Hiking Governor Mountain at Ringwood State Park

Located in Ringwood State Park, Governor Mountain is a little-known peak offering views of the Wanaque Reservoir. An easy-to-moderate 2.25-mile loop takes hikers on a pleasant journey through the woods of northern New Jersey. Continue reading to learn how to get to this relatively unknown hike in the northern reaches of Passaic County.

Background

Governor Mountain is a small mountain in the Ramapo Mountain range overlooking the Wanaque Reservoir. The Wanaque Reservoir is the second-largest lake in New Jersey and a major source of drinking water for many towns in the northeastern portion of the state, such as Newark and Paterson. The reservoir was completed in 1929 and holds 29.6 billion gallons of water.

Governor Mountain is located in Ringwood State Park, a large park featuring Ringwood Manor, Skylands Manor, the New Jersey Botanical Garden, and Shepard Lake. Hikers can hike to and from Ringwood State Park to nearby parks such as Ramapo State Forest, Ramapo County Reservation, Tranquility Ridge Long Pond Ironworks State Park, and more.

The trail exclusively follows the Yellow Cooper Union Trail. The entire trail is 4.7 miles and begins on Sloatsburg Road just south of the New York border. This hike only uses the southern end of the trail as accessed from a small parking area on Carletondale Road. For those wishing to experience the entire trail, it is a quiet hike through the forest, but the only views are on Governor Mountain itself.

It is not a coincidence that the trail shares a name with a university in New York City. The university’s founder, Peter Cooper, bought Ringwood Manor in 1853. The manor stayed in his family (under the last name Hewitt) until 1938, when the family donated the property to the State of New Jersey. Additionally, Cooper Union University operated a campus at Ringwood Manor from 1941 to 1973.

The Hike

Begin the hike at the small Cooper Union Parking area on Carletondale Road. This parking area is easy to miss and only holds about 3 cars. Alternatively, there is a trail connection to the Community Presbyterian Church just up the road. A sign in the parking lot states that it the reserved for the church and school from 6:30 am-6:30 pm Monday to Friday.

Cooper Union Trail

Begin by crossing Carletondale Road and take the Yellow Cooper Union Trail. You will remain on this trail for the entirety of the hike. Continue on the trail for about a half mile until you reach an intersection where the Yellow Trail splits in two directions to form a loop. It does not  matter which direction you choose, as you will be creating a loop, but I recommend going left here and completing the loop clockwise as it is slightly easier this way. This is because there is a small rock scramble that is easier to hike uphill than downhill.

After turning left, the trail begins to climb uphill gradually. This section of the trail features no views, but is a pleasant walk through the woods.

After about a mile from where the trail splits, you will reach the previously mentioned rock scramble.  The rock scramble is short and is the only somewhat challenging part of the hike. Almost immediately after the rock scramble you will reach the view of the Wanaque Reservoir. The view from the trail is a bit underwhelming at first, as trees partially obstruct it. It is not bad by any means, but it is also not as impressive as other views of the Wanaque Reservoir, such as those on the Wyanokie High Point.

Fortunately, there is a much better view located just off the official trail. Return the way you came, and you will see an obvious but unmarked trail to the right in about a hundred feet. If you reach the rock scramble again, you have gone too far. (Note: these instructions are for those who began by turning left at the split. If you chose to go straight at the split, you do not need to backtrack.) Turn right onto the trail and begin walking downhill. You will quickly reach another fork. Turn right at this intersection to reach the significantly more impressive and unobstructed view of the reservoir. While similar to the previous overlook, this view allows you to see much more of the water and a few more mountain peaks in the distance.

From the overlook on the unmarked trail, I recommend returning to the Yellow Trail the same way you came. Once you reach the Yellow Trail again, continue on it until you reach the initial fork again, completing the loop. This section gradually travels downhill and features no views, but is a nice trail. From where the trail merges together again, it is about a quarter-mile hike back to your car.

GPS Route

Attached is the route as described above for reference. Additionally users can download the route to use on their preferred GPS. How to use the GPS routes on your phone.