Emma G.

***3 1/2 stars*** I live half an hour away from Watchung, and the fact that I can count the number of times I've been here over the last decade on one paw tells you something - this isn't one of my favorites. This was selected as the site of our annual First of the Year Hike due to its proximity to a specific top-tier chum. At first glance, Watchung Reservation has a lot going for it; oodles of history seeping out of every pore, culminating with the deserted village of Feltville (and a conveniently named Historic Trail leading us almost right to the entrance of it). But...it's Union County. This is the best hiking option in the area, and it unfortunately just doesn't mean much. We met up in the parking lot of the Trailside Nature and Science Center, and embarked on a 4- to 5-mile hike (everyone's devices provided different mileage numbers). It was entirely improvised, as every official hike I could find in my books and online was over 6 miles, which meant a lot of stopping to peer intently at our maps/phones. Annoying overall, but the geosenses triumphed and we were never off-course. (One of the benefits to Watchung is that it's almost impossible to get lost - go in one direction long enough, and you'll either hit Route 78 or a nearby suburban enclave.) We took the purplish Historic Trail from the Scout Camping Area over and around Lake Surprise, uphill closer to 78 until turning off onto the Sierra Trail into Feltville and visiting both the village and the nearby cemetery. We then made our way onto another offshoot of the Sierra to the Blue Trail, crossing Blue Brook, until it turned into the Orange Trail and brought us back to the parking lot. The trail markings are decent and freshly painted; the problem though is that there are WAY too many trails, and all of them are named. So instead of accepting the fact that you have a random, unofficial deer path or something (which is a very common occurrence in a park/reservation), they insisted that that path ALSO needs to share the name of an official trail. This is why the Sierra Trail seems to have five or six different trails. It's needless, and in an effort to provide options for hikers, it actually creates a disorienting sensation. At least two or three times we came to an intersection and noticed that both ways had the same color trail blaze. We had to spend an extra minute or two staring at our source material to figure out which Sierra Trail we should go on. If they're going to insist that everything be blazed, at the very least you need to have better signage at the intersections. I appreciated that there were three or four signs leading me to the restrooms near the Nature Center, but it would have been nice if that sentiment had carried over into the woods too (the restrooms were clean and certainly preferable to a port-a-potty, but I'd upgrade the hand dryer, which looked to be a vestige from the Reagan administration). The quality of the trail varied dramatically depending on where we were. Understandably the areas near Surprise Lake had some muddy stretches - made more interesting by the damp end to 2023 - but I wouldn't classify any of it as egregious. We had to do a little bit of trailblazing to circumnavigate one or two areas, but overall it could have been a lot worse. The Sierra Trail on the north end heading toward Feltville was my least favorite part, and I'm betting that's true for a lot of people. The noise from 78 is loud so if you're looking for some solace in nature, it's not going to be in this spot. Feltville is a legitimately interesting stop on the way, though it's not as spooky as it used to be. They've cleaned up a lot of the structures so only two or three of them now look like drug dens (which is probably a good thing - not a particularly hot take) but it doesn't look quite as authentic, deserted village-wise. There's an audio tour now that one chum in particular gave a long, lingering look at, but that's a far cry from when I stumbled across this place in the rain maybe 10 years ago. The cemetery just off to the north is a cool little detour if you have the time, and easy to locate with the signage (it's also visible from multiple parts of Feltville). We paid our respects to our fallen Revolutionary War heroes and went on our way. The canine chum situation was excellent - the unexpectedly pleasant morning weather certainly had a hand in that, but it was wall-to-wall pooches, many of whom were sporting excellent sweaters and were in good spirits. On the flipside, the wildlife sightings were sparse and relegated mostly to a few paunchy-looking squirrels. Such is life 50 yards from Route 78. Your mileage may vary, but this to me is more of a walk in the woods/exploring cool old building versus a real hike (which is fine). But given that, they should really spend some time making these trails/paths more coherent for the masses.

Irina G.

Amazing trail, started out real easy and flat, got more progressive. There are ppl but not crowded. Was quite swampy after the rain. Found real bathrooms and even potable water to drink

Winnie T.

