Newark
1,586 acres11.5 mi of trail
Highlands TrailEcho Lake East/Highlands TrailEcho Lake East Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Apshawa Preserve
Managed by Passaic County
576 acres7.3 mi of trail
Red TrailBlue TrailGreen TrailGreen Loop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Tranquility Ridge Park
Managed by Passaic County
776 acres5.1 mi of trail
Beech RidgeHasenclever Iron TrailPatterson MineBeech Road/Hasenclever Iron Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Pequannock Watershed Preserve
Nature preserve
178 acres0.9 mi of trail
Unmarked Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 9 parks & preserves
Long Pond Ironworks State Park4,618 acres · 49.8 mi of trail
DirectionsNewark (Pequannock) Watershed1,586 acres · 11.5 mi of trail · City of Newark
DirectionsApshawa Preserve576 acres · 7.3 mi of trail · Passaic County
DirectionsTranquility Ridge Park776 acres · 5.1 mi of trail · Passaic County
Pequannock Watershed Preserve178 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Emerald Forest Property217 acres · Passaic River Coalition
Apple Acres102 acres · West Milford Township
Random Woods97 acres · West Milford Township
Ponderosa II17 acres · Passaic River Coalition
Who protects it
28,936 conserved acres
59% of West Milford Township’s land. Water is left out: West Milford Township has 76.1 square miles of land and 5.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages West Milford Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation12,408 ac
State natural resources11,576 ac
Town or city2,375 ac
County1,628 ac
Other state land1,584 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,063 ac
National Park Service28 ac
State Park · 13,104 acConservation Easement · 12,449 acState Resource Management Area · 2,937 acLocal Conservation Area · 1,728 acForest Stewardship Easement · 1,638 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 12,553 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 42 of 140 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wawayanda State Park State Park | State natural resources | 8,317 | Open |
| Long Pond Ironworks State Park State Park | State natural resources | 4,755 | Open |
| Abram S Hewitt State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 2,026 | Open |
| Echo Lake Recreational Facility Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 1,596 | Open |
| Norvin Green State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 911 | Open |
| Tranquility Ridge Local Other or Unknown | County | 776 | Open |
| Apshawa Park Local Recreation Area | County | 502 | Open |
| unknown Private Conservation | Not recorded | 242 | Open |
| San Cap Park Local Recreation Area | County | 225 | Open |
| Appalachian Trail State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 218 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
76 places to go in West Milford Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in West Milford Township
Upper Greenwood Lake Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in West Milford Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in West Milford Township
Cartop LaunchIn Long Pond Ironworks State Park
DirectionsNorth Boat LaunchIn Long Pond Ironworks State Park
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in West Milford Township
Apshawa FallsIn Apshawa Preserve
DirectionsMine Hole FallsIn Long Pond Ironworks State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in West Milford Township
50 scenic views are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Peaks in West Milford Township
Bearfort Mountain1,460 ft elevation
DirectionsBuck Mountain1,240 ft elevation
DirectionsBig Beech Mountain1,198 ft elevation · In Tranquility Ridge Park
DirectionsKanouse Mountain1,184 ft elevation · In Newark (Pequannock) Watershed
DirectionsWest Brook Mountain1,138 ft elevation
DirectionsSaddle Mountain1,119 ft elevation
DirectionsWickadoma Mountain1,099 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Hill1,079 ft elevation
Directions3 more peaks
Cobb Hill1,017 ft elevation
DirectionsHorse Pond Mountain942 ft elevation · In Long Pond Ironworks State Park
DirectionsMonks Mountain738 ft elevation · In Long Pond Ironworks State Park
DirectionsPlus 3 peaks without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in West Milford Township
Camp Vacamas
DirectionsCamp WyanokieFee
DirectionsDisc golf in West Milford Township
Browns Point/Buzzy's Creek Disc Golf Course
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 50 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 54.8 miHorses · 13.2 miUnpaved · 144.4 mi
Highlands Trail11.8 mi
Bearfort Ridge Trail4.9 mi
Terrace Pond West Loop Trail4.4 mi
Unmarked Trail4.2 mi
Bearfort Waters-Clinton Trail3.5 mi
Hanks East Trail3.1 mi
Tapawingo Trail3.0 mi
Lake Sonoma Trail3.0 mi
Blue Trail2.8 mi
Overlook Rock Trail2.7 mi
15 more trails
Terrace Pond North Loop
2.7 miHanks West Trail
2.7 miJennings Hollow Trail
2.6 miSafari 1
2.6 miGreen Turtle Loop
2.5 miClinton West Trail
2.5 miAppalachian Trail
2.4 miBearfort Waters-Clinton/Highlands Trail
2.4 miRed Trail
2.2 miOld Coal Trail
2.2 miWarthog
2.2 miGreen Trail
2.1 miManaticut Trail
2.0 miFire Tower Ridge Trail
1.9 miTerrace Pond North Loop Trail
1.9 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Algonquian Waters LakelakeBear Swamp LakelakeBoy Scout LakelakeButler ReservoirreservoirCarpi LakereservoirCedar PondreservoirCharlotteburg ReservoirreservoirClinton ReservoirreservoirEcho LakereservoirForest Hill LakereservoirGenaders PondpondGordon LakeslakeGreen Turtle PondHanks PondpondHenion PondreservoirHigh Crest LakeHird LakepondIndian Trail LakelakeKitchell LakelakeLake SonomalakeLeeper PondlakeLindy LakereservoirLookover LakeLower Mount Glen LakelakeMatthews LakelakeMelody LakereservoirMonksville ReservoirreservoirMount Laurel LakelakeMountain Springs LakepondNosenzo PondreservoirPettet PondreservoirPinecliff LakelakePinecliff ReservoirreservoirPinecrest LakeSchaffers PondsreservoirShady LakelakeSnow Valley PondreservoirSunset LakepondSurprise LakeTerrace PondpondTriangle LakereservoirUpper Greenwood LakereservoirUpper Mount Glen LakereservoirVan Nostrand LakelakeWest Milford LakereservoirWest PondWonder LakereservoirZeliff PondPequannock RiverWanaque River
Biking & sports
22 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
21 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
5Tennis
3Baseball
2Basketball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 13 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in West Milford Township: 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) | 35 | 38 | 46 | 59 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 62 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in West Milford Township →
Next door
West Milford Township and its neighbors
West Milford Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
West Milford Township238 miRingwood110 miRockaway Township108 miJefferson Township83 miKinnelon42 miNewfoundland16 miMacopin16 miOak Ridge9.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Milford Township | 59% | 3.1 | 592 | 80% | A+ |
| Jefferson Township | 52% | 2.1 | 519 | 92% | A+ |
| Newfoundland | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Kinnelon | 33% | 2.3 | 383 | 98% | A+ |
| Macopin | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rockaway Township | 25% | 2.6 | 369 | 93% | A+ |
| Ringwood | 37% | 4.3 | 483 | 85% | A+ |
| Oak Ridge | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Milford Township
Where can I hike in West Milford Township?
The longest trail networks: Long Pond Ironworks State Park, 49.8 miles; Newark (Pequannock) Watershed, 11.5 miles; Apshawa Preserve, 7.3 miles; Tranquility Ridge Park, 5.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of West Milford Township is conserved land?
59% 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 West Milford Township’s trails?
Long Pond Ironworks State Park and Newark (Pequannock) Watershed don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Milford Township?
22 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.2 of painted or protected lanes and 21 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near West Milford Township?
152,940 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Milford Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 19,683 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does West Milford Township have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #24 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 West Milford Township 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 →