Laurel Pond and Wawayanda Furnace from Cherry Ridge Road

Wawayanda State Park

Wawayanda Furnace - Photo by Daniel Chazin Wawayanda Furnace - Photo by Daniel Chazin

This relatively level loop hike passes through unusually beautiful foliage, including groves of rhododendron and hemlock, and goes by two scenic lakes.

41.1569, -74.414387

Proceed west on unpaved Cherry Ridge Road, soon passing a locked gate. The road descends through beautiful rhododendron thickets to cross a stream, ascends to pass a pond on the left, then descends to cross another stream on a wooden bridge. Although you are walking along a dirt road, the trees form a canopy overhead, and the hiking is pleasant. 

After climbing through dense barberry...

Prepare For Your Hike

Let's Go

Trip Reports

rate experience
August 21, 2016
0
Good August Hike.
<p>&nbsp; This was my first "easy" rated hike because of the hot weather and as such it was not very challenging and did not offer any "viewpoints". In fact the majority of the trails are old woods/work roads with very little foot path hiking. That being said it was still an enjoyable day in the woods.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 12.16px;">&nbsp; &nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 12.16px;">I did this hike a bit differently because I entered the park from the main entrance.</span><span style="font-size: 12.16px;">&nbsp;parked near the old furnace then started the hike on the Double Pond Trail. I was told by a park patron that is is ok to park there plus the swimming area is a short walk from this spot. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12.16px;">The trails are very easy to follow and with the Trail Conference map , it is very easy to customize this hike .</span></p> <p>The swimming area was totally filled with people this Sunday and I although I had planned to take a swim, I opted not to this day.</p>
rdgee65
February 05, 2016
0
Banker trail new blaze color
<p>Excellent hike. Beautiful actually. We did it on Dec 20, 2015. &nbsp;It was pretty wet though near the end of the hike, standing water that we had to log hop to get across, &nbsp;but we saw boardwalk supplies so maybe that was for that area. &nbsp;One note, &nbsp;or a FYI, at the end of the hike the Banker trail seems to now be blazed green, not yellow. &nbsp;Also the parking area was very packed with crowds of mountain bikers so get there early to get a spot. &nbsp;We arrived around 9:30/10 am.&nbsp;</p>
atruhan
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