I gotta tell you... I love this little park…read more First visit - okay, I dug it. Second visit - more time to explore and continually found new and interesting reasons to enjoy Essex County's seventh-largest park (I totally stole that tidbit from Wikipedia). Third visit - okay, okay - I'm officially smitten! A (small-ish) pond complete with locals fishing? Tennis and pickleball courts? Horseshoe pits? Bocce court? Paved trails (both in the main/open portion of the park as well as tucked-away under dense forest)? Baseball field (as a bonus - a group of kids always practicing cricket off to the side)? A tiny little spot consisting of parallel bars and (uneven) pull-up bars - for aspiring gymnasts or American Ninja contestants? An aqueduct (complete with a handful of little bridges to cross over) running throughout the entire park? A damn fine playground (with interesting and in-good-shape equipment) for kids (from 2 to 12 years old)? Plenty of tables (old-school picnic style as well as more modern/sleek)? Those clunky-but-sturdy BBQ grills that are drilled into the ground for you to use but can't take home with you? Rock cairns to find and admire while walking through along the tree-covered trail? A few strategically-placed water fountains to rehydrate and cool down? Plenty of Porta-Potties and trash receptacles (including freebie baggies so you can scoop up your pet's droppings)? A random deer (or doe) sighting in or near the park every single time I've visited? Yes! A resounding "yes!" to all of it.

Tiny county park in a residential area, so no trails. You can walk around the park in about 15…read moreminutes. Small stocked pond with ice skating when safe and allowed, children's swings and slide and a small tennis court. Benches all around. Well kept by the county. Parking on the street and a small lot with a few handicapped spaces. Bicycling not allowed due the size of the park and amount of people. Playing field up and behind the park area. Events held occasionally.

Cedar grove community park, is about 6 acres of awesomeness!!!! Lol the amenities in this park…read moreinclude a public pool with changing areas and diving boards, deep end and kiddie pool. A beautifully landscaped garden and ball field. The baseball field has 2 sets of 60+ person sitting bleachers, well lit night lights and pitchers pen. Plenty of park benches and trash cans for having bday parties. Also Built in BBQ pits. Parking is free and very conveniently accessible with over 120 spots, with RV parking. Public bathrooms are available and opened and cleaned daily. There are 2 massive playgrounds available for all ages. One is located next to the park benches and BBQ puts and the other right behind the ball field. My daughter and I had an amazing time at cedar grove community park. Very clean and safe atmosphere. YES!!!! It's open to the public. Reviews Yelp!!!! David $ Erica.

This is a beautiful park. When you look at it on Google Earth it's huge, but it's quite small…read more There are many picturesque locations here. I'm sure many know about this park, but it's a hidden gem to me. It's perfect for a short romantic walk. Will be back.

Verona park is one of my favorites in essex county! There is plenty of parking available. It's a…read morecool place to go just to relax and people-watch, if that's your thing. I like the open space and tall trees; it feels inviting and comforting. This park is beautiful in all seasons! Also, it is a good place to walk for exercise.

This place is so beautiful!! Great place to see the beautiful skyline of New York City. The open…read morefield that they have is great for sitting in the grass and just enjoying the sun on a beautiful day!!

Great view! Hidden gem. Great view of NYC! A nice tribute of 9-11 here. A restaurant near by…read morerecommend reservations. Nice to park and take in the views.

I grew up in Cedar Grove and have fond memories of Mills Reservation from the 1950s and 60s.  It…read morewas a great place to explore the natural wooded environment atop First Mountain ... and it still is.  The trails are great for hiking, biking, and jogging. Leashed dogs are welcome.  I highly recommend hiking to Quarry Point at the reservation's southern end.  The views east from here are spectacular -- all the way to the Hudson River and Manhattan skyline, and sometimes the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge.  Oh, did I mention that the reservation is a great place for bird watching?! Parking is limited. There are no buildings or restrooms in the reservation.

