Long Pond Ironworks State Park is a large state park centered around the Monksville Reservoir. The reservoir is a popular spot for boating and fishing and features a few hiking trails surrounding it. Additional sites include the ironworks ruins, a former safari park, and miles of hiking trails.

Basic Information

Pro’s and Con’s

Points of Interest

• Monksville Reservoir
  • Large and popular reservoir for boating and fishing. No swimming
• Long Pond Historic District
  • Historic district featuring the remains of the Long Pond Ironnworks community
• Jungle Habitat
  • Former safari park turned multi-use trail area
• Green Turtle Pond
  • Smaller pond popular for fishing

Boating

The highlight of the park is easily Monksville Reservoir. The reservoir features three boat launches and a unique horseshoe shape.

Trails

Long Pond Ironworks features 12 marked trails, totaling about 20 miles. The majority of the trails are designated for hikers, though mountain bikers are welcome to use the trails at Jungle Habitat, which is now referred to as the Long Pond Ironworks Multiuse Trail Area. In addition to the 12 marked trails there are many unmarked trails, most notably in the multiuse area and Green Turtle Pond areas.

Hiking

Despite, featuring 12 trails, the hiking at Long Pond Ironworks is not great. This is because the marked trails fall into three main categories:

• Short sections of long trails, such as the Highlands Trail, Stonetown Circular or Hasenclever Iron Trail
• Seldom tracked trails such as the Jennings Hollow Trail or Sterling Ridge Trail
• Decent, but not great trails such as the Burnt Meadow Trail or Monks Connector Trail.

Unfortunately the majority of the terrain falls into the above two categories. The best trail is arguably the Highlands Trail south of Greenwood Lake Turnpike, but this is one of those longer trails passing through the park and it is very challenging to make this a loop trail and parking can be inconviently located.

Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is a very popular activity and can be done in the former Jungle Habitat/current Multiuse Trail Area. There are few officially marked trails, but the Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association (JORBA) maintains a series of mountain biking trails which can be viewed on Trailforks.

Mountain biking is not permitted in the other areas of the park.

Parking

Long Pond Ironworks features many parking areas. The main access points are listed below; however, there are multiple small, unlisted lots. These can be found on the NY-NJ Trail Conference Map. Some areas around Monksville Reservoir are frequently busy, and some virtually always have parking.

• South Boat Launch – 1081 County Rd 511, Ringwood, NJ 07456
  • Monksville Reservoir Ramp, Kayak/Stand Up Paddleboard Rentals, Monks Mountain; Large boat launch holding about 60 cars. Can fill on nice days
• North Boat Launch – 41.136722, -74.306806 County Road 511, Ringwood, NJ 07456
  • Monksville Reservoir Ramp, Monks Mountian; large boat launch holding about 40 cars. Can fill on nice days
• Beech Road Boat Launch – 2 Beech Rd, Hewitt, NJ 07421
  • Monksville Reservoir; moderately sized boat launch holding about 30 cars. Typically parking available
• Long Pond Historic District – 1334 County Rd 511, Hewitt, NJ 07421
  • Long Pond Historic District and Visitor Center, northern hiking trails; moderately sized parking area holding about 15 cars. Rarely fills
• Greenwood Lake Turnpike – Greenwood Lake Tpke at East, E Shore Rd, Hewitt, NJ 07421
  • Long Pond Historic District, Horsepond Mountain; smaller parking area holding about 10 cars. Never fills
• Jennings Hollow – 41.16339, -74.31668 E Shore Rd, Hewitt, NJ 07421
  • Wanaque River, Jennings Hollow; small pull-off holding about 4 cars. Can be busy during fishing season
• Green Turtle Pond – 41.147139, -74.333333 Awosting Rd, Hewitt, NJ 07421 Road entrance, half mile rough road
  • Green Turtle Pond; multiple pull-offs totaling about 20 spots. Can be busy, but due to the unclear parking area due to the rough road, parking is typically available
• Jungle Habitat/Multi-Use Area – 41.129806, -74.341056 Airport Rd, West Milford, NJ 07480
  • Jungle Habitat; Moderately sized lot holding about 25 cars. Popular area, but typically has parking

Crowds

Crowds at Long Pond Ironworks are interesting; some areas are regularly packed, while others rarely see visitors. The reservoir is easily the most popular and busiest area in the park. Other areas that see crowds include Green Turtle Pond and Jungle Habitat. On the flip side, most of the hiking trails see little-to-no foot traffic, especially the area to the north of Greenwood Lake Turnpike. While this may sound appealing, this leads to some overgrowth on these trails.

Maintenance

Maintenance across the board could use some work in this park. The namesake Long Pond Ironworks is in an embarrassing condition for the state, with most buildings looking more dilapidated on each of my visits. The trails could also use some work, becoming very overgrown, especially north of Greenwood Lake Turnpike. I understand that those trails suffered damage from the Jennings Creek Fire in 2024, but it does not appear that any work has been done since to clear the damage. The trail area that looks presentable is the Jungle Habitat/Multiuse Trail Area, which is largely outsourced to JORBA volunteers.

An issue plaguing the entire park is the illegal ATV/ORV usage. These vehicles are causing erosion, and it seems the park has given up on the battle.

Who is this park for?

Long Pond Ironworks is best for those interested in the water activities the park has to offer. Boating on Monksville Reservoir is excellent, and the reservoir’s unique shape keeps it interesting. The reservoir and Wanaque River are also popular spots for fishing.

While the hiking is disappointing from a maintenance perspective, it is great for someone looking for a secluded spot as long as they are comfortable on overgrown trails.

Note: While the overall rating is low, Monksville Reservoir is one of the best reservoirs to visit in New Jersey

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