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!!

This is a somewhat unique rating for me, because I'm giving it 5 stars based on its objective…read moreexcellence. For me, personally? Not my favorite of the 3 parks that are in the immediate vicinity of where I live. That's a purely subjective evaluation. There's Mountain Park in Basking Ridge, heading in the direction of Martinsville. I've reviewed that 1. There's Harry Dunham Park in Basking Ridge, near Liberty Corner. I've reviewed that 1 too. I walk/run in both of these parks on a fairly regular basis. Pleasant Valley? Not so much. Pleasant Valley has a playground, 4 multipurpose fields, a softball field, a baseball field, 2 "youth" baseball fields, 6 tennis courts, 6 pickleball courts (I've asked this before, but I'll ask it again-- when did pickleball become a "thing?"), 4 "lighted platform" tennis courts, a basketball court, a sand volleyball court, a pond for fishing, an amphitheater, picnic shelters, indoor rooms available for rental, walking trails, and restrooms. Why would I subjectively give this less than 5 stars? Because the walking trails aren't my favorite, and walking trails are what I utilize these parks for. Anyone who has ever read anything I've ever written knows sports are, and always have been, anathema to me, but I do like doing exercises that hopefully will allow me to live a bit longer than I might without the exercise (funny story-- my oldest friend went to a high school reunion, and the others there said enviously, "You've aged very well!" My friend laughs when he tells me this and says, "Like it just happened! I work hard at it! I didn't just age well! I worked my ass off exercising and eating right, and they didn't. That's the difference. It's that simple."). I lift weights, and I walk/run, and walking/running the wooded trails has made me feel better physically (although it doesn't melt the fat off as easily as it once did) as well as put me in closer proximity, at least in my own mind, to the inchoate and unknowable nature of whatever "God" might be or the source of all creation and nature. It's in the sunlight filtering through the trees, it's in the cloud-filled or cloudless sky that I get glimpses of through the trees as I walk, it's in the sounds of birds and insects, the deer and other small animals crashing through the brush (not long ago, there was a bear sighting not too far away, and that would just be my bad luck-- all this exercise only to get mangled to death by a bear!), it's in the fragrant flowers sprouting up from the soil, the invigorating fresh air itself. There's a stretch of woods in the Dunham Park that's lovely. It's not a long walk, but it passes beneath the towering trees, and alongside a gurgling brook. If it's not the pristine beauty of the northwest CT countryside, it's pretty close. Mountain Park also has magnificent trails. At 1 point, I followed 1 down a hill to a river, but didn't go further, as I didn't know where it was leading to and I wasn't prepared for an extended hike through unknown wilderness. But you can walk the trails for a considerable distance and actually imagine you're far from any last vestiges of civilization (which might not be a positive, depending on your mood or disposition or anxiety level). All alone with nature! I found it exhilarating and spiritually restorative. Pleasant Valley? I occasionally ran the trails at Pleasant Valley with a running/drinking buddy of mine. At that time, we partied a lot (with a group of friends), but we exercised a lot too (just her and me); she ultimately married and moved to the Virgin Islands, and we sort of lost touch. But...hope she's doing well and... keep up the running, old friend! A few weeks ago, I returned to Pleasant Valley, to take a walk. The trails wind upward and certainly serve their purpose, but I prefer the trails of the other 2 parks. With them, at least you get the illusion that you're in the middle of nowhere, enjoying the mystery and majesty of God's green earth. With the Pleasant Valley trails, there's a uniform sameness to them, and when I deviated off the main trail onto a side offshoot, I ended up in a housing development. Again, maybe that's just my own personal quirk and won't mean anything to somebody else of a more "social" disposition. Me? I prefer to pretend I'm the pioneering hermit, the isolated "Stranger in a Strange Land," the searcher for solitude and tranquility, at least for an hour or so. So... objectively...this is a great park, with a lot of amenities and activities. Parking seems plentiful enough (although I have to agree with 1 previous reviewer who said that if the park gets crowded, parking could potentially prove a problem). I can't say I won't return on occasion to walk the trails. But...subjectively...it's not my 1st choice. Or 2nd.

I grew up near this amazing park and it's always been a special place for me. I played on the…read moreswingsets here as a kid, worked at the Summer Camp here as a teen, and continue to enjoy walking here as an adult. This park has everything--brand new playground equipment for 2022, tennis courts, soccer fields, baseball fields, body-weight fitness equipment like parallel bars and a horizontal ladder, paved walking trails through the woods, a pond, and more! The free public bathrooms are inside a building so there's hot and cold running water, flush toilets, light and heat. There are also several water fountains with drinking water. In summer the local theater group offers Plays in the Park at the amphitheater. Most of the park is flat, accessible to wheelchairs and strollers, and easy to walk around. There are benches near the pond and a pavilion area with picnic tables. Lots of people bring their dogs here.

