Wawayanda Lake and Laurel Pond via Cedar Swamp Trail, Cherry Ridge Trail and Wingdam Trail

This loop sits in Wawayanda State Park (Hewitt/Vernon area, NJ Highlands) and links two very different waterscapes: the open shoreline feel of Wawayanda Lake and the quieter, tucked-away Laurel Pond, with a standout middle section through the Wawayanda Swamp Natural Area—a rare inland Atlantic white cedar swamp crossed by a long boardwalk. (nj.gov)

Expect roughly 12 km / 7.5 mi with about 200 m / 650 ft of total climbing. The grades are generally gentle, with the “work” coming in short rises on old woods roads and rolling singletrack rather than any sustained steep ascent.

Getting to the start (car + public transport realities)
- By car: The most reliable navigation target is Wawayanda State Park, 885 Warwick Turnpike, Hewitt, NJ 07421 (park entrance/office area). (nj.gov) From there, you’ll drive to the appropriate interior parking area for the Cedar Swamp/Cherry Ridge/Wingdam network (often signed for Cherry Ridge Road/parking). Interior lots can be small and fill on fair-weather weekends—arrive early if you can. (njhiking.com)
- By public transport: There isn’t a straightforward “walk-off-the-bus-into-the-park” option for this interior trailhead. NJ TRANSIT does promote some outdoor destinations, but for Wawayanda’s Cherry Ridge/Cedar Swamp side you should plan on a rideshare/taxi from the nearest practical transit stop (or go with a friend who can drive). (njtransit.com)

Route character and what you’ll see (with planning distances)
You’ll be stitching together Cedar Swamp Trail, Cherry Ridge Trail, and Wingdam Trail (plus short connectors/road-walk segments depending on the exact line you draw in HiiKER). Blazing in this part of the park is typically color-based; the Cedar Swamp segment is commonly associated with blue blazes, and Wingdam is also commonly shown as blue in local route descriptions—double-check your exact junction sequence in HiiKER before you go so you don’t accidentally follow the wrong “blue” at a multi-trail intersection. (nynjtc.org)

Wawayanda Lake to the Cedar Swamp boardwalk (about 3–5 km / 2–3 mi)

Early on, the walking is classic NJ Highlands: mixed hardwood forest, occasional pitch pine/oak patches, and that “rocky-but-not-mountainous” footing typical of the region. You’ll likely have a few brief, rooty or stony stretches, but nothing that usually forces slow scrambling on an easy-rated day.

The signature feature arrives as you drop into the wetland: an ~800-foot (about 245 m) boardwalk carrying you across the Cedar Swamp—an unusual inland stand of Atlantic white cedars in a very wet environment, with dense rhododendron thickets in places that can feel like a green tunnel. The boardwalk can be slick after rain or in leaf-fall season; keep steps short and deliberate. (nynjtc.org)

Wildlife/nature notes: This swamp-and-lake mosaic is noted habitat for birds including red-shouldered hawk, barred owl, and great blue heron in the broader natural area. Early morning is best for hearing owls and catching herons moving between wetlands. (nj.gov)

Cherry Ridge and the Laurel Pond side (about 4–7 km / 2.5–4.5 mi)

As you transition toward