How does one rate the woods? I wanted to blame them for a lack of reservoir scenery on the…read morereservoir view trail but there was human error and I was on a different trail. You can see Manhattan and even the Verrazzano Bridge from a few overlooks. If you're into Instagramming lots of trees and occasional rocks this is a fine spot. Geography note: without a car, kind of far from anywhere. Walkable from the weekday-only Mountain Ave. station (for NJ Transit wrath please check out my Substack).

Van Vleck House & Gardens turned out to be one of those places that feels like a hidden gem…read more It's not a large botanical garden, but that's actually part of its charm. The gardens are beautifully maintained, peaceful, and much less crowded than many other places nearby. I really enjoyed walking around and taking photos without feeling rushed. There's a free parking lot on-site, which is always a bonus. Don't expect to spend an entire afternoon here, but if you're already in the Montclair area or looking for a quiet place to unwind, I'd definitely recommend stopping by. It's especially nice during the blooming season.

10/2/25 (Update): Van Vleck House & Gardens is a hidden gem!…read more It's like a beautiful mini get away. Even at this time of the year, you'll see beautiful flowers, plants and trees! Benches are throughout the gardens. Admission is free. Donations are always welcome. A visitors center is available along with restrooms.

A park I used to frequent often in my youth and even now occasionally if there is an event such as…read morethe Jazz Festival. The park has a neighborhood-like setting with houses and even the aforementioned elementary school across the street compared to some other parks in Essex county that are a bit more removed. The park has a nice mixture of park staples for its size. This includes a basketball, baseball field, tennis courts and open field. The unique part of this park is the community pool, another place I'd frequent, but on my most recent visit it was not open despite being a nice day so hopefully it is still being operated. The park has a few paths for walking but not as extensive as some other parks in Essex county. The park has a nice amount of benches, parking lot along with street parking and a nice MLK memorial as you make your way around the park. Not the biggest park, but a lively and decent one a little off from the growing center of downtown Montclair.

I checked out Nishuane Park a few weekends ago for the Montclair Jazz Festival. It's held here…read moreevery year. I've driven past the park on so many times, but never realized from Harrison Ave just how expansive the park is. If you drive past the fire station on the corner of Harrison and Cedar, you won't see the sprawling passive green, walking paths, baseball field, basketball courts, and playground. Apparently, there's also a public pool (I didn't see that when I visited). So the day of the Jazz Festival, I was surprised that Nishuane was able to contain all festival goers that Saturday. There was even an area in the park where there were a slew of food trucks and vendor stands. It's nice to know that this park serves as the locations for this and other community events. Also, if you like to walk, I'd also recommend checking out the massive mansions on Stonebridge Road, between Sutherland and Llewelyn. Stonebridge is parallel with Harrison Ave. Beautiful, old homes. It's a very family friendly park and a wonderful place to spend your Saturday.

This is a nice, little park to walk if you want to do laps. There is a lake with a fountain. It's…read morein Upper Montclair. There are a few parking spots in the semi-circle, one-way entrance, but you can also park on Valley or on one of the nearby local streets.

A nice public park with a few one-way streets around it - parking can be a little crazy when there…read moreare events in the park. Lots of running paths and a little waterway and lake for fishing. A big tree in the center and a memorial to the side.

Verona/Montclair, NJ - this medieval castle-like mansion was the cozy home of industrialist…read moreFrederic Ellsworth Kip in the early 1900s, and, saved from the ignominious fate of being developed into a row of townhouses during the modern era, the estate is now part of the historic Essex County Park System and thankfully is being preserved as an eventual resource center for the arts & culture. Although the 11-acre grounds of Kip's Castle Park is open from dawn to dusk year-round, the house itself is normally closed to the public except for a brief few days around Christmas, when the home is decorated in vintage holiday splendor and the first floor is open to viewing. The home looks grand but is charmingly intimate inside. It doesn't take long to tour but makes for a lovely little visit if you happen to find yourself in the area over the holidays.

I absolutely love castles! First visit!…read more Kips Castle is a replica of a Medieval Castle! Located in Verona and Montclair New Jersey. The Castle was closed but you can explore the 11 acres of land on the ridge of First Mountain. You have beautiful views of the New York skyline. On our way out, saw the deers!!