Closter Nature Center

From the nature center building, where parking is available, follow Ruckman Road east for about 600 feet. A short distance beyond the driveway to 190 Ruckman Road, you’ll notice a sign for the Closter Nature Center on the north side of the road. Enter the woods, following the Red Trail, with puncheons (wooden boardwalk) placed over wet areas.

Just beyond a huge fallen tree, turn right onto the Green Trail, which soon crosses Willow Brook on a substantial wooden bridge. The trail immediately turns sharply left and parallels the brook. When the Green Trail ends, turn right and follow the Blue Trail, which goes through an area with a thick understory of ferns.

Soon, you’ll reach a junction where a sign indicates that the loop of the Blue Trail goes left and straight ahead. The left fork will be your return route, but for now, continue ahead to follow the loop of the Blue Trail In a counter-clockwise direction. Be sure to turn left at a double blue blaze, ignoring a diamond-shaped blue blaze with an arrow that points ahead. At this writing, the path followed by the trail is overgrown with ferns, but the trail is clearly blazed and easy to follow.

When you reach a T-intersection with a wider footpath, turn left to continue on the Blue Trail, then again turn left at a double blue blaze. The trail continues on puncheons through an area with abundant skunk cabbage.

After passing another huge fallen tree and crossing a bridge over a brook, you’ll reach a junction where the Yellow Trail begins on the right. You should turn left to continue on the Blue Trail, which soon recrosses the brook and continues along a winding footpath to reach the end of the loop. Turn right, briefly retracing your steps along the Blue Trail.

Soon, you’ll come to the end of the Green Trail on the left. Continue ahead on the Blue Trail, recrossing Willow Brook on a wooden bridge. The Red Trail begins to the left, but you should continue on the Blue Trail, which immediately turns right and crosses Smith Brook on a wooden bridge. Just ahead, a triple-blue blaze marks the end of the Blue Trail (ignore the blue diamond blazes that indicate a right turn). Here, you should turn left onto a wide, unmarked grassy road and head south, parallel to the brook.

In about 0.2 mile, turn right onto the Orange Trail, cross a long wooden footbridge, with rustic logs along its sides, and continue ahead through an area with many large beech trees. When you reach the junction where the loop of the Orange Trail begins, bear left to follow the loop in a clockwise direction. Towards the western end of the loop, you’ll pass the parking lot of a nearby building on the left. The trail now curves right and begins the return portion of the loop, passing an interesting tree with six trunks on the way.

When you reach the end of the loop, continue ahead, retracing your steps along the Orange Trail and recrossing the long bridge. At the end of the bridge, turn right and continue to follow the Orange Trail on puncheons through tall grass. Follow the Orange Trail as it turns left, recrosses Smith Brook on another bridge, and ends at a T-intersection with the White Trail. Turn right, follow the White Trail a short distance to Ruckman Road, then turn left along the road for 150 feet and cross the road to the parking area where the hike began.