The old stone walls, furnaces and other remnants of the once industrious ironworking community now sit tranquilly next to the swiftly flowing Wanaque River. The village is undergoing research and restoration and one waterwheel has been reconstructed. Future plans call for additional restoration work.

Through the Carry-In/Carry-Out Program you can help us keep your parks clean and beautiful by carrying out the trash you carry in. Bags are provided throughout the site. Thank you for your cooperation and remember to recycle.

Open daily sunrise to sunset.

Attention Visitors:

The Township of West Milford and the Greenwood Lake Powerboat Association will be utilizing the Brown’s Point section of Long Pond Ironworks State Park for the delivery of the Annual Greenwood Lake Power Boat Races.  

In an effort to provide for the safety and security of all visitors the area will be closed to general visitation from Thursday, June 2  through Monday, June 6, 2016.   We apologize for any inconvenience.

Questions regarding trail status can be directed to the Ringwood State Park office at (973) 962-2240

Due to a bridge washout, the Hasenclever, Sterling Ridge, and Highlands Trails are partially closed at the Wanaque River. The Sterling Ridge and Highlands Trails are accessible via the Jennings Hollow Trail off East Shore Road. The Hasenclever Trail is accessible from the end of Beech Road.

Approximately a 3/4 mile portion of the Hasenclever Iron Trail is temporarily closed to the public in the area of Peter's Mine. From the Ringwood Manor side it is approximately 1.5 miles in and 4 miles in from Long Pond Ironworks. There is currently no reroute, please plan accordingly. For more information call the park office.

Long Pond Ironworks State Park Area Map

Long Pond Ironworks State Park Trail Map

Special Use Permit Application Package

A Special Use Permit is utilized to accommodate a specific activity or event being conducted over a short duration. There are two types of special use permits: Non-Commercial and Commercial and fees are based on NJ residency and Non-residents.  A completed application must be submitted to the park/forest area where the activity or event is being held at least 90 days prior to the event. If the special use or event is extremely large or complex, at least one-year’s prior notice is recommended.

Long Pond Ironworks was founded in 1766 by German ironmaster Peter Hasenclever. Hasenclever brought 500 ironworkers and their families from Germany to build an ironworks "plantation," including a furnace, forge, houses, shops and farms. A dam at "Long Pond" (Greenwood Lake) on the upper Wanaque River provided the hydropower to operate a blast for the furnace and a large forge. Two more furnaces were constructed in the 1860s. Operations at the site ceased in 1882 due to the industry-wide conversion to anthracite furnaces using Pennsylvania coal.

The remnants of the ironmaking industrial structures at this site date from the 18th and 19th centuries. Furnaces, casting house ruins, charging areas, ice houses, waterwheels and other structures are a part of the remains. The area is currently undergoing restoration: one waterwheel has been reconstructed and several houses stabilized. The "Old Country Store" has been renovated and now houses the Long Pond Ironworks Museum.

The original Village of Hewitt grew up around the 19th-century iron enterprise. This settlement included a church, a store/post office, schoolhouses, and dwellings and outbuildings for workers and managers. Many of these cultural resources remain intact or as ruins.

Members of the Friends of Long Pond Ironworks offer tours of the furnace area and village on the second Saturday of the month, noon and 2 pm, April through November. The museum is open to the public Saturdays and Sundays between 1 and 4 pm, with an earlier opening on tour dates during the April through November tour season. It is open by arrangement throughout the year. For more information, call (973) 657-1688.

Known for its trophy size muskellunge, walleye, bass and trout, Monksville Reservoir is heavily used by anglers, sporting clubs and the US Sailing Association. Easily accessible from either the north or the south boat ramp, the area is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The property that comprised the Wanaque Wildlife Management Area, formerly managed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife is now under the administration of Long Pond Ironworks and Ringwood State Park. Within the property is access to Green Turtle Pond, which is stocked with trout in the spring. A parking lot and boat ramp are located nearby. The area also is open to hunting, with the exception of Sunday.

State Park Service areas open to hunting for 2015-2016

Hunting is permitted in designated areas within the park and is subject to Division of Fish and Wildlife regulations.