Cooper Union Trail

Cooper Union Trail is a long-distance hiking route in Ringwood State Park that climbs gradually to a rock outcrop with a major overlook over the Wanaque Reservoir from Governor Mountain.

Expect mostly dirt footpath hiking, with enough roots/rocks and a few rockier stretches that the trip feels “moderately challenging,” especially on the uphill approach to the viewpoint area.

The route is blazed yellow and is run by the New York–New Jersey Trail Conference trail system, with the Cooper Union segment meeting and interweaving with other marked trails in the Ringwood area.

A common way to tackle it is as an out-and-back or loop-style day hike totaling about 7.3–7.6 miles, with a shorter ~2.2-mile version described as delivering the same Governor Mountain overlook.

For the long walk, the trail passes a couple of prominent glacial erratics on the approach and reaches a partially obscured first view before you make your way down onto the broader ledge for the main panorama.

At the Governor Mountain overlook area you get wide-range reservoir and surrounding-highlands sightlines; after the viewpoint time, you return back along Cooper Union (yellow) to the starting access on Carletondale Road or continue onward for the longer route variation.

Typical access for the short option starts from Carletondale Road (Ringwood), crossing into the Cooper Union (yellow) alignment to begin the climb toward the lookout; the longer version also ties into additional trail intersections before rejoining Cooper Union.

More information: Map, Governor Mountain – Ringwood State Park | njHiking.com, Best Hikes in Passaic County