What clients say about Van Slyke Castle in Wanaque (NJ)
We drove 1.5 hours here from long island on a hot summer day. The gps map and reviews made it look super easy. But the Gps brings you to a road that says no public traffic turn around. Because of this our walk got super super harder.
I had no idea where else to go. I parked at the upper parking lot on the road. Idk what psychopath wrote this is an easy trail for kids, maybe from some other parking lot that I don't know about(?), but we got there at 1pm and hiked about 5 miles of partial paved road for the first 1/3 and then 2/3 is mossy wet boulders and weeds that you have to climb. I went through 3 water bottles between me My bf and my dog we finished the water 1/2 on the walk back and I didn't think we would survive.
There's a lot of trees and bushes and thorns and bugs around the castle. The trails that are within 100 feet of the castle are extremely overgrown and thorny. Lots of glass. The signs for directions are awful we had to ask for directions. No service up there either. The last 1/3 of the hike is directly climbing boulders and even a wooden ladder I carried my 55 lbs Aussie dog up ?
My boyfriend was dying. The park ranger sits in his little cart and doesn't help you.
We hike sometimes but this was very very hard for us and our dog.
My boyfriend numerous times was dizzy and had to sit down and I thought he was going to pass out.
The trail randomly disappears too which is ridiculous.
The parking lot was packed. The porta potty was filled to the brim and had no toilet paper.
There are random houses in the middle of this hike which is insane that no one would help us.
I would never do this again. It was awful. The ruins were nice but not worth the hike. It was 90 degrees and extremely challenging and we got lost a few times and it's all uphill. Also there are bears.
I would not ever recommend this with children or small dogs or people with low stamina. This is a 3+ water bottle and snacks kind of walk. 3+ hours 5 + miles with the lake and Castle ruins. Very confusing trails. Bring a compass.
We arrived around 1pm. We got back to the car around 530pm. We went left at the 1st fork and went to the castle ruins and then the lake and then couldn't figure out which was back to the car so went towards the houses and no one answered us.
Followed the road
Saw the park ranger and he just ignored us saying we were weak and sickly and out of water on the 90 degrees day.
Literally ignored us. Just looked straight forward.
Messed up
Great views and the castle ruins are cool.
Lots of trees and bushes blocking the majority of the castle which is sad.
Extensive ruins of a huge stone mansion built at the turn of the 20th century (and burned down in the 40s) accessible only by hiking trails in the Ramapo Reservation. Very impressive, with great views, particularly in October.
What amazing ruins. The hike is rocky in areas so some scrambling involved. The water tower, castle and old swimming pool is great to check out. The graffiti thou sucks.
We did hear a bear coming through but it avoided us. After the castle there’s a ladder but it’s a little vertical. My dog had no issue but I watched another dog struggling.
Make sure to use all trails so you know where to go and don’t get lost.
The parking lot fills up quickly even during the week. There is a port a potty but you can’t even close the door and it’s full of trash.
I would say give the trail a moderate rating just because of the scrambling.
Very beautiful; the only bad thing is that they have ruined it with the graffiti, but it is still worth visiting. Do not use Google Maps to visit the Van Slyke Castle!! it will take you the wrong way! Use an app called AllTrails; you can even see other beautiful spots near it
Nice hike, lots of ups and downs. Dogs loved the lake. The "ladder" is not really a ladder, but steep steps. My lab and shepherd had no problem climbing up. We hike often, but thought it was perfectly acceptable trail for any size dog. Our watches said it was just over 3 miles to do the entire loop. Took us 2 hours with some meandering at the castle. Would reccomend!
Loved the hike. Some areas are tough to navigate (rocky). Def need hiking boots. Not great for dogs if you're doing the full white loop. There's a part where you need to climb over a wall with a little ladder. Had to do that with a 75 lb dog was not fun for her or me. The parking lot was full. Parked on the side of the road in dirt and didn't get a ticket. But that could have been luck.
Definitely a challenge for a new hiker like myself. Keep hydrated worth the trek to the castle it is very beautiful! We briefly spoke with the gentleman who is working on restoring the native plants and maintains the grounds! It was a wonderful experience.
10/10 recommend
I was exhausted and questioned my life decisions but was ecstatic I made it to the top.
Nice hike, not far from home. The ruins of the castle was an interesting site. Hike was moderate difficulty. Got a little off trail getting there, but still enjoyed the day.
