Ramapo Reservation in the Rain, Snow, and Fog

Ramapo Valley County Reservation
Bergen Co.,
New Jersey

Hiking Trails:
River Trail: Yellow/Green blaze
Vista Loop Trail: Yellow blaze
Reservoir Trail: Pink blaze

Total Time: 1:00 Hours
Estimated Distance: 2.2 Miles
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Level of Recommendation: Recommended but usually busy

Points of Interest: Scenic lakes
Cons: Many people even in bad weather

Hiking Partner:
Nathan Kuznicki

I had met some friends for a group training in the NY/NJ Trail Conference Headquarters in Mahwah, and we had planned a hike afterward. The problem was that the weather was awful. There was a snowstorm the previous day on Saturday, and we received about five inches of snow. On Sunday, the snow had changed over to rain, but it was a cold damp rain with the snow melting slightly, causing a thick fog over everything.

Due to the condition, with an active cold rain in snowy terrain with thick fog, we decided to limit the length of the hike to a short one right nearby in Ramapo Reservation. We parked in the parking area, crossed over the Mahwah River, and took the River Trail to its end at the new Vista Loop Trail. We then veered off to the waterfall, went back on the Vista Loop Trail, and then at MacMillan Reservoir cross over the dam to the other side at the Reservoir Trail. We took the Reservoir Trail down to the end shortly after the dam, and took the newly renamed Ridge Loop down back to the Vista Loop at Scarlet Oak Pond and then back to our cars.