For what it's worth, this review specifically pertains to a rainy winter hike - I can't comment on…read moremost of the park amenities near the playgrounds, playing fields, etc. And I'm also willing to acknowledge that I likely would have felt more favorably disposed toward this park if we had been there in better weather that didn't give off massive Pacific NW vibes. The dreary conditions were not the park's fault. Loantaka was the site of the annual first of the year hike with a group of noble chums. Interestingly, there was a rival "official" hike being held at the same time by the Boy Scouts of America - their social media announcements (complete with map) ahead of time were very helpful in locating a decent parking area for my compatriots. I don't think I have the ability on Yelp to review the BSA, but their scoutmaster was a gem and several of my chums purchased commemorative pins for the event at their little kiosk. Also, my dad was an Eagle Scout and can start a bonfire in about 30 seconds, so that's something. For the purposes of our adventure, we ended up walking 3.13 miles (assuming an Apple watch was correct, which I'm always dubious about), an out-and-back from the parking lot off Loantaka Way to Kitchell Lake just across the aptly named Kitchell Road. The parking lot was easy to access with plenty of spaces, though it was a bit more crowded by the time we were done. It was very pleasing to see several port-a-potties nearby, and I can report from firsthand experience that they were relatively clean, though the toilet seat in mine was wet and required my first squatting situation of 2022. I could breathe comfortably though, so I think you take that compromise if you can get it. The trails are very well maintained - we were exclusively on paved ones, though it looked like there were a few dirt paths that went off them as well, all of which looked tidy and drama-free. That said, it would have been nice if there were more markers/signage giving us a better idea of where we were. It would be difficult to get authentically lost in this area (I imagine it would take roughly 15 minutes to accidentally stumble across a county highway), but it would have been helpful for our orientation. This year's hike featured an Honorary Young Pup of 6, who was able to handle the adventure with aplomb (and enjoyed spotting the metal tags on the trees). There were also many pooches on the premises, and virtually all seemed to be doodle mixes of some sort - very little variety in this area of Jersey, apparently. If you're looking for decent photo ops, this is not where I'd go; this is a park that I'd use exclusively for very mild cardio/fresh air. There are a few streams on the journey, but nothing to write home about. The pond was pleasant enough, with abundant waterfowl in the distance, but it's hard to get whipped up about scenery that looks like it's straight out of Taylor Swift's Folklore album photo shoot.

Followed the gps and it told me to park on the side of the road but there was a sign that said you…read morecouldn't park there. I played it safe and looped around the park and noticed that there's actually a parking lot located on Loantaka Way. First time I came here was in the Spring of 2018 and by the summer I noticed they installed bikes now. You'll have to download the app and follow the instructions to unlock it. Nice clean well maintained park. What I love most about this place is that it's shaded!!!! Given the summer heat, this is the perfect place to take a stroll.

Tucked into the southwest corner of Essex County's South Mountain Reservation, this historic…read more28-acre public garden -- with its carefully curated and terraced gardens, fountains, and winding paths -- feels like a trip to another time and place. After spotting a social media post about the garden's Cascade fountain reopening after a 16-month restoration, my walking companion and I decided to check out this hidden gem. Greenwood Gardens was a private family estate until 2003, when it opened to the public under the auspices of a non-profit organization, and you can really feel that rich tapestry of the families' history as you wander through the grounds. The highlight of our visit was the Cascade fountain, which now features water flowing through it for the first time since the early 20th century! If you're looking for a peaceful, historic, and beautiful place to stroll, Greenwood Gardens is absolutely worth the visit. We'll definitely be back! Pro Tip #1: Plan on about 75-90 minutes for a self-guided walking tour, buy tickets online in advance ($15 for adults aged 14 to 64; $10 for Seniors aged 65+; $5 for children aged 5 to 13), and wear weather-appropriate attire/walking shoes. Pro Tip #2: Leave your tripod at home. Casual photos on your phone are welcome, but portrait or staged photography (for events, engagements, graduations, etc.) requires prior permission and special facility booking.

A dreamy, charming little escape with tons of greenery, statues, structures, and fountains. Even on…read morea weekend it wasn't crowded, so my fam could take pictures without cropping out strangers. Really friendly staff gave the kids a scavenger hunt page that turned our visit into part garden tour, part treasure hunt. Between the terraces, tile work, grottoes, and gardens, the whole place blends European formality with a whimsical, art nouveau vibe. Plenty of benches invite you to sit and talk, while fenced-in chickens, geese, and beehives bring the grounds to life. The gardens feel peaceful, playful, and magical all at once. The beauty here is truly un-beleaf-able! NOTES/TIPS: **Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors/students, and $5 for kids, with free parking close by. **Very limited wheelchair-accessibility: okay for the Main Terrace and some flat areas, but most paths are sloped or uneven, so access is limited. **Restrooms near the entrance.

