Upper Skyline Drive -Millstones, Water tower, Todd Lake and Lookouts

Length: 5 Miles

Skill: Moderate
Highlights:  •Millstones •Water tower •Todd Lake •Lookouts •Streams
Parking Coordinates: Upper Skyline Parking: 41.047732, -74.251436 

Even though winter is here we can't let the cold stop us from exploring nature!
Here's a map for reference as I explain the trails.

We start at the parking of Upper Skyline Drive 

When Coming from 287, take Exit 57 (Skyline Drive)

Almost immediately on the left you will see the Lower Skyline Parking area. Keep driving a little more down the road and you will find Upper Skyline Parking with trail heads on both sides of the road.

 Cross the road to reach the start of the orange trail. Here you actually have 3 options. From left to right you have Yellow, Orange or White.

This trail is fairly easy

Continue on the orange trail approx. 1.20 mi until it splits left and right onto the white. We are going to make a right. 

This is a winding path where we go up and down and gain about 150ft. of elevation being at a total of 900 ft.  This is a fun trail with some cool photo ops

Soon we reach our first lookout of about 900ft. at Millstone Hill 

We come to a place where there is a worn out sign. It says, "Rattlesnake Cave/Balanced Rock"

I didn't see any rattlesnakes or a cave, just that balancing rock.

This white trail lasts about 1mi. until it splits off into the white/yellow on the left and white on the right. Sidetrack to the left white/yellow trail and immediately you will see the millstones.

At first it may be hard to notice, walk closer and....

You can see the millstone more defined

Let's head back to where the orange trail ended and split. We need to go right. and get back on the yellow trail which will last about 1.70mi

Stone wall on your left

Keep following until...

Hard to tell by the picture but beautiful streams run through here which originate east from Ramapo river, west into Lake Tamarack and south to Todd Lake (Where we are heading)

This is a great place to stop for lunch since there are nice rocky sitting areas so close to the stream

The trail crosses the stream a couple times 

Now we can see the water tower to our left

Right after the water tower is Todd Lake

Right after Todd Lake, the yellow trail ends and splits into the white which goes left and right seen below. Let's go left to see one more lookout, then we will backtrack. (Only .20mi from here to the lookout)

Getting closer...

Almost!

Let's get back on the white, bearing right where the yellow trail ended. Here's an image taken at the bottom of the yellow and pointing right in the direction we should go

And the white trail ends, we are back at the parking lot!