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.

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!

This is another nice park for the town of Bedminster ! My dog loves it !…read more Lots of running around . I see people leave water containers and balls for the dogs . The more dog parks the better !

This has the potential to be so much better. In all fairness, the website says it's a "temporary"…read morepark. It definitely shows. First, the park is incredibly difficult to find. There's a bunch of fields and paths that lead to River Road Park, but the actual dog park itself is hidden. You'll need to drive to the very end to park. Once parked, you need to walk across a field (it's not all too far, about 100yards or so,) the park won't be visible from where you park the car, but it's on the left tucked behind some trees. Aside from the parking, the fence is ragged. It's fine if your dog is well behaved, but it'll be a concern if you have a dog that is a bit energetic or an escape artist. It's not a huge area - the site says 1/2 an acre, but it certainly feels larger. The area was OK in terms of maintenance, but the grass on the edges is a bit tall. There's bags, a bench, but no water though. There's a lot of room back there, so hopefully one day it will be a large park. For now, take a quick drive and visit Burn Mills Park instead if you want to stay local.

Nice park, but pretty limited space. It does have a lot of trails, but sometimes the trails can go…read moreso far off, you can get easily lost, and its hard to find your way back. The park doesn't really have any swings or playsets for children. There is a pavillion where people seem to sit and have lunch. Apart from that, there's really not much. If you like nature though, I'm sure you will like this park.

Good place for your dog to stretch her/his legs. Bring water and please clean up after your pet…read more Watch for holes other dogs may have dug under the fence perimeter.

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.

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.