New Jersey has a lot of excellent hiking spots. It's understandable that most of them are in pretty…read morerural areas with tons of room to roam/explore. So when I found out there was a 5.7-mile hike in the immediate vicinity of Bridgewater/Somerville, I was pretty skeptical. This is a pretty chaotic section of the state, with a lot of major highways interconnecting and a mall and heinous traffic circle thrown in for good measure - it's not the first or 100th place I'd think of for a hike. That remains the case. You can't force the design of a hike, and this is a clear example of a situation where you should have had, say, a mile's worth of trails and left it at that. My chum and I came here on Saturday to take advantage of the unseasonably warm early December weather. It was mostly cloudy throughout the hike, but the temperature steadily rose and the sun was largely out by the end. It had been raining pretty steadily the prior day so we were expecting and encountered a lot of mud and some mild rock hopping, but nothing egregious. Both of us opted for running shoes over hiking/trail shoes; it was a LITTLE rockier than I expected and in hindsight I would have gone with the latter for better support, but I didn't suffer any consequences for the decision. Our trek started at the entrance/parking lot off of Newmans Road (spacious, easy to spot with a pretty clean port-a-potty; there were drops on the seat but that's people being animals and not a reflection on the park) following the red trail running roughly parallel to the Washington Valley Reservoir before crossing Chimney Rock Road and heading up and down the orange trail in a quasi loop that runs alongside the East Branch Reservoir before another brief foray on a road (this one Gilbride Rd) and then doing another loop on the yellow trail that goes up to the Chimney Rock Outlook before circling back to Gilbride, at which point you basically complete the prior orange loop and then head back on the other side of the Washington Valley Reservoir to the parking lot. If that sounds overly complicated, you're right. There are two huge issues that mar this hike for me. One is that whoever designed the trails/blazes for this place had no idea what they were doing. Literally every possible trail and offshoot is painted with a blaze, always the same color as the "main" trail. As such, it's incredibly difficult to follow an official hiking itinerary because every fork in the trail has two choices with the same color blaze. Incredibly foolish and short-sighted. We had to VERY carefully stop each time, look at the map in our book AND double-check the GPS/map on the AllTrails app (which I hate doing) just to make sure we were on the right path. There's no reason to put a blaze on literally any walkable route like that; no idea what they were thinking. The other problem is what I alluded to earlier - this is a populated area with minimal room to hike so you end up by definition having to cross and briefly walk alongside busy roads. Chimney Rock was incredibly busy midday on Saturday, and cars were whizzing by us the entire time (the first section was probably about two minutes long, while the second was five minutes - believe me, it felt longer). I'm stunned people don't get hit there, especially since there's not a lot of room off to the side for pedestrians. If you're at the point where you're brainstorming a hiking trail and you can't avoid having the hikers come into contact with moving vehicles, that's probably a clue to scrap the plans. The big selling point of this hike is Chimney Rock, which was apparently a lookout point for George Washington during the Revolutionary War. That's all well and good, but for the money they spent to put up a protective fence and pave the trail here, they couldn't be bothered to maintain the actual rock, which is covered by broken beer bottle glass. And I'm sure General Washington had a much prettier view back in the day than we did; we were treated to the gorgeous scenery of the Stavola Bound Brook Quarry - crushed stones as far as the eye can see! The best part of the hike by far was the last section on the northern side of the Washington Valley Reservoir, and this is the part I'd actually preserve for walking, etc. It definitely helped that the sun was out at this point, but there was a cute bridge and a lot of bird activity. My chum is an avid birdwatcher and will likely be returning to this part with her camera. We also encountered a fallen tree (picture attached) that was taken down by a beaver. Very cool sighting. Head over to Watchung Reservation if you're in the area and want to commune with nature. You may hear the sounds of Route 78 but at least you won't be crossing that highway as part of your hike.

