HIKING TRAILS IN NORVIN GREEN STATE FOREST
Snake Den Road is located next to the Norvin Green State Forest which offers 4,210 acres of sanctuary for birds and other wildlife. Part of the Wyanokie Wilderness Area, the forest contains an extensive trail system built and maintained by the NY-NJ Trail Conference.
Norvin Green State Forest offers you a variety of hiking options and destinations. Several of the trails climb hills of up to 1,300 feet in elevation providing you with scenic vistas overlooking
the New York City skyline, Wanaque reservoir, and Ramapo mountains. Other trails will lead you to waterfalls, abandoned farm dwellings, and two historic iron mines that can be explored.
Here are a number of hikes suggested by the Trail Conference:
- 3-mile loop starts by passing the abandoned iron mines and ends by going over Wyanokie High Point.
- 5.5-mile loop that passes the iron mines and goes up over Carris Hill and along the ridgeline to Wyanokie High Point.
- 2.5-mile loop takes you past the Roomey and Blue mines.
- 4.1-mile loop traverses Buck Mountain (hike starts on Glenwild Avenue).
- 1.7-mile hike to Torne Mountain (hike starts on Glenwild Avenue).
- 2.2-mile hike to Assiniwikam Mountain (hike starts on Snake Den Road WEST in West Milford).
- 4.5-mile loop past two waterfalls and over Carris Hill (hike starts on Glenwild Avenue).
Trail maps can be obtained at the Highlands pool snack stand or the Weis visitors center.
For an idea of what you'll see when hiking NGSF, visit our photo pages.
OTHER RECOMMENDED AREA HIKES
There are a number of other great hikes in the area. These include Ringwood State Park, Ramapo State Forest, Abraham Hewitt State Forest, Sterling Forest, and Harriman State park. Here are recommended hikes:
- 4.5-mile loop to the top of Bearfort ridge, passing two lakes with views over Greenwood Lake.
- 8.5-mile hike traverses remote, less-visited areas of Ringwood State Park, past several panoramic viewpoints and scenic Gatum Pond.
- 5.5-mile hike climbs to several viewpoints and traverses the historic Skylands Manor area.
- 6.4-mile loop goes through dense forests of hemlock and mountain laurel
and climbs over puddingstone rock outcrops to reach Terrace Pond.
