Home › New Jersey › Oakland › Ramapo Lake Trailhead
Ramapo Lake Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 369 Google reviews · Running trail in Oakland, New Jersey · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Loop distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Ramapo Lake Trailhead's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Vistas of a lake and ruins dot this leafy hiking destination featuring a mix of easy to challenging trails.
What runners say about Ramapo Lake Trailhead
“Easily marked trails and pathways that don't interfere with the asthenic of this beautiful nature trail dotted with water features, made Ramapo Lake Trailhead a joy to explore.”
“Beautiful hike with plenty of well marked routes to take you to the lake, the Bird house and the ruins or Van Slyke Castle.”
“Very peaceful, quite, dog friendly, lot of beautiful water lilies in the lake.”
“Nice easy hike to lake on wide road like trail.”
*EASY-MODERATE* it was pretty cool trail! i would go again. its pretty laid back for the most part. around the lake is like gravel or sand almost. it can be muddy in some parts. starting 20 mins are like rocky so careful there but manageable! the lake is pretty and calming!
We actually did MacEvoy, Castle and Cannonball trail loop last week. Total 5.5 miles. It was sunny afternoon and we really enjoyed this hike. Despite raining on the day before it was not muddy at all. We hiked with our dog and she did great because trail is mostly flat.
The trail starts off right at the parking lot near porta poty. Shady almost the whole way. Be prepared for lots of small rocks on a lot of the trail. There are some muddy or shallow water "crossings" that are nothing for decent hiking boots, which I recommend. The path to the lake is mostly a slight uphill one.
Easily marked trails and pathways that don't interfere with the asthenic of this beautiful nature trail dotted with water features, made Ramapo Lake Trailhead a joy to explore. We worked up a nice appetite and afterwards found a great diner nearby serving up the best Costa Rican coffee ☕ too!
Trail conditions & character
“Easily marked trails and pathways that don't interfere with the asthenic of this beautiful nature trail dotted with water features, made Ramapo Lake Trailhead a joy to explore.”
“Easily marked trails and pathways that don't interfere with the asthenic of this beautiful nature trail dotted with water features, made Ramapo Lake Trailhead a joy to explore.”
“There are some muddy or shallow water "crossings" that are nothing for decent hiking boots, which I recommend.”
“it took us just short of 2 hours to complete (we also jogged a bit) dogs are supposed to be on a leash but beware people have them off leash.”
“It's a moderate uphill walk with a few quick rock climbs, and a few close to level sections.”
“But then there’s off-shoots and you can go up in elevation on the castle trail.”
“The trail starts off right at the parking lot near porta poty.”
“Beautiful hike with plenty of well marked routes to take you to the lake, the Bird house and the ruins or Van Slyke Castle.”
“Very peaceful, quite, dog friendly, lot of beautiful water lilies in the lake.”
“Love the mix of trail and path and definitely enjoyed the loop around the lake”
Plan your run at Ramapo Lake Trailhead
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitenj.gov
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
Running trails near Oakland
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Ramapo Mountain State Forest (Upper Lot)
4.7 ★★★★★ 171 reviews
State park offering numerous hiking trails through woods leading to a lake, castle ruins, and scenic views.
Ramapo Water Tower Ruins
4.8 ★★★★★ 76 reviews
Ruined mansion atop a mountain, with hiking trails and a water tower.
Orange Trail & Orange Black Trail Head
4 ★★★★☆ 1 reviews
Red & Cannonball Trail Intersection
4 ★★★★☆ 1 reviews
Great Oak Park
4.1 ★★★★☆ 61 reviews
Park featuring a former public pool and skatepark, plus trails.
