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 Reporter |
Summary: This hike follows the entire length of the Stonetown Circular trail. The eastern part of the trail takes you over the rugged summits of Windbeam, Bear and Board Mountains. From the top of the summits you get views of the Wanaque and Monksville Reservoirs, the Wyanokies and Ringwood State Park. The Summit themselves are not very High in elevation around 800-1000ft but the climbs to them make the summits look and feel higher. The eastern section of the Stonetown Trail takes you over Harrison Mt and the famous Tory Rocks. This is the area the Tory Soldiers used as hideouts during the American revolutionary War. After passing the Tory Rocks you come to Signal Rocks were you get views of Windbeam Mt. Then the trail makes its decent back towards the parking lot. Be careful on this trail because some sections are confusing due to the lack of use. Trailhead: From Hamburg take rt. 23 South to Echo Lake Rd in West Milford. Make left on Echo Lake Rd. Take to light. Make left onto Macopin Rd. Take past school and then make right onto West Brook Rd. Take West Brook Rd to Stonetown Rd. Make left onto Stonetown Rd. Take to Stonetown baseball Field. Park in lot. (Lat:41.08137 Lon:-74.30778) Trail Guides for Stonetown Circular, Norvin Green SF, NJ: North Jersey Trails map by NY/NJ Trail Conference (NY/NJ trail conference) Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Ranger Contact: Ringwood SP: 973-962-7031 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Shawn Viggiano, who has posted 44 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Judy on 7/13/2008 Thanks to Shawn for telling us about this great hike. If you look at the topo map and compare it to the 2007 NY/NJ Trails Conference map, you will se that the trail does not go on the roads at all in the middle and instead goes all the way to the Monksville Reservoir. It adds another 2+ miles to the hike.
Reviewed by Alan on 5/7/2007 I was really impressed with the rigorousness of a hike so close by. An easy reach from anywhere in northern NJ or NYC. Sure I was disappointed to see some of the trash, however, this was confined to a relatively small section on the southeastern portion of the loop. Hiked with a group of about 15 others of varying strengths. All were finished after 6hrs 45 min on the trail, including a lunch stop. Great day. Will do again. Good climbs with rewarding views. Found that the trail could benefit from some additional blazes. 
Reviewed by Judy on 4/14/2007 the hike on the east side was awesome. Difficult, lots of great views, a challenge. Coming back on the west side was not nearly as good. The single view was disappointing, the trail was in general not ss pretty, and most important the dumped trash and cars were sad to see, It is ashame that this can't be cleaned up. The best part on the west side was the rock scramble. But it is the most difficult hike that I have done in NJ. It took us 8 1/2 hours.
Reviewed by 1ADAM12 on 10/20/2005 Good hike. My pedometer however says 11.33. I also would recomend a good headlamp and flashlight for night hikes as I began this hike at 4pm and finished at 8pm. Needless to say the last hour was pitch black. Would definately hike again for the fall foliage and views. 
Reviewed by SR on 7/24/2005 The only good thing about this hike was the company I was with...also its only 1 hr out of NYC...We had a difficult time finding the trail (most of the time!). Also, when you park your car in the Baseball field the trail starts on the road...The trail has garbage, broken down cars, power lines and roads that run through it...I DONT Recomend this trail (go upstate, NY it's worth it)
Reviewed by Jesse on 4/5/2005 Really a great place...excellent view from Windbeam Mountain...would be five stars if not for the mile or so along a road in the middle
Reviewed by Bob on 11/7/2004 A great hike! Varied terrain but make sure you have a good pair of boots for the rock scrambles. It is now one of my favorites. Thanks for posting this one Shawn. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: New Jersey Hiking, New Jersey Trails, New Jersey Hikes, Passaic County Hiking, Passaic County Trails, Passaic County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||