Bearfort Ridge – Greenwood Lake And Surprise Lake Hike

Greenwood Lake And Surprise Lake hike in Abram S. Hewitt State Forest is very easy for me. There are two ways to do this hike. You can do the 7 mile hike or the 4 mile hike depending on the parking lot that you choose. In this hike, I did the 4 mile length. I will provide the parking lot for the 7 mile one though in case you need a good workout. The view of Greenwood lake is amazing. Greenwood lake is very beautiful. The view of Surprise lake is somewhat limited though but it is still pretty decent. All in all, I like this hike.

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Bearfort Ridge Hike Important Information

Trail Map: Trail Map 1
Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps

Difficulty: Easy To Moderate
Distance: 4 or 7 Miles
Elevation Gained: 900 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: Yes

Trail Breakdown
Blue To Yellow Trail – 0.7 miles
Yellow Trail To Greenwood Lake View – 0.2 mile
View Point To Surprise Lake – 0.2 mile
Surprise Lake To West Pond View – 1 miles
West Pond View To Appalachian Trail – 1 mile
White Trail To Blue Trail – 0.3 miles
Blue Trail To Parking Lot – 1 mile

https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/2183549573

Note: The information is just an approximation.

Parking
4 Mile Hike Parking Lot – This hiking article uses this parking lot
41.185712, -74.331542

Optional 7 Mile Hike Parking Lot
41.155732, -74.362804

 

Start Of The Hike

Explore, dream, and discover were three words that often brought a lot of excitement to my heart. I looked at the three markers of the blue trail and there was already a big smile on my face, a sure sign of elation and love for adventure. I loved hiking as it often made me realize how small and insignificant my problems were. Hiking was a great passion of mine, a way to lose myself, reorganize myself, and find myself as well.

 

Blue Trail

The thick forest filled with densely packed trees surrounded me as I went deeper and deeper into the heart of the blue trail. The shadow and light traveled swiftly all across the brown soil as I walked in enjoyment with each step that I made. The incline to the top was rather gentle and easy, and the cool Spring temperature kept my body comfortable. It was a great day to go hiking with the sun shining down on the land without any hint of rain or bad weather. There was excitement in my heart and a big smile on my face as I made my way through the blue trail.

 

Yellow Trail

High up top the mountain, the start of the yellow trail could be seen. The trees were somewhat scarce in this part of the mountain but plenty of dead leaves that scattered themselves on the ground. Various cairns could be found lying on some of the large protruding stones, a good primitive sign that an important junction was upon me. I followed the yellow markers that led to the left, and I could see glimpses of a viewpoint through the cracks on the leaves of the trees.

 

Greenwood Lake First Viewpoint

In the center between thick bushes and tall trees was opening and in that opening was a view that far surpassed my expectations. The Greenwood lake glimmered under the soft light of the sun as if icy crystals formed a soft silvery sheet at the surface of its waters. The cold hard stone I sat upon felt good as the gentle winds coming in from the sky reverberated along my skin like a sacred musical score playing along the surface of my body, soothing and relaxing every part of my form and being.

 

Yellow Trail Ledge

I walked along the vista composed of a flat stone surface with plant life growing between the cracks. The ledge was approximate a quarter mile long with plenty of places to rest upon while admiring the beautiful valley in front of it. The mild rays of the morning sun combined with the fresh mountain wind felt amazing to my body that each second of my stay felt heavenly. I walked in appreciation along the trail, grateful for nature and all its wonders and beauty.

 

Vista Looking At Greenwood Lake

Beautiful thin shaped clouds painted the blue sky, moving slowly towards me. I stood upon the edge of a viewpoint with the gentle winds coming and going as they pleased. In front of me were cheerful newly sprouted leaves of all shape and sizes growing along the tree branches, as the morning light dashed across the still blue lake, with the forest dancing along the rhythm of the wind. The still and silent blue lake reflected the peacefulness inside of me, magnifying all the sounds that I could hear from the rustle of the leaves, the roar of the mighty winds, to the breathing of my lungs and even the sound of the beats of my heart.

 

Greenwood Lake

Cold and noiseless, the Greenwood lake shimmered underneath the soft skylight, reflecting the blue sky high above as the lake wore a deep blue color as well. I held my jacket tightly as a cold wind whispered quietly along the valley. From high above, I could see various boats of different sizes floating along the water, some were speeding in one direction, creating ‘V’ shape like waves as they moved. I stood still for a few minutes just admiring the beautiful lake that was in front of me before deciding to move on.

