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Trail Use in Ringwood State Park |
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TRAIL USE
Ringwood State Park
Welcome to Ringwood State Park, a natural treasure for New Jersey residents and other visitors.
Ringwood State Park provides more than 40 miles of trails on 5,237 acres, ranging from woodland trails to old, gravel-surfaced roads which serve thousands of park visitors yearly. The State Park Service provides trail-use opportunities that are enjoyable and challenging, while protecting the environment and limiting conflicts between different trail users.
Every trail in Ringwood has been designated for a specific use for your greatest pleasure and enjoyment.
People come to Ringwood to hike, walk, ride mountain bikes, and horseback ride. The recent surge in popularity of mountain biking has resulted in even more people using the trails, and a rise in potential conflicts.
There are a limited number of trails for all users, so park managers need a system to protect Ringwood's natural environment, ensure user safety, and enable each trail user to have an enjoyable experience in their chosen activity. To meet this goal, every trail in Ringwood has been designated for a specific use.
The Park's trails have primarily been designated for either hiking-only, or multi-use. Hiking-only trails are for foot travel only. Multi-use trails are designated for specific uses which may include bike riders, horseback riders, foot travelers and others sharing the same path. Multi-use is also known as multiple-use, shared use, or double-track.
Trail use designations are made by the State Park Service, using generally-accepted park management practices, and considering the historical trail use; the impact on the trails' soils, wildlife and plants; safety of all trail users based upon trails' width, degree of slope and visibility; and the ability of the park's staff and volunteers to manage and maintain the trail.
Signposts, with reflective decals, are located on the right-hand side of trails, at the trail's beginning, and at intersections where one trail meets another. The decals on the signposts provide the designated uses allowed on the trail by way of graphic images of hikers, bicyclists or horses.
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In New Jersey State parks and forests, a particular use on a trail is allowed only when a decal indicates that specific use on the trail's signpost.
It is important to understand and practice multi-use trail etiquette on multi-use trails where hikers, mountain bikers and horse riders are permitted together.
The etiquette guideline is simple:
hikers yield to horses;
bicyclists yield to BOTH hikers and horses.
A reminder:
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) offers these Rules of the Trail for multi-use trails:
Ride on open trails only. Respect trail-use designations, and possible trail closures. Avoid trespassing.
Leave no trace. Don't ride in wet conditions. Stay on the trail. Carry out all trash.
Control your bicycle. Stay alert - conditions change.
Always yield the trail. Make your approach to people well known in advance, use a friendly greeting or bell. Pass by slowing or stopping. Anticipate other trail users around corners or in blind spots.
Never spook animals. Give animals extra room and time to adjust to you. In passing, use special care and follow directions of horseback riders.
Plan ahead. Know the area in which you're riding, your ability and your equipment. Wear a helmet, keep your bike in good condition, and carry necessary supplies for changes in weather or other conditions.
Having trails available for your trail use preference is a privilege. In return, we all have a responsibility to appropriately use the park's resources so everyone will enjoy trails today - and tomorrow. Going off your designated trails damages the park's natural resources, threatens others' safety, and could result is a loss of trail access.
Volunteer bike patrollers are often on the designated multi-use trails to offer help and information, as well as to assure that bicyclists and horse riders respect the trail designation system.
Seasonal park staff patrol the hiking trails to offer help and information, and to ensure that foot-travel-only occurs on the hiking trails.
Park rangers can issue citations and/or court appearance tickets as penalties for mis-use of the park's trails.
Hiking trails are maintained by volunteers of the NY-NJ Trail Conference. Multi-use trails are maintained by volunteers of the Ramapo Valley Cycling Club.
Ringwood State Park
P.O. Box 1304
Ringwood, NJ 07456-1799
(973) 962-7031
Printing courtesy of the
NY-NJ Trail Conference
1997
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Last updated: 02/23/01