Great park for hiking. There are a number of trails of varying difficulty. We brought our puppy and he really enjoyed himself. Started with the red/ white trail near the Visitors center. This one was really easy, but still fairly nice. Definitely can bring the kiddos for this one. There is also a sensory trail as well as a playground in the area. We finally found the pink trail which was my favorite. This one is longer (we only did a section) and also goes by the water. As other reviews have stated, it does get muddy. We visited 2 days after rain, but there were still bad patches. Luckily our pup didn't get too filthy!

Anton K.

Watchung Reservation is one a 2000+ acre preserve in New Jersey. It is a geological wonder formed about 200 million years ago when the area was part of a huge continent called Pangea. As Pangea pulled apart forming the Atlantic Ocean and separate continents volcanic lava spilled up forming the base of the Watching Mountains. this lava can be seen throughout the reservation and is called Basalt. Glaciers also helped form Watching Reservation and glacial effects can be seen in the form of puddingstone (purple quartzite boulders) strewn about. Today there are numerous activities to be enjoyed in Watchung Reservation. Fishing is available in Surprise Lake. Horseback riding at the Watchung Stables with great riding trails. The historical Deserted Village of Feltville. The Trailside Nature and Science Museum which is fabulous, a playground area for kids and lots of trails. An important trail is the 6 mile Historic Trail which can be picked up at the Trailside Nature and Science Museum. If you go to the Watchung Reservation website you can take a virtual tour of the Historic Trail, as well as , the Geology Trail.

Matt B.

January is a cold month to go hiking in the northeast, but being a northman most of my life I'm accustomed to the harsh northern Jersey climate. Watchung Reservation is home to historical events but also beautiful landscapes and a "deserted village". One of the most beautiful attractions (year-round) is Lake Surprise, which looks picture-esque in any climate. In the winter, the lakes reflection makes for a still and quiet setting. There are benches and tables to have a snack at or take a seat and enjoy the setting. Trails: The unpaved trails can be a bit muddy, especially after rain or when the snow melts. If you're in one of those, expect a bit of mud on the shoes. There is a lot of room to maneuver throughout the different trails, so distancing is quite easy. Parking: There are different parking areas and between the two there isn't an issues finding parking. Parking is free. This lake looks like it would be fun to kayak or canoe in. Just make sure you don't go down the man-made waterfall and you'll be alright.

Dominik D.

You really do need a car to appreciate just how large this place is. Wonderful, kinda rugged, pretty heavy duty trails. Would recommend the local municipalities utilize this for foot and bike races if they don't already.

Raj S.

Nice loop and very good trail .. love it .. first few times it's tough to find the trail .. wish there were more help or arrows pointing to where the trail is .. parking is ok.. once u get into the trail , it's good . Nice lake and trail next to it is good . Uneven surface. Don't go after rain .. very difficult to walk . Over all a good experience

Tommy E.

Really enjoyed walking the empty trails which were mostly well-marked. The trails were clean and not too rocky or muddy, so it was an easy hike. Lots of great history in the area and wayside boards helped tell the story. Certainly glad I came across this gem.

Liz B.

A great quick escape from a busy world. Nice hiking trails and ample parking. So many different trails to take

Wei S.

My husband and I went hiking on the sunny New Years Day of 2017! It was also my first hiking in the winter. I loved how I could look though the trees and there weren't any annoying bugs. However, it was very wet and muddy but didn't stop people from coming here. It must be the most people that we saw so far in this reservation.

Rima J.

Nice location for a quick or long hike. Went with my friends two dogs and walked a short trail around the lake. Parking was close by. Wasn't too crowded on a Saturday afternoon. There were even a couple picnic tables along the lakeside. Wish we had time to stroll a little longer. We went in September and it wasn't a good time to see the "waterfall dam".

Luciana C.

Came here yesterday for the first annual Barn-B-Q and it was such an amazing experience and well planned event. Choices were 10, 6, 3, or 2 miles further split to different running paces or a hike. My friend and I chose the 3 mile hike. The scenery here is so nice, trail was mapped out well (only got lost once!), and we finished with a BBQ, beer, and games! Would definitely come back to hike on my own, with friends, and for next year's event :)

Kevin B.

I love this park! It's a really great place to go for trail running as there are many different trails and they're all at different difficulties and terrain. It's a very family-friendly park as well and you see people of all ages enjoying the areas around here. A word of the wise though, some paths are frequented by horses and one must pay attention to where they step...