 

Surprise Lake

After a few minutes of hiking, I came across Surprise lake. My hands became wet and cold as I touched the deep blue water of the lake. The water was clean and clear that I was even tempted to drink out of it. Fresh and clean, the mild wind made ripples on the surface of the water, bringing with it a cold bite as it hit my face and body, making me pull my jacket a little tighter. The viewpoint was tight and cramped but I was the only one there, allowing me to enjoy my solitude and nature all at the same time.

 

Yellow Trail After Lake

The rich sweet smell of green plant life rose from the ground as if I could smell the thick aroma of hundreds of leaves floating in the air all at once. The footpath was gentle and flat that led to a tunnel made out of low hanging branches and trees. The sky vanished completely as I dived deep into the tunnel. Thick creepy branches surrounded me in the dimly lit footpath as if the branches were trying to grab me or the tunnel trying to swallow me whole.

 

Yellow Trail Stream

The pool of water looked dark, dirty and disgusting as if all the animals of the forest peed in this part of the trail. However, there was no pungent smell of animal waste products, just the clean fresh air that surrounded me. I moved gradually, hopping from one dry rock to another, trying to make sure that my boots would not fall deep into the murky black water.

After the pool of water, the trail turned into an incline, taking me up towards high ground again. I could feel sweat dripping down my forehead towards my cheeks as I wiped them off with my hands. The ascent proved to be rather tiring, as my energy started leaking out of my body with each step that I made. Tired and fatigued, I made one step after another, slowly getting myself to the top.

 

Yellow Trail Top

The cold fresh wind greeted me at the top where the white trail ends or starts. A big cairn laid silently on the ground, and I could see an ocean of trees behind me but the viewpoint was somewhat obstructed. I took a quick rest as I could feel fatigue setting in on my body with my lungs working harder and harder with each step that I made. The pearly white and fluffy clouds were drifting by, gliding slowly across the blue sky. I sat on a hard stone near the cairn, just enjoying the wind and viewpoint while trying to regain back my energy before following the yellow trail again.

 

Yellow Trail Intersection

The trail leads to the left but there was a small yellow arrow pointing towards the right. I went to the right out of curiosity just to see if anything interesting could be found there. After a minute or so walking towards the right, I found myself at a viewpoint.

 

West Pond

At the edge of a cliff, I could see West pond sparkle underneath the vast expanse of the infinite sky. The morning sun peeked through the big cloud it was hiding from, illuminating patches of the green forest in front of me. I took a quick rest just to admire the small pond in front of me as my legs dangled along the dangerous cliff edge. I traced my fingers along the rough coarse rock, and held my ground. Making sure that I am perfectly balanced and perfectly safe.

 

Yellow Trail Left

Dead logs, broken branches, and loose rocks awaited me at the descent on the yellow trail. I dropped my body closer to the ground, lowering the center of gravity, grabbing any boulder or tree branch that I could just so I can get down the trail safely. I took a couple of deep breaths as I moved closer and closer to the bottom. The downward descent was quick and short but perilous as one wrong move can cause an injury to my legs or to my body.

 

The next part of the yellow trail was mostly flat and even as I was walking on top of a flat stone surface similar to the one I found in Schunemunk Mountain. There were various small stunted trees with newly formed leaves sprouting at the sides of the footpath. There was only silence in the mountain as I could not hear anyone. No bird, animal, nor people around me. I couldn’t even hear any wind passing by. Just a dead silence that surrounded me through out the trail.

 

White Trail

A dead log was in the middle of the white trail and yellow trail intersection. The log’s features were distinct and noticeable as various plants were growing around it. The white trail was rather short and quick as well and mostly flat with maybe 1 or 2 inclines or movement upwards. I walked on the gentle white trail eager to get to my car as I could feel hunger creeping in. I drank the last drop of water in my water bottle and hurried on my way.

 

Intersection

Appalachian trail marker on the ground and blue trail marker on the trees.

 

Blue Trail Descent

I made a right to the blue trail, ready to head back to the parking lot. Various blue markers could be seen along the branches of the trees and ground which made the trail rather easy to follow. I picked up my pace as I reached the three yellow markers on the stone with various cairns on the ground that I passed by before. I had seen everything already, and it was just time to get back to my car.

 

Back To The Parking Lot

I took a couple of more pictures then packed my camera as the trail already looked very familiar to me. I felt the dryness in my throat as my body searched and craved for more water. I moved even faster, practically running to the parking lot as the discomfort increases. The descent to the parking lot was rather gentle and easy that I did not have any problem whatsoever.

I reached the parking lot and grabbed a bottle of water from the trunk of my car, drank it then went to the portable potty. It was a great hike with lots of beautiful scenery to take pictures of. I went in my car and proceeded to go to another trail.

 

 

For More Hikes

For more hikes similar to this one, you can go to my Best New Jersey Hikes Or Best NYC Hikes.