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.

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.

PROS This is a very nice park that has a amphitheater, pool, some courts, and walking trails…read more Excellent place to spend time at! CONS: there's no directory anywhere so it's easy to get lost and parking is minimal if the park is jam packed. The amphitheater also has an uncomfortable place to sit since it's on a downhill angle OVERALL: I would love to come back to this park, as long as it's during the right time

We brought our son here last year when we noticed they re-did it. The new equipment is well…read moremaintained and much nicer. There's a smaller section for small toddlers (smaller slides, a little house attached to it, etc.) and also a larger section for kids 5+ (larger slides, balance ropes, etc.). Both sections have some overhead coverage but the park itself is not shaded. There's also a separate area where the swings are and also a climbing rock/boulder. There's basketball courts adjacent to the kids playground and a good amount of parking. It's definitely one of the cleaner and newer parks around and would definitely recommend checking it out.

If your kids like plastic climbing walls, this is the place to come to! That is the main draw for…read morecoming to this great little neighborhood playground. It's on the corner of two residential streets that do not get much traffic.The entire area is fenced in, and the neighborhood is safe and peaceful. The paved parking lot fits about 20 cars. The park is basically a big flat lawn with well maintained green grass, and a border of trees. You might see some deer, a rabbit, or some Canada Geese. There's also swings, slides, a baseball field, a basketball court, some picnic tables, and a pavilion. This park sometimes has a port-a-potty but sometimes does not. There is no permanent restroom facility here. I live nearby this park, and in the two decades I've been here, I have rarely seen more than 25 people in the park at once. I have only heard good things about this park from the people I know in the neighborhood who bring the kids here, and who play basketball here. The park is named to honor Patrolman Dunham and Patrolman Lebed, who were killed on duty together in 1960. Two public roads in town, Lebed Drive and Dunham Street, are also named after them.

I really like Colonial Park. It's large, beautifully maintained, and offers so much to do that I…read moremake a point of visiting whenever I'm in the area. Some of the park's attractions include: * Bocce Ball Courts * Delaware & Raritan (D&R) Canal State Park Trail Access * Dog Park * Fishing * Fitness Trail * Golf Course * Large Playground * Miniature Golf * Nature Trails * Paddle Boating (Duck Boats) * Picnic Pavilions * Rose Garden & Sensory and Fragrance Garden * Spray Park * Tennis & Pickleball Courts The park also connects directly to the Delaware & Raritan (D&R) Canal State Park Trail via a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the canal. I've walked throughout the park and along the D&R Trail. Fitness stations are located along portions of the trail, and it's easy to create a scenic loop that passes the photogenic Stone Cottage and the spectacular Rose Garden area. The Splash Park is incredibly popular with families. On hot, sunny days, parking near the playground can be hard to find. So far, I've enjoyed the duck boats, miniature golf, fitness trail, nature trails, Rose Garden, and Splash Park. Next on my list are the bocce courts, which appear to be in excellent condition. If you're visiting the area, Colonial Park is a destination well worth your time.

Colonial Patk is pretty . It has a Rose Garden. They must not be in season yet because I didnt see…read moremany. A very tranquil green space to relax and enjoy nature. A nice place . I wish there was more to see.

Five stars for the GEESE who live here. I just love them. They're so fun to watch as they swim and…read morebathe and bask and splash around and honk as fly come in for their expert water landing. That's the main reason I come to this park just to watch them and photograph them. I'm hoping they'll have babies in the spring. That would be adorable. Who doesn't love baby geese?

This is such a lovely park. There is a skatepark, a walking area, several play areas for kids,…read morethere is a giant pond where a bunch of geese hangout. They also have a dog park, and a public fire pit! I have never seen a park with a firepit! I love going for walks here and swingin on the swings. There is also a decently clean bathroom but usually no toilet paper.

Great park for 2-5 year old. Bathrooms are on site. Benches and grass area for picnicsread more

This is THE destination for families with young children in Scotch Plains. At first blush, that…read moreseems crazy, as the park is situated directly off of the busy Westfield Road. But, as one of the only fully fenced parks in the neighborhood, it has a fantastic setup to control the chaos that is the toddler phase. The park features a couple sets of swings, a few small areas with interactive pieces for smaller children, and a red merry-go-round that survived the 2023 park renovation. While I wouldn't recommend this park for older kids or those in the upper grades of elementary school, it's a perfect way to kill an afternoon with littler gremlins.