Wanaque combines a clearly defined walking and cycling route with a layered history of water, iron, and change. If you’re deciding whether the town is a good fit for your stay, this contrast is useful: the Highlands Rail Trail offers a specifically described stretch of trail, while the Wanaque Reservoir and stories along the Wanaque River give the area a landscape and historical dimension. You can choose Wanaque based on which of these themes you want to shape your stay, rather than combining the different aspects into a single attraction.
The Highlands Rail Trail: a green connection
The first phase of the Highlands Rail Trail is open and runs for about 1.72 miles from Union Avenue to F.A. Orechio Drive. The former railroad corridor has been transformed into a safe green connection for walking and cycling. The length refers to this first phase. The named endpoints and approximate distance give you a specific stretch to consider when planning your trip. If you enjoy walking or cycling, you can plan your stay around this trail connection.
Wanaque Reservoir and landscape change
The Wanaque Reservoir extends into the lowlands of the Ramapo Valley and is fed by the Wanaque River. Its ten-mile expanse of water took the place of a paper mill and numerous houses scattered across the hills and valleys. Geography and change are therefore intertwined: the reservoir represents a water landscape that replaced earlier industrial use and scattered settlement. For travelers interested in landscape history, this transformation offers a distinct perspective on Wanaque, quite different from the trail perspective of the Rail Trail.
The Wanaque River and its brook trout
At Back Beach Park in the Borough of Wanaque, a four-mile stretch of the Wanaque River was included in the Wild Trout Stream program in 2008. Surveys caught 74 and 81 brook trout, respectively. These catch numbers add to the description of the river stretch as a habitat for a thriving population of wild brook trout. If you’re choosing a theme, this offers a different perspective from the Highlands Rail Trail: here, the river and its trout take center stage, while the trail is a green connection for walking and cycling. These are distinct aspects of the natural environment that define Wanaque.
Iron smelting in the Wanaque area
Freedom Furnace is connected with the iron smelting tradition in the Wanaque area. Iron ore has been mined and smelted in the area since colonial times; a photograph of Freedom Furnace from 1903 provides a specific historical reference point. Ironworking stands as a distinct historical theme alongside the reservoir-shaped landscape and the former railroad corridor. If you’d like to explore local history alongside nature and outdoor activities, this look at iron complements the town’s other themes.
If you’re considering Wanaque as a destination for a stay, first think about whether you’d like to focus on walking and cycling, landscape history, or the history of trout and iron.
Discover more destinations: Haskell, West Milford, Woodland Park, Paterson, Totowa, Little Falls Township, Ringwood, Wayne
For the broader travel overview: Passaic.
