I was impressed with Taylor Park. It has a lake, with a waterfall, tennis courts, children's…read moreplayground, the Baver Community Center, a rose garden, clean walkways, plenty of places to picnic, and right in the heart of Millburn. A stroll around the perimeter of the park is a perfect way to relax and enjoy every moment.

Nice little park! I…read morestopped by for a stroll recently after eating at one of the local restaurants nearby. The park was full of people and it was nice to see people out enjoying themselves. The park itself has a little bit to offer everyone. Enjoy :)

TNSC is a wonderful little museum and environmental education center located in the Watchung…read moreReservation, with many nature and outdoor programs and workshops for children & families as well as adults. It's a great place to take kids, and admission is free! The museum has exhibits, hands-on interactive displays, a cool night theater show, and a children's discovery/play room. You could also observe many beautiful and exotic bird species fly to and fro around the bird feeders out back through a large window. Upstairs are classrooms and a small library area. There are many hiking trails, including the Sensory Trail, a child-friendly 0.3 mile loop with special sensory exploratory features such as talking kiosks, musical play, and garden structures. There is also a playground and picnic areas in the vicinity. In addition, if you care to explore other parts of this 2,000+ acre reservation, drive or hike to nearby Watchung Stable to see the horses and riders; and for sure visit the Deserted Village of Feltville, a can't-miss area of Watchung with historic buildings dating back to the 18th century, and is a cool stroll.

Free place to visit alert. I came here with cousins and when you don't want to pay $$ for…read moreadmission for a lot of people, this place is amazing, will probably take you a half day. They have a park nearby too which is walking distance. The center itself is cool, has a kids toy play area, a reading section and another section to learn of different animals - fake and real. Lots of parking in the area and when you're done, there is food nearby, about 15 minutes away. Definitely recommend if you are on a budget because family trips get expensive.

We recently spent an evening at Oak Ridge Park, and it was exactly what we needed. We packed some…read morefood, brought our chairs, and enjoyed live music while watching the sun begin to set. Sometimes the best date nights don't require anything fancy, just good company, fresh air, and a chance to slow down. The park is beautiful, clean, and incredibly well maintained. There are plenty of paved walking trails, wide open green spaces, and lots of room to relax, whether you're taking a stroll, having a picnic, or just enjoying the scenery. It's easy to see why so many people come here to walk, bike, run, and spend time with family and friends.

Started to appreciate having a park in my home town during the pandemic…read more Loved exploring the walking trails through out the seasons. Amazing sunsets and sunrises. There's archery, sport complex, historic farm, picnic area with tables.

Incredible place full of history. I've only been once but I'd love to go back. It's absolutely…read morebeautiful and it's so interesting seeing all that it has to offer. From the nature to the deserted village and so on there is so much to see and explore.

This has quickly and easily become one of my favorite spots to be grounded and immersed in nature…read more If you don't have time for an hours long hike or a ride to a huge forest, this place will do. I love that they have ample space in their parking lot, its easily accessible, and intriguing because it's a sensory trail. I appreciate how quaint it is. Very uplifting if you need a boost. Highly recommend!

Note: So there are actually two Memorial Parks on Valley - one is in Maplewood and one is in South…read moreOrange between 4th and 5th street. This is a Yelp review of the South Orange one. Memorial Park in South Orange is a small park. It's a good park for parents with small children. You can take young children here because of the playground and the swings. The playground set is for younger kids, like 2-4 years old maybe. It's also a nice little park where you can get in a quick stroll on the walkways, especially if you are pushing stroller or with kids. There is a circular path towards the back of the park farther away from Valley Street.

Lush hilly terrain. The Arboretum is fenced in so deer can't bother the native plants. It turned…read moreinto a lovely day, so the birds are out. I can sit here for hours just watching the leaves sway. There are walking trails, plenty of benches, and a Stone house that has exhibits and information. Park is open all year round, but apparently the Stone house is only open on certain days. It is not open now.

Very quiet, so peaceful here. Another great place to do some bird watching. There are lots of…read moredifferent types of wildflowers and trees. Hilly walking trails. We love this place. Street parking is easy to find.

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.

In a neighborhood surrounded with good parks and playgrounds, Weber Park stands out. One end of…read morethe park has tennis, basketball and handball courts-- plus an in-line skating rink-- while the other offers one of the better soccer fields in town. That last positive, however, has a qualifier. Periods of heavy rain can cause significant lakes (complete with ducks) in the area immediately adjacent to the Comcast corporate campus. A small picnic grove separates both ends of this long and narrow park, and contains a small assortment of playground gear. Parking on Rahway Ave. can be tough, but is a breeze on the Garden St. side. Also a nice park to stroll, as there is often something of interest going on.