My little queens were tired of the same playgrounds. My bro's yelp review and pix impressed us all…read more We parked right in front and my kids (ages 3 and 5) ran to the castle-themed jungle gyms and had fun and freedom for the next 2 hours. There were so many structures that all the children had plenty of personal space. Special features included a roller-based slide, a zip-line, and a rope climb. It's an excellent playground I can add to the rotation. Come out and play! NOTES/TIPS: **Picnic tables, plenty of benches, and 2 porta-potties on-site. **If the main parking lot is full, additional parking is 200 ft. away. **The playground is next to a basketball court, baseball field, and soccer field.

Drove in around 12 noon on a Friday, noticed right away that although there was plenty of parking,…read morethe playground was packed. Benches for eating are at the entrance located close enough to watch your kids playing basketball or on the playground. This playground is neat... truly a castle inspired theme. Great for playing peekaboo with your toddlers with many mazes to get lost in and still be sure your child is safe and can't fall out the sides (too easily). There's also a slide that can be climbed which my son was very intrigued with, once he got to the top he'd jump on the big boy slide and come out the other end, he's 14 months so there's really so much for him to explore. There's also bigger slides for older kids, different monkey bars to climb, kiddie and big kid swings, little castles with benches and tables to picnic in, and plenty of benches surrounding the playground for parents to hang out in. We lived up to our mantra: PLAY HARD NAP HARD! Baby was knocked out as soon as we got in the car so I must say it was a good day. My name is Francis and I approve of this playground. YSA (yelp service announcement) When you come here punch into your GPS this address: 651 Shunkpike Rd. Chatham NJ otherwise you will get lost.

For the family!! A community donated park which is maintained by the bridgewater municipality. Has…read moregood obstacles. Ample parking. Has a restroom. Has a picnic grove. No pets tho. See images and videos for further reference.

Very big playground and lots to do . Close to the mall and restaurants! Would definitely come…read moreBack when I am near the area !

The Jockey Hollow unit of Morristown National Historical Park is the site of the Continental Army's…read moremain winter encampment. My first stop was the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center. There, I watched the 15 minute film and arranged for a volunteer to take me inside the Wick House. The film described what life was like for the common soldier who wintered at Jockey Hollow during the harshest winter of the War, from December 1779 to June 1780. Huddled in log cabins with rags for clothing and little food, the army hunkered down to wait for Spring. After watching the film and touring the Wick House, I decided to walk the 2.5 mile park loop road. There are 27 miles of hiking trails in the park, but these were all covered with snow and ice on the day of my visit. There were plenty of pedestrians, dog-walkers and cyclists sharing the road with me.

Most elementary school teachers' lesson plans on the American Revolution emphasize the significance…read moreof the Continental Army's winter encampment at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania during the winter of 1777-1778. Few of them mention the fact that thousands of soldiers from the Continental Army spent the winter of 1776-1777 (following George Washington's iconic crossing of the Delaware River) and the winter of 1779-1780 (which was the harshest winter of the Revolutionary War) in Jockey Hollow -- located just south of downtown Morristown. In March 1933, Morristown National Historical Park -- including the Jockey Hollow encampment -- became the country's first National Historical Park. Jockey Hollow features a small visitor center staffed by knowledgeable park rangers that offers a short film and interpretive exhibits explaining the significance of the site as well as a small gift shop. There are also more than 25 miles of marked hiking trails and a 3-mile paved tour road that offers easy 'drive to' (or, 'walk to') access to the visitor center, Wick Farm, soldiers' huts, and parade grounds. The tour road is very popular with local walkers and runners and the marked hiking trails, which range in difficulty from easy to moderate, are well-blazed and well-represented on the trail maps available on the park's website and along the trails throughout the park. The longest hiking trail is the 6.5 mile white-blazed Grand Loop Trail, which circles the entire Jockey Hollow site and intersects with the Patriots Path trail system that traverses Morris County. Some of the other hiking trails include the 3.0-mile blue-blazed New York Brigade loop trail, which offers a fantastic view of the distant New York City skyline from the top of Mount Kemble, and the 2.25-mile yellow-blazed loop trail, which connects the key historic sites throughout the park. There is no fee for the park and there is plenty of free parking at the visitor center, the soldiers' huts, and the trailheads.

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.

I have always love this park and today it felt like the right day to visit despite the cloudy sky!!…read moreI have been here before but it's nothing to visit more than once!! They have picnic tables to eat your lunch or just enjoy the scenery!!

Washington Rock Park is more of a scenic overlook than it is a park and unfortunately you're not…read moregonna find any Hiking Trails or outdoor Picnic Areas with Grills anywhere near here, but it is still a pretty cool Historic New Jersey Landmark plus it was an important part of the Revolutionary War.     In May of 1777 this mountain overlook provided General George Washington's Army a vantage point in order to see the British encampments below which solidified an edge for any future troop engagements.    Long story short, the mountain's sheer height and location made it the perfect observation site and natural defensible fort. Definitely worth checking out if you ever find yourself in this immediate area. Come And Get Your History On!!

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....