Ramapo Mountain State Forest (Upper Lot)

Good starting point for a number of interesting trails. Parking on nice weekends is inadequate. Fine during the week.

I really enjoyed the castle loop trail. The trail was challenging and the ruins were interesting. There are also great views of Ramapo lake. When I arrived a little before 7am on a Monday morning there was just one car in the lot. By the time I left around 8:45 it had filled up a bit more, but there were still plenty of spaces.

Definitely wear hiking boots. there was a lot more climbing on steep rocks than I expected. I brought my dog with me and I would not recommend it unless you have an active dog that is used to hiking and climbing rocks. Unfortunately my dog did not have the energy level for this trail. Other than that, it was absolutely spectacular! The views were amazing and the castle ruins were pretty cool. I enjoyed the hike, although I did not expect it to be as much rock climbing. I will definitely be doing this hike again without the dog!! lol sorry Buddy

A beautiful trail that will challenge you for sure. I used All Trails app to help navigate while hiking. There was signs for bears in the area. There are no bathrooms of any kinds. The castle ruins take about an hour to get to.

We did the Van Slyke Castle Loop from AllTrails. Great trail - clean, maintained, good signage. We followed the red C and then the white blaze. Good views looking outward, and interesting castle ruins to walk through. Parking lot is small - was full by 8:30am. Some parking lines would allow people to park better and fit in more cars.