The Washington Valley State Park parking lot is basically a hidden driveway with a small,…read moreinconspicuous sign that suddenly pops up out of nowhere after you've been driving for a while on Newmans Lane. Recommend using GPS to navigate lest you miss the entrance. The park is also accessible from Vosseller Avenue at Millers Lane, though Google Maps will default to Newmans Lane when you chart a route to "Washington Valley State Park". The Newmans Lane entrance seems to be popular with mountain bicyclists and dog walkers. The highlights of this park are the Washington Valley Reservoir and raptor watching in autumn. Otherwise, the trails are pretty low-key (boring even) which make for some relatively quiet walks, which are only interrupted occasionally by the sound of scurrying chipmunks and teenagers jumping into the reservoir in the summer. As another reviewer noted, some of the more remote parts of the trails are not thoroughly blazed, but you should be able find your way even without trail markers. Be sure to grab a park brochure from the wooden bulletin board at the trailhead if you need help navigating. The brochures are also great for swatting away gnats. The red trail has a lot of rocks/gravel and multiple changes in elevation, so you might want to wear shoes with sturdy soles and firm grip. The reservoir does not have a boat ramp but has various trails and rock formations for shoreline fishing (license required, of course). Random trivia: back in 2015, a convicted sex-offender was sighted here fishing before being arrested. With that being said, remember to curb your dog and be sure to leave before the park officially closes 1/2 an hour after sunset.

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....

Recently, I wrote a review for Harry Dunham Park, which is also in Basking Ridge, about a mile or 2…read moredown the road from here. That park is actually closer to where I live, but this is where I prefer to come. I discovered it a few years ago. I always thought it was in Warren, but I guess technically it's Basking Ridge. My hours were somewhat wacky. In the past, back in the day, I had jogged at the high school track...even the local cemetery...but, given my increasingly bizarre hours, that wasn't really practical anymore. This park was a place where I could run early in the morning, or in the evening. Maybe it's just a personal preference, but I really like this place. It doesn't have some of the amenities that Harry Dunham has, but I think I can live without disc golf, if you wanna know the truth... I can't really tell how large the park is--- if you walk around the circumference of it, I'd guess it's approximately 2 miles? It has several athletic fields; some are obviously for baseball, the larger ones in the upper portion of the park look like they were designed for soccer (Pingry School is just up the road from the park, and I know the Italian Championship Soccer Team stayed there some years ago to practice...I wouldn't have known that...I'm as interested in soccer as I am in disc golf...but an Italian-born co-worker was a soccer enthusiast, and he told me). There's ample parking in the upper portion parallel to Liberty Corner Road, but I prefer coming down past a building used by the road department, where there's another parking lot-- this one is smaller but usually less crowded (unless it's a spring/summer evening and the athletic fields are being used by local sports teams, adult and juvenile). I'm not much of a jogger anymore, but I'll start with a jog, run as far on the path as I can before I become winded, walk some, jog a little more, walk even more, jog, pause to dry heave in the bushes, stagger walk until I recover, walk the rest of the way shakily, cautiously back to my car. It's ok. At least I'm still doing SOMETHING healthy, and the surrounding countryside is gorgeous (whatever season it is, although you have to watch the ice on the paths in the winter); it's always refreshing and restorative, whether I'm in shape or not. There are 2 small buildings at opposite ends of the park, that look like they have water fountains, and I guess have bathrooms as well (I haven't had to avail myself of them, so I can't really be sure). There are twisting paths that branch off from the park and wend their way through the woods, and I always like to take advantage of these. One time, I went off on a path that could have been a deer path, which twisted its way down a steep hillside, and came to a gurgling stream. Not exactly the Rocky Mountains, but I was impressed. Not sure where the stream leads (I've lived in Somerset County since I was in my teens, but I guess I'm still a Passaic County city boy at heart), but one day soon I'm going to have to spend more time and follow it along towards wherever it leads (Bedminster?). It's beautiful, tranquil, and occasionally even exhilarating, abundant with natural grandeur and loveliness. If there's such a thing as "God's Country," this could qualify. If there's a down side, it can get too crowded, especially on spring/summer evenings, when the sports teams and their "fans" monopolize the parking lot and playing fields. And there are a'holes who walk their dogs, let the dogs shite on the walking paths, and don't bother cleaning up. But you can't hold the park responsible for that. There are a'holes everywhere, sad to say. Even in bucolic, beautiful Somerset County.

Mountain Park offers walkers well-maintained paths with gorgeous views of New Jersey's rolling…read morehills and plants. There are a few paths you can take; some are more wooded than others. Even when the park is more crowded at peak times or during sporting events, there is enough space for everyone to enjoy and have some privacy while walking.

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.

This is a very nice center that has a lot of information about the Great Swamp and the area. There…read moreis an entire room of live animals in tanks to see, an exhibit hall that was featuring an art show at the time of our visit, a cute library with kid-friendly seating and books. Don't miss the downstairs, which features an interactive exhibit space about the plants, animals, and history of the Great Swamp. Outside are multiple trailheads. There is a good sized parking lot available.

