A fun day of many vacations is a day spent with nature as you picnic, hike, and enjoy the great outdoors. And a trip to New Jersey would be no exception to this. You could visit Long Pond Ironworks State Park in Ringwood, New Jersey.
With over 5,000 acres and almost 11 miles of hiking, you and your family will find plenty to do at the park. This New Jersey park housed much of the water that was used to provide power for Peter Hasenclever’s ironworks plantation many years ago. These waterwheels were in operation until 1882.
Tours at the Park:
Today members of the Friends of Long Pond Ironworks offer tours of both the furnace area and the village on the second Saturday of each month from noon to 2:00 p.m. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, definitely look online for more information and upcoming dates. That way you can be sure to visit in your 15 passenger New Jersey van rental on a day you can catch a historical tour.
Even if you cannot make it for a tour, you’ll be able to see remnants of this ironworking community. Look for the old stone walls, furnaces, and more next to the Wanaque River. It is a neat reminder of the changes our country has gone through throughout the years.
Three trails in this state park lead to remnants of the historical mines and ironworks. These three trails are the Sterling Ridge Trail, the Monks Trail, and the Whritenour Mine Trail. Trails range quite a bit from as short as .4 miles to as long as 8.6 miles.
Another popular Long Pond Ironworks State Park trail is the Jennings Hollow Trail (3 miles in length). Here you can view an extensive wetland area (notice all the downed trees that tell you beavers have been through here recently) as you take the return loop of the trail. Also note that Jennings Creek is a great place to see underwater stepping stones!
There is no fee to enter this New Jersey state park with your NJ van rental. Other activities you can take part in here besides hiking include boating, canoeing, bird watching, fishing, and even winter sports such as ice fishing and cross-country skiing.
Enjoy your New Jersey vacation. And please keep us in mind if you have other questions or need ideas for your trip out East!
