Located just off the infamous Clinton Road in West Milford, New Jersey, is the 68-foot Bearfort Fire Tower. A moderate, 5-mile round-trip hike takes you to this incredible tower, which offers panoramic views of northern New Jersey and beyond, including New York City and even the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York.
Aside from the fire tower, a hike here includes a handful of ruins and scenic views of a small lake.
Hike Information
Distance: 5 miles
Ascent: ~400 feet
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Alerts
- This hike is located in the Pequannock Watershed, which is owned by the City of Newark. A permit is required to hike on any watershed land. More information on permits can be found here.
The Hike
The hike to the Bearfort Fire Tower and Hanks Pond is moderately easy, featuring a gradual incline to the tower. The only section of the hike that may be considered difficult is just after the fire tower, where there is a brief rocky descent. Otherwise, the hike is mostly on woods roads and flat hiking trails.
Beginning the Hike to Cross Castle
Locate the Red and White Fire Tower Ridge Trail from the P1-N parking area. This trail begins as an easy woods road featuring a gentle incline. This road was once the entrance to Cross Castle (also known as Bearfort House), built in 1907. In 1919, the castle was sold to the City of Newark, which deconstructed everything but the stone supports. Unfortunately, the castle was demolished in 1988, as the city deemed it a liability.
Today, all that remains of the castle itself are some stone foundations. As the trail was once the driveway, it follows a somewhat unusual route, winding around and up to the site of a hill where the castle once stood.
If you continue up the trail, there is one structure still standing: a stone 25,000-gallon water tower. The trail itself does not reach the tower, but it is visible from the trail, and you can take an obvious, unmarked trail to reach it. Although a stone water tower like this is unusual to see today, similar structures can be found nearby, most notably at Van Slyke Castle.
If you want more information on Cross Castle, check out this article from northjersey.com.
Bearfort Ridge to the Fire Tower
Once you pass the ruins, the road slowly begins to fade into a trail over the next two miles as it travels north along the rocky ridgeline. There are few views along this section, but the rock ridges are enjoyable to hike.
At one point, the trail is briefly co-blazed with the Blue Trail. Aside from this brief co-blazed section, remain on just the Red and White Trail.
Finally, about 2.5 miles from the parking area you will reach the Bearfort Fire Tower.
Like all fire towers in New Jersey, this one has a trespass warning. However, there is no fence or other deterrent. Additionally, if it is fire season and the tower is manned, the worker may let you into the top cabin. When it is unmanned, you can climb to the point just before the locked cabin.
At 68 feet tall, this is the third-tallest fire tower in North Jersey (the ones in South Jersey are taller to account for the flat topography), and the fourth highest in elevation in the state. As a result, the views from the top are pretty good, and you can see as far as the Catskill Mountains in New York. Due to the relatively rural nature of this part of the state, most of the view is comprised of trees and the surrounding hills, with very little man-made development.
To the east, you can actually see New York City in the far distance on a clear day.
The most surprising part of climbing the tower is seeing how flat New Jersey is, even in the state’s most mountainous region.
Hanks Pond
From the fire tower, locate the Teal Highlands Trail. Note that multiple trails intersect at the fire tower, including the Highlands Trail, which goes in two directions. Take the Highlands Trail that is NOT co-blazed with another trail; instead, follow the solo teal diamond blazes.
Over the next quarter mile, the Highlands Trail steeply descends Bearfort Ridge. Fortunately, the trail switchbacks here, so it is not particularly challenging. At the bottom of this descent, you will reach another four-way intersection, this time with the Blue and White Trail. Turn right onto this trail to reach Hanks Pond.
This trail is once again a gentle woods road. Take this road for about 1.5 miles to reach Hanks Pond. The road skirts the edge of a pond, but several short spurs offer clearer views of the water.
As you get closer to the parking area, you will also see some more ruins, including a fireplace on a large concrete pad and another stone building.
After about a half mile along the trail, you will reach a T-intersection where the Blue and White Trail turns right. You will eventually take this trail to return to the parking lot, but before you do, there is a very short detour to a great view of the pond.
Turn left onto the obvious, unmarked woods road; in just a short distance, you will reach a dam spillway and a fantastic view of Hanks Pond.
From the view, return to the intersection and bear left, which almost immediately brings you back to the beginning of the Red and White Trail. Turn left on the trail to return to the parking area.
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.
Review
This is a very good and well-rounded hike. The tower itself is the highlight and the main reason to visit. If you are afraid of heights or do not intend to climb the tower, I would suggest going on a different hike. The extra sights, such as the small ruins and Hank’s Pond, are just add-ons to an already good hike.
This hike is also typically less crowded than many other hikes in the area due to the permit process. While acquiring a permit is easy, it is annoying. I am conflicted about the permit system, as it helps keep the property from getting overcrowded, but the biggest issue the watershed faces comes from ATV riders who do not have permits anyway. For the most part, I feel the permit system is an unnecessary hassle.
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