Superb County Environmental Education Center. Great visitor centers: animals in tanks, a gorgeous…read morenew display about the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge & its history, a library, meeting rooms, balconies with nice views. WONDERFUL array of trails, all very well marked, with lots of ponds, stream crossings, and habitat types. I highly recommend a visit. A short walk from it to the Raptor Trust, too.

Have you played Disc Golf yet? Most people I ask say they'd never heard of it. I started when I was…read morea freshman in college at UM in College Park Maryland, rumored to be the first Disc course on the east coast at the time (1982). I've played all over the country now. Harry Dunham is a beautiful hilly park. Great for walking, picnic Pavillion, soccer fields. But twisting through the park is one of the best disc golf courses I've ever played and I refer to it as my home course. You can easily play 9 holes in 90 minutes or less. Warmer weather can get a little backed up but not bad. Give it a try! You can play with any disc you're comfortable with but there are hundreds of professional disc companies styles and weights. After you play a bit you'll notice you like certain throws and conditions. I'm hoping to bring more Disc Golf reviews to Yelp. It's a great activity for the whole family. Playing once a week is awesome exercise. The cool thing about Harry Dunham is it's easy to get to, quick to play, diverse holes, and you could easily play a few times a week and not get bored. Come play disc golf at Harry Dunham Park or one of the dozens of other courses in the area.

I'm actually not the biggest fan-- I don't come here all that often-- but, objectively speaking,…read moreit's a nice park that definitely has a lot to offer. It's not far from where I live, and I used to jog here occasionally with a friend (she lived within a half mile of it). However, she got married, moved away, and I personally prefer Mountain Park, a mile or 2 up the road in Warren (no Yelp entry on it, so I haven't been able to write about it), when I do a solo jog (or a "fast walk" these days; my knees aren't what they used to be). If I were being purely subjective, it might rate a star lower because I come here so rarely now. But, in the interests of being objective-- well, its got a lot to offer. I can't imagine anyone not liking it. There's ample parking if you drive here. There are a couple of athletic fields, there's a playground for kids, there's a covered pavilion or gazebo (actually, if I remember right, I think there are 2) where cooking can be done and that I think can be rented out for groups. Evidently, there's also an indoor facility that's available, although I've never paid much attention to it. At the opposite end of the park, there's a roller/hockey rink set-up. When I was last "fast walking" in the park, a fairly large Asian group was having some sort of dance class/exercise session there, which was interesting to observe if not actually participate in. Throughout the park are benches to take a breather on, or, if you're with someone, have a conversation on, or maybe just to sit on and "people watch," if that's your thing. Ever hear of "disc golf?" No? I haven't either, but the park has the necessary set-up for it, if it's your thing. It does have its fair share of adherents, judging by the people participating in it during the spring/summer months. They have a nice 9/11 memorial in the center area of the park. My favorite aspect of it all is the wooded area that surrounds much of the park; it has a nice, well-tended path (paved with wood chips) winding its way through at least a portion of it. When I was last here, the sun was setting with a haunting beauty, its rays filtering down through the trees and becoming lost in the thick foliage of the forest itself as twilight deepened, and it was like being in nature's grand cathedral--- I'm essentially an agnostic, but if I do have anything within me that could quality as religious feelings, I have them when I'm out in the midst of such ethereal loveliness and splendor. I guess it's a little TOO popular, in my humble opinion; it always seems a little too crowded for my taste (then again, that could be dependent upon what time of day you go here, or what day of the week/weekend you go). Sometimes you have to dodge kids barreling down the paths on their bicycles, or jump to avoid a "projectile" coming at your head from one of the overly-enthusiastic "disc golf" guys. But, this is, objectively or subjectively, a nice park, and it offers a lot for people with families, groups, the athletically inclined, or those who might just want to take a meandering, meditative walk through a pleasant rural setting by themselves. I'm not entirely sure who Harry Dunham is (or was), but he has a nice park named after him. We should all be so lucky!

If you want to have fun this is the place to go. the staff is amazing…read more Helping with everything you need Take more water with you than you think you're going to need cap and sunglasses with string to hold it if you Fallin a must

The guides gave a thorough safety and intro talk before our drive to the launch…read more once on the river they guide you as to which side to stay on. It is important to stay on certain sides to avoid bigger rocks and your team has to work together. there are simple showers but you need to supply your own towel, soap and shampoo. We were a group of older adults and had a great time!