Are most trails closed to bikers?

[Rockbottom]

I was riding Ramapo on sat morning with a friend. Started from skyline drive parking lot and took cannonball run (great switchback). From there we took blue to orange along the ridge. On orange we came across a group of hikers on one of the lookout spots that made it there point to let us know bikers are only allowed on the cannonball trail. I was surprised, wasn't sure if this was true?

 

[UnionRider475]

This is what I've found - I live 2 minutes from the trail and do it . I also have seen hikers and heard complaints . I just say sorry and continue on . But it looks good to me according to this.

http://www.mtbnj.com/wiki/Ramapo_Mountain_State_Forest

 

[rlb]

Are there signs anywhere?

 

[Rockbottom]

We noticed a sign on the orange and yellow trails afterwards that said permitted use with just a hiker symbol.

All of the hikers we came across were corteous to us. We always make sure to stop and give them the right of way. It was just that one group that was nasty. When we said we weren't aware, they told us next time make an effort to read a map before we ride.

 

[gtluke]

Just tell them that you are sorry their mother never taught them to share.
Signs can be deceiving. The trail conference has put up misleading signs in the past

 

[sundaydoug]

The park is technically split between Bergen County (no bikes on trails) and Passaic County (bikes OK on trails). I'm almost certain that the Wanaque Ridge trail is entirely in Passaic County, so you should be OK. I ride that trail all the time and have never encountered hikers with a bad attitude towards bikes, you might have just been unlucky. Perhaps someone here could point to a map which shows the Bergen/Passaic split.

 

[UnionRider475]

Definitely ALL in Passaic Co. ( If you go from Back Beach or Cannonball in Pompton Lakes ) I 'm quite sure Orange - on the ridge- is all Passaic.

 

[Rockbottom]

I've been to Ramapo on a few occasions and all the hikers I came across have been more than friendly. Seemed like this one particular group was just out to ruin someones day for whatever reason.

Really fun trails to ride overall though!

 

[gingertooth]

A large Portion of Skyline Drive is Bergen county and in Ramapo State Forest which is bergen County. So those trails are not legal Mtbn but hey I'm riding them too. Cannonball Trail is bergen county and Passaic as well as the yellow trail and anything near there. But that is some good shit so screw it..

 

[JerseyPete]

Anyone see the sign on Blue, north of the water tower? "No Trespassing, not a public hiking trail" sign just after the gas line. There was no sign down at the bottom where blue meets orange.
Also, it seems like someone is cleaning up the Ruins with clearing out trees and overgrown stuff.

 

[gtluke]

Anyone see the sign on Blue, north of the water tower? "No Trespassing, not a public hiking trail" sign just after the gas line. There was no sign down at the bottom where blue meets orange.
Also, it seems like someone is cleaning up the Ruins with clearing out trees and overgrown stuff.
View attachment 45428

One dude owns 5 out of the 6 homes inside the park, he puts a big effort in clearing out invasive species. My friend's landscaping company helps him with a pretty big effort of ripping out the invasives. I have no idea about the blue trail closure though.

 

[JimN]

If it just says no hiking, then I assume biking is still ok.

 

[JerseyPete]

The sign doesn't say NJSP or anything like that and it is not the state recognized sign you see normally. I saw there was a crude built lodge out of tarps and palettes half way down the gas line and in the blue side of the woods. I am guessing kids, but wanted to post if anyone has had issues? I didn't want to get clothes lined riding down.

GTLuke, the guy that is the Doctor? I have met him once and some other Dr's that are friends with him. He does put a lot of $ into the area. The scale of clean up looks like heavy equipment, like someone is trying to restore what is left of the ruins.

 

[gtluke]

The sign doesn't say NJSP or anything like that and it is not the state recognized sign you see normally. I saw there was a crude built lodge out of tarps and palettes half way down the gas line and in the blue side of the woods. I am guessing kids, but wanted to post if anyone has had issues? I didn't want to get clothes lined riding down.

GTLuke, the guy that is the Doctor? I have met him once and some other Dr's that are friends with him. He does put a lot of $ into the area. The scale of clean up looks like heavy equipment, like someone is trying to restore what is left of the ruins.

Yeah he's a doctor. My friend actually lives in that house right below the ruins.

If it's cold again this winter and the lake freezes well, ride over to the island and there are more ruins on it. The original inhabitant of one of those houses moved his family to the island during the huge tuberculosis outbreak 100 years ago. There's a cable that runs from the island to the shore overhead that they would use to guide a raft back and forth for supplies and to get on and off the island.

 

[sundaydoug]

The sign doesn't say NJSP or anything like that and it is not the state recognized sign you see normally. I saw there was a crude built lodge out of tarps and palettes half way down the gas line and in the blue side of the woods. I am guessing kids, but wanted to post if anyone has had issues? I didn't want to get clothes lined riding down.

I noticed that sign back in the fall. Not sure who put it there, but I don't think it's the park service. I rode that little connector trail on new year's day and it seems to be clear. I also saw that shady little structure in the woods between the pipeline and blue trail, creepy.

 

[huffster]

Sign says: "No trespassing. Not a public hiking trail", but it does not seem to be an official sign. Per the Trail Conference (TC) map that trail is on park land, not private and it is in Passaic.

 

[JerseyPete]

Thanks guys. Good to know it is clear. Maybe I will hit it this weekend. Thanks.

 

[Tionegear]

Has anyone else noticed that every trail sign including Cannonball trail has hiking only as the designated use? I am talking every single trail. Does anyone know how we can get those signs to include a bike? Of course I mean the multi use trails. Seems like they were all changed to exclude us.

 

[JerseyPete]

Years ago I went to a county meeting and asked a state rep about that. His response was that it is a "state" park and not county, and it is multi use. Unless the signs say NJSP or similar NJ state official letters, the signs may not be legit. If it is a county park, the county would put up county signs.

 

[RickVaughn]

Most hikers don't know what's allowed and what isn't. I had a guy at 6 mile try to tell me bikes aren't allowed.

This is why I prefer Ringwood. Parking at Ramapo is always a pain and there's more people in the way. Plus the people in Ringwood seem much more willing to share the outdoors.