Vista Loop/Halifax/Red-Silver/Ridge Loop Trails to Bear...

Ramapo Valley County Reservation

Bear Swamp Lake - Photo by Daniel Chazin Bear Swamp Lake - Photo by Daniel Chazin Northeast-facing view from Hawk Rock - Photo by Daniel Chazin Northeast-facing view from Hawk Rock - Photo by Daniel Chazin

This loop hike climbs to Hawk Rock, a panoramic overlook, and circles Bear Swamp Lake.

41.077853, -74.187596

The hike begins at a kiosk in the southwest corner of the parking area. Just ahead, you'll notice a triple-black-square-on-yellow blaze on a tree, which marks the start of the Vista Spur Trail. Follow the black-square-on-yellow blazes as they descend wooden steps, join a wide dirt road, and continue ahead to cross the Ramapo River on a steel truss bridge. Just beyond the bridge, you'll pass...

Prepare For Your Hike

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Trip Reports

rate experience
November 17, 2014
0
pipe line crossing
<p>Was up there 11/16/2014 and the mess at the pipeline crossing at the top of Bear Swamp Road is nicely fixed up. Trees are planted and the huge dirt mounds are gone. Halifax crosses easily now.</p>
tgrenier
June 08, 2014
0
Ilgenstein's Rock
<p>we turned this hike into a trip to Ilgenstein's Rock, a spectacular viewpoint up above the lake on the Hoferlin Memorial trail. this added about a mile to the hike, but we still completed it in 4 hours. We followed the route as described, except at 3.6 miles we stuck on the yellow trail and followed it steeply up hill to the ridgeline. keep following the yellow trail until the white trail joins from the right, then follow the combined trails to the overlook. from there, keep with the white trail (to the south west) down to the cannonball where you turn left, then re-join the blue trail down by the lake. except for within a mile of the parking lot at each end, we didn't encounter a single soul the entire hike. great day!</p>
pelagori
May 05, 2014
0
There is now a marker
<p>There is now a marker (temporary at best) on top of the dirt mound. It should make it a litle easier to find the trail. There is a big pipeline work site up the hill from the intersection. I was told by the people working there that they found a nest of rattle snakes. Be careful.</p>
tgrenier
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