Raccoon Ridge via Appalachian, Kaiser, and Coppermine Trails Loop is a 5.8 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Blairstown, New Jersey that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips and is best used from March until November. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
hiking
nature trips
forest
lake
views
wild flowers
wildlife
rocky
scramble
Great hike, little crowded. We went on a Saturday and the weather was perfect. A lot of Boy Scouts on trail in big groups, they come from the Mohican outdoor center right there. Little rocky but great 360° view at the top. Got to dunk are soar feet in the cold creek at the end. So overall fun hike!
nice hike, good views
8 miles
A little rocky, but nice length, a good workout and an incredible view from Large Pile of Rocks at the midpoint. Trail was in good condition and generally easy to follow.
Trail was moderate with rocky terrain. Beautiful lookout!
good trail, would do this one again. rocky paths but not a hard scramble. got to see a large deer dart right in front of us. walking next to good vistas for a long part of the trail.
Dennis F.
Awesome views, great trail!
moderate hike with a nice view of other ridge lines along with a like.
Absolutely beautiful! So many different beautiful views until you get to the actual 360 view!
Great trail. Rocky at the start on the Appalachian (it is the AT in NJ after all). Ridge line is beautiful - great views all vantages. The Kaiser Trail on the return is not well marked - keep your eyes open. This portion of the trail is beautifully lined with wild rhododendrons (can't wait to come back in May) and is a wider softer path. Take the right at the Copper Mine Trail cross over .2M to the turn for the final leg of the trail back to parking. Lots of varied terrain, small streams, great rock formations.
Went on a misty, foggy day so didn’t get to see a lot of the views described, but this was a consistently nice 4 mile hike. Not a lot of elevation gain and not too rocky, so pretty easy overall. Would love to go back when it’s nicer for sure.
Had a great time
Great hike with tons of amazing views! I did come across a bear with her two little cubs but they just walked on through. It’s a rocky trail but the elevation changes aren’t too drastic. I look forward to going back!
Great views for an easy hike, not much elevation gain and its very gradual. Trail is extremely rocky though, which is expected on the AT, so wear sturdy hiking boots. September I believe is the busiest time of the year do to nesting and trail being overcrowded with birdwatchers.
Nice view without a huge elevation gain. Saw my first “wild” bear back at the trailhead near the AT hut.
Great hike! The MOC was also a great spot. Only problem was that we got turned around well before reaching even the merge w Kaiser because we walked right up on a very large bear standing just off the trail while coming around a bend. I was with my two young kids and dog (on leash) so didn’t want to take the chance of waiting it out and continuing on. The bear didn’t seem afraid and just kept doing what it was doing even though we were making plenty of noise. As soon as it turned away from us we slowly backed off and then hiked back down. The kids were psyched because we went and swam in the lake for a while instead. Which was a great way to end the outing. Will be back to do the full route ASAP!
One of my favorite places to hike. The view is outstanding. To go as far as Raccoon Ridge, it's an out and back trail, But you can make it a loop by connecting the Keiser and the Copper mine Trail. Love all the trails near the Mohican Outdoor Center.
Relatively easy trail as long as you wear boots. Expect it to take around 3 hours depending on your pace. We weren't in a hurry.
Definitely stop in at the AMC hut to get a map, they are very nice and helpful! Thoroughly enjoyed the hike up to and along the ridge, beautiful views once you reach the top! As another reviewer mentioned you'll know you're almost there when you see the Worthington State Forest sign.
Try to go on this hike middle of September , 14,15,16,17, there will be the scientists up there doing the migrating raptor count it's very cool!
AOK
great hike. not to heavy on the beginning. if you choose to take the Coopermine Trail loop which is beautiful with waterfalls, that will work your legs. Heaviest 1.3miles part, but so worth it.
Awesome hike! Started at the camp Mohican visitor center where the people were super friendly and helpful. The AT is really rocky, so made sure you were good hiking boots. The views at the top of raccoon ridge are amazing; a 360 degree view. Make sure you go to the top. You'll know you're almost there when you see a worthington state forest sign. We decided to keep going towards sunfish lake but when the trail forked we went right and I think we were supposed to go left. Instead of 8 miles round trip, we ended up doing 10 and never got to see sunfish. We saw two copperhead snakes by the power lines, one of them was the biggest snake I have ever seen. Be wary of the snakes.
Definitely recommend! Easier end of moderate difficulty on the way up the blue trail with awesome views that keep getting better as you reach the Appalachian trail; soak in the view! After you're done, turn right to keep ascending and you will not be disappointed. You will know when you reach the top—the wise one will be there to greet you! Great trail!
Awesome way to beat the crowds from the DWG area.
Angela D.
Not bad! I recommend. Nice view
This was a nice hike. I started where this app gave me directions to but just as a precaution, the directions aren't going to get you to the right spot. The location for the start of this hike is not directly on Gaisler Rd. Once you're on Gaisler you have to make a right onto Camp Mohican Rd. You follow that down to the parking lot where you can register and find the trail. The girl at the station was particularly nice. She gave me an orange vest since it was the first day of hunting season. The hike was a little over 5 miles. It only took me about 2 hours but I hike rather fast because I'm tall. I would recommend this hike to anyone, it wasn't very difficult and since it's the AT you can keep going if you'd like. The view at Raccoon Ridge is particularly nice.
Great hike from "fiddlers elbow" up the ridge and down to a few miles to crater lake. That water in the lake is perfect. They used to have a dock out in the lake that we'd swim to and then run back home on the trail. Great memories!
i actually started this hike by Delaware river gap, it was my first hike ever... and i loved it!