It's a super nice walk, but rather a long one. Prepare yourself for a good 3-4 hours journey, and don't underestimate the walk back to the car. It's a good mile down the road. Given all, I think I'd give it another star if I'd had this trip around mid October where the colors would be red ... might do it again / not sure ?
Been here many times over the years. Over time it's become more and more overgrown with plants and vandals & time have Taken their toll. The graffiti is either disgusting or interesting depending on your point of view.
This was a moderate hike with a mixof ascending and descending trails. Rocky in places and even a coupleof bouldering spots. Lower parking lot is bigger...upper shorter hike if you dont do the whole loop
Parked at lower level lot. Walked the pave path near the houses until we reached the lake intersection. From there we climbed steep moutain in the woods until reaching the castle. Trails are marked but not clearly. Through the woods is uneven terrain mostly rocky. Be sure to bring water with you!!
To the castle and back was roughly 3 miles.
No swimming in lake.
Parking free but limited.
We did the AllTrails castle loop trail. Trail was well marked - we were following either the red C or the white blaze. Nice elevations. Bit of a rock scramble towards the end. Good viewpoints. Not very buggy on this extremely humid summer day. Parking lot was full at 8:30 - but some people could park better to make more space for others.
Oh I love this place to hike for the 5-6 miles.It has tow trail. Two way you can go upside to the castle. It may take around 2 hours to complete round track. The parking space is there but restroom facilities is not there. The symbols is been on the tree to show you a path if your google is not working. Overall I like this place and will surely visit again.
Moderate hike with difficulty focused on elevation changes. Parking is very limited. Take the white castle loop trail in the center-right side of the parking lot and you'll reach the castle in about 20mins. Nice views and photo opportunities. The loop takes about an hour plus lingering time. The loop also brings you past a lake which is the first attraction if you take the castle loop trail at the left side of the parking lot. Bring water.
What an awesome hike! Moderate, because there's a lot of rocks/scrambling, but not really any climbing so I don't consider it difficult. Go on a rainy day to add a little complexity, lol we did, but it was nice to have the trail to ourselves!
For our annual fall hike, my husband and I did the Van Slyke Castle Loop trail, which All Trails lists as moderate and I would say that it's pretty accurate. It starts off as a nice, flat trail. The area by the lake is paved. After the lake is when it gradually starts getting harder. There are castle ruins at the top, and getting to the top was the tricky part, though not impossible - even for beginner-ish hikers like us.
We got there at around 10:15 on a Wednesday morning. By the time we got up to the castle, it was probably around 11:30. We had the entire place to ourselves, which we loved. We probably spent half an hour up there just hanging out, exploring, and taking photos, and not one person came by. It sounds a little eery but it was actually amazing. I can see it getting extremely packed during the weekends. I would highly recommend taking a random day off work like we did, if you plan on visiting here, just so you can avoid the crowds.
Here are a few tips:
1. The entrance where you need to park is very easy to miss. And if you miss it (like we did), you'll have to drive for a few miles before you can make a turn back round. If you see a sign for Ramapo State Forest, pull in there (even if Google maps will try to take you to a different location for the trailhead)
2. Once you get back down and onto the trail loop, pay attention to the white trail markers. The marker where you need to turn to start exiting is really easy to miss - especially since there is fork right next to it, which leads to a straight trail and looks like it leads to the parking lot but it most definitely does not. We learned this the hard way
I would do this trail again if someone hasn't been and wanted to check it out. It's a pretty unique trail.
I hiked up here myself without realizing what time it was. Made it to the top right as the sun was setting which was absolutely stunning! Pictures don’t do justice. Please don’t graffiti here. It’s perfect as is. Wanted to explore the building more but I get spooked easily on my own and it started to get dark so I had to sprint down the mountain to get back to my car.
Absolutely stunning and the trail wasn't too complicated either. It's rocky. The trails aren't marked well at all and it's easy to get lost. Keep your GPS on you.
Some wonderful and unforgettable memories were made here. It's a perfect spot for watching sunsets or just getting away from daily life. I do not recommend taking the Castle Point Trail on your way down because the markers are inaccurate and has led me into the forest multiple times. Pushing forward puts you right on the highway, which has never been fun.
Who doesn't wanna see some cool castle ruins in the woods? Nice, moderate hike, some spots more rough depending on the way you take. Bring a backpack and water and even some snacks to chill and see the view once you get to the castle.
