Bearfort Ridge Trail

Bearfort Ridge Trail is a NY–NJ Trail Conference route in Abram S. Hewitt State Forest (West Milford, NJ), built for hikers who want a short but tough ridge outing rather than an easy stroll.

The trail character is consistently rugged: glacially-smoothed slick ridge rocks, dense rhododendron growth, and frequent short steep ups and downs. Expect stretches where footing is uneven and some sections require scrambling, especially when conditions are wet.

A common loop pattern runs between the Warwick Turnpike area and the Greenwood Lake region via Bearfort Ridge Loop, then works around Surprise Lake. This is often stitched into longer day options using connecting trails, including Ernest Walter Trail and sections of the Appalachian Trail.

On the approach from the ridge system toward Surprise Lake, the route passes through rhododendron tunnels and over rocky terrain, then drops to the lake area where Surprise Lake is reached as a destination/break stop before the return leg.

The ridge portions are where most of the difficulty concentrates: you’ll be on polished rock, with many quick elevation changes and exposed sections that can feel hazardous when slick.

Route distance for popular loops that incorporate Bearfort Ridge typically falls in the ~4.5 to 8.4-mile range, depending on which connector trails you include and whether you build the hike specifically around Surprise Lake.

Because this area is actively managed for loop trail options and navigation clarity, stay alert to blaze colors and junction choices when making your own loop; the route network has undergone redesigns that altered how hikers are routed through the Bearfort Ridge/Surprise Lake area.

More information: Abraham Hewitt State Park - Yo Hike This!, Terrace Pond - Yo Hike This!, State Line & Ernest Walter Trail Loop Hike | Greenwood Lake