The Peters Brook Greenway is a paved trail that winds through Somerville, following the course of…read moreits namesake creek. The Greenway provides pockets of greenery throughout the borough, offering a welcome respite from the bustling streets and sidewalks. When I go for strolls I enjoy being able to walk between both the Greenway and Somerville's picturesque streets, since it is integrated nicely within the street grid. The 7.1-mile trail is bounded by the Raritan River Greenway on one end, and Clarks Woods, a small nature preserve with a parking lot, on the other. Via the two greenways, you can walk or bike directly from Somerville to the nice trails and parks at Duke Farms in neighboring Hillsborough. Overall, the Peters Brook Greenway is a wonderful amenity for both residents and visitors, contributing to what makes Somerville such a unique and special place.

This park is near and dear to my heart. Its main feature is Lingert's Pond, which is a great place…read moreto birdwatch, fish, picnic, or just sit on a bench and read. This is a relaxing little park with a gravel parking lot that accommodates maybe ten cars at most. Private homes surround the park but the park is free and open to all. The Canada Geese who nest here have adorable goslings every spring and they make me so happy. There are no facilities or even Port-a-Potty at this park. There's a Port-a-Potty about half a mile down the road at the gas station.

Pleasant walk in September. Nice greenery and small pond…read more We came by around 11 am and it was a sweet time to explore.

***2 1/2 stars***…read more There are a lot of people out there who can and do enjoy this park. If you're a birdwatcher, this is a great place to ogle some waterfowl, probably one of the best in the area. Young pups can easily traverse the boardwalks and there's a lot of kid-friendly educational material for them to access along the way, so that's a selling point as well. However, if you're looking for a place to hike, this is one of my least favorite places to do it, and this review is from that specific perspective. I came here on Sunday with my chum and her Wee One for a low-stress 2.9-mile hike. We started in the early afternoon, and it took about 2 1/2 hours. That probably seems inordinately high for the mileage, but it will make sense shortly. Unfortunately, it was cloudy throughout. I've been here once before and to areas of the nearby Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge a handful of times - it's definitely more enjoyable visually when it's sunny out, especially with so much water nearby to conveniently reflect the sunshine. Alas. Our adventure took us on the Yellow Trail from the eastern side of the Environmental Education Center, veering right multiple times and going by Lily Pad Pond and the East Observation Tower. We then headed toward the boardwalk area via the Wood Duck Loop, traversed the Boondocks Boardwalk and headed back on the Red Trail past the Great Swamp Oak to complete a quasi-circular loop. The absolute worst part of hiking here is that it does not matter when the last rainfall occurred - I have been here when it's been dry for a week and, as was the case this time, when it rained the day before. It's soggy and not a lot of fun to hike in and involves a lot of off-trail improvising through sticker bushes that massively slows you down. And if it rained recently? Forget it. Huge swaths of the path are glorified streams. They've spent a lot of time (and I suspect money) on their boardwalk section, but if they're trying to lure hikers in, that yellow trail really needs some TLC. Maybe you can just import some soil in there so it's a little higher, but it's rough going. Same token, the boardwalk is definitely deteriorating in parts. We saw sections that had recently been repaired, but there are still a lot of decaying/mossy boards out there. I don't recall a point where we were seriously concerned that the boardwalk was going to give out underneath us, but it's heading in that direction. Second worst part of hiking here? No pooches allowed. Very sad, and I'm not sure if that rule is in place because of the terrain or out of an abundance of caution for the creatures who live here. But regardless, I did not have the pleasure of seeing any canines enjoying the fresh air. Additionally, there were no bathroom options when we came. They probably have facilities in the Educational Center but that was closed on Sunday. I definitely remember seeing a port-a-potty off to the side on my prior visit, but it wasn't there this time. One positive though that deserves mention - the trail markings are excellent. I think some of the trails could be better assigned/distributed (there were multiple occasions when the yellow trail would fork, but it would be yellow both ways). We had a specific hiking itinerary but I'm sure that can be confusing for others. I'd just make one of the prongs of the trail fork a different colored trail. But regardless, every intersection was carefully noted and most had very visually appealing signs. I'm not crazy about a lot of the hiking options in this area (mostly because the terrain isn't challenging and there aren't a lot of fun viewpoints), but I'd recommend Jockey Hollow over this. That said, if your idea of a great Sunday is staring at herons, by all means make the trek over here.

