Tranquility Ridge is a large 2000+ acre county park in West Milford and Ringwood. This secluded park has a fitting name, as you will almost certainly have the place to yourself.
Tranquility Ridge
Parking:
- Beech Road, Hewitt, NJ 07421
- Access is at the end of the minimally maintained, unpaved Beech Road.
- Long Pond Ironworks Visitor Center: 1334 County Rd 511, Hewitt, NJ 07421
- Large gravel parking area for Long Pond Ironworks State Park, which accesses Tranquility Ridge.
Location: West Milford and Ringwood, Passaic County
Restrooms: No
Price: Free
Activities
Hiking
Tranquility Ridge features about 3 miles of marked trails and many more unmarked miles.
Review
Tranquility Ridge is an unusual park. It is sandwiched between three very popular parks: Ringwood State Park and Long Pond Ironworks State Park in New Jersey, and Sterling Forest in New York, but receives a fraction of the visitors. When hiking, it’s easy to see why: while there is nothing bad (although some trails need more maintenance), there is also nothing interesting, especially when compared to its neighbors. Additionally, the lack of marked trails makes it hard to fully enjoy the park, as it is impossible to make a loop hike while staying on the marked trails. The park is fill with old woods roads, and it would be appreciated with some of these roads became official trails in the future.
Due to the lack of facilities and trails, this park is best for those who are comfortable in the wilderness and want to be off the beaten path. The near density of unmarked trails, in addition to the possibility to hike into its neighboring parks, means that serious hikers have near limited opportunities.
Trails
On first glance, it appears Tranquility Ridge only has a couple of trails. While there are only two main trails in the park: the Highlands Trail and the Hasencleaver Iron Trail, there are many miles of unmapped and unmarked trails. If you decide to take any of these trails, make sure you have a GPS. Of the marked trails, both are portions of longer trails. Neither are particularly exciting, but the Highlands Trail does feature a good overlook, and provides a good workout.
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