Little Windbeam and Windbeam Mountain via Stonetown Circular Trail (North Jersey District Water Supply Comission)

Little Windbeam and Windbeam Mountain via Stonetown Circular Trail (North Jersey District Water Supply Comission)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop (w/ Spur)

Distance: 2.92 miles

Elevation: 827 feet

My Time: 1 hour, 21 minutes

Book Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Parking: Ample parking at Stonetown Recreation Center.
Hiking Challenges: Ringwood-Ramapo Hiking Challenge

The Hike 

Hike #4 would be up Little Windbeam and Windbeam Mountains on the famed Stonetown Circular Trail! The Stonetown Circular Trail has been on my radar for years now, but I'm usually too lazy to hit a 10-mile hike after work when I could be doing... anything else. Until there's a patch for it, I think it'll stay on the to-do list. The parking area is at the Stonetown Recreation Center with room for many, many cars. I did my final suit-up for the day, carefully crossed the road, and began my hike on the white-with-red-triangle-blazed Stonetown Circular Trail.

It was still drizzling out, but much better tha before. I found a surprise Quest Protein Bar in my hip belt which was just a treat as I maneuvered some lovely, flat trail, and near a right turn passed my first person of the day! He seemed a little lost... more on that later!

I hiked over a BIG pile of bear poop on what felt like an old road. The trail wiggled briefly and then followed an old stone wall before more flat rambling with rocky footing. I briefly went uphill and then came to an immediate hault because there was a BIG ASS BEAR between me and the road, which was maybe 75 feet. This was easily the biggest bear I'd ever seen on a hike, but thankfully he was uninterested in me. I watched him for about five minutes and then the guy from before caught up with me. We chatted a bit and took photos of the bear, who started to scratch his back on a tree alongside the road, but then got spooked from cars and started to come towards us. I started talking to the bear and got on my merry way, power hiking to get ahead of the guy and the bear (and almost stepping on another giant pile of poop). 

I eventually joined the Highlands Trail as I climbed up Little Windbeam (I saw there was a trail that went up Windbeam, which I wanted to follow first and do the Little Windbeam loop as an optional extension, but I guess I missed that a whole while back. The trail was moderately steep now and my lens was fogging as the air began to heat up. 

I almost missed a switchback admiring some baby blueberries during this steeper wiggle, and after a tiny baby scramble I had the pleasure of summiting Little Windbeam with it's baby viewpoint. 

I continued to follow the wooded, grassy ridge and easily descended into the col between the two Windbeams. The trail I originally wanted came up to the col, but it appears to no longer be maintained. The Stonetown Cicular Trail was steep and loose coming out of the col with a few peek-a-views starting, which was nice to see!

I passed a little rocky knob with a viewpoint partway up before a steeper, more open climb to what I thought was the top, but actually just the highest, most open viewpoint. I got a little view towards the Wanaque Reservoir, passed a skink, and there was even some blue sky! The air was comically humid now, and I was comically drenched. There was a little colony of cacti, rock harlquins, and from another viewpoint, firework litter from the 4th of July (probably).

There was a grown-in spur to another viewpoint where I passed a BIG bunny. The mammals were redeeming themselves on this hike! This was the better viewpoint, so I was glad I checked it out. I also noticed that the next landmass along the trail looked higher than were I currently was, so after checking the map I realized I was not on the top! I guess I'm going to keep on hiking. 

Back on the Stonetown Circular Trail, I descended and then climbed right back up (a la Blue Hills Skyline Trail), came to another view, and then descended again before rising again on a much easier treadway, paralleling an unblazed trail on the right. The two paths merged after a moderate climb to an open, beautiful forest. The summit was just the height of land on this flat, wooded ridge. I marked my territory, if you know what I mean, said "nice," and started my return trip!

I again crossed paths with the same guy who said "that's it?" to me - I guess he thought I was doing the full Circular trail. I accidentally followed the unblazed parallel trail, so I just kept following it, skipping the little knob, and rejoining at the bottom of the descent from the main view. This path was more overgrown, but super clear to follow thankfully. 

Back at the main view, it was super bright and sunny now and the sun was HOT hot. I decided to go down the unmaintained path from the col, which had some old, faded red blazes. This definitely used to be an old trail - there were a few water bars and wooden steps, but it also has clearly not been maintained in a minute. 

This unmaintained trail spat me out when the Stonetown Circular pivoted from a nice, gentle walk into the woods from the road to a rockier ramble, I was so happy to be close to being done! The final bit of the hike involved me looking around like a crazy person for that big ol' bear, but thankfully I did not see it. I did see an old motor in the woods, though?

Four hikes and a bunch of checkmarks on my list! The day's totals were: 4 hikes, 8.85 miles, and 1,818 feet of gain! Now all I have to do for this challenge is that big hike in Ringwood State Park (and actually bring cash to park...).

Step-by-Step

- Start hike by crossing road onto Stonetown Circular Trail.

- Summit Little Windbeam Mountain and continue to Windbeam Mountain (wooded summit, after two humps with nice views).

- At Windbeam Mountain, turn around.

- At col between the first scenic hump and Little Windbeam, turn right onto decomissioned trail sometimes blazed in red.

- At terminus, turn right onto Stonetown Circular Trail and return to car.

Photo Album