Found this on Yelp event and it was really worth it. My kids brought there dogs out and we listen…read moreto the bands, ate plenty good foods and just had a good day. Beautiful weather and two of my kids. So much fun. The food trucks were all reasonably priced and gave ample food for the cost. The Branchburg and Bridgewater fire departments did really good putting this together. Plenty activities for the kids and dog friendly. Really good event for all ages. I will mark my calendar for next year's event

Nice facility that is well maintained but the signage and parking are inadequate. Additionally,…read moregoogle maps says its 200 Baird road; It is actually 232 Baird.

A nice experience in nature yet not being far from civilization. There's something for everyone in…read morethe family to do, fish, play tennis, be on the playground & they have a covered area

Stopped by for the first time today to take a walk around the lake and get a little exercise. They…read morehave parking lots located at both ends. They have a nice water fall at one end and at the other there is a playground and sports field. There are plenty of benches and gazebos if you want to take a break and take in the scenery. They also have three nice fountains in the center of the lake. Only problem I had was avoiding lots of goose droppings and a hissing goose that wasn't happy to see me...lol Other then that plenty of people walking and enjoying the nice sunny day. I definitely plan to add this to my list of places for a nice walk....

a few mowed trails through some meadows and woods by a few ponds and the Passaic River (which is…read morequite small here near to its source in Mendham, more like a creek.) Lots of birds here if you are into that, otherwise nothing really exciting, but tranquil. A quite undeveloped park in terms of facilities there is a small parking lot, a picnic table, a gazebo in the meadow , a few wooden benches along the trails; and that is about it. But if you want solitude you will find it here, I saw no other humans here.. only deer tracks

Here's a sweet little park located in the middle of the quaint and historic town of Peapack…read more Residents built the park and pond in 1919 to honor veterans of The Great War. Decades later the town placed a memorial to WW2 veterans, and still later a memorial to The Vietnam War veterans. The park is still the site for Peapack's Memorial Day observance as well as other community events throughout the year, like the Fire Department's Classic Car show. My parents brought me here a bunch of times as a kid and I remember really enjoying sitting by the pond and watching the geese teach their goslings to swim. So cute! As an adult, I still enjoy watching these big majestic birds with their fuzzy little ones gathered closely around. The playground here is well-designed for smaller kids, with equipment low to the ground so it's easy for preschoolers to climb on. The entire playground section is fenced in. Parking is conveniently located right next to the playground. The park has a gazebo, picnic tables, and a short walking path. It's not a park intended for runners or dogs (for that I suggest the enormous park Natirar up the road). This park is very small and nice for a quiet, reflective visit in which you sit and enjoy the scenery. It's on Main Street and there's a church, a boutique, a bakery, and a restaurant all within about 800 feet.

This is a really pretty park that's mostly a spacious grassy lawn. Most locals call this 12 acre…read morepark "The Far Hills Fairgrounds" but the official name is "J. Malcolm Belcher Fairgrounds." Mr. Belcher was a WW1 veteran who was Mayor of Far Hills for 28 years. He died in 1987 at age 100. A huge rummage sale run by the Visiting Nurse Association takes place in this park every spring and fall. That always draws a crowd. There are basketball courts and a swingset. The track around the perimeter is flat and easy. It's a nice relaxing place to walk, run, push a stroller, or walk a dog. On one side of the Fairgrounds is the Raritan River, which is stocked with trout. People fish there. The park can also be used for private events. For an event involving 8 or more people, the town requires the event organizers to complete the Use of the J. Malcolm Belcher Fairgrounds Application.