Troy Meadows Natural Area is a 2,600 acre fresh water marsh and Eastern woodland ecological…read moreenvironment twenty five miles west of New York City. It is designated as a priority wetland by the US EPA. Tory Meadows Natural Area began to form 10,000 years ago when the glaciers which covered this area began to melt forming the ancient lake called Lake Passaic. the Lake extended from Great Notch to just below the The Great Swamp in Millville. The lake eventually drained and produced pockets of marsh land. As an Eastern woodland it is populated by pin oaks, maple, elm, and beech trees. The fresh water marsh has numerous endangered plants but is largely made up of Yellow Foxtail grass and cattails. Water snakes, turtles frogs, racoons, white tail deer, birds (Bald Eagles), owls and blue herons to name a few. I like to come to this area alone, not that I am anti-social but because being alone allows me to focus more intently on the creatures that exist here. There multiple entrances to Troy Meadows Natural Area but I like to start my hike at the Parsippany entrance south of route 280 off of New Road. From this area you have to hike about a mile through an Eastern woodland environment. The entrance is well marked, as is the trail which leads you to the marsh and steel catwalk. You need to climb a ladder to get to the top of a six foot high catwalk. The catwalk is about 36 inches wide. I think my photos tell the story well.

Very large and seemingly little known nature preserve, mostly marshland. Several access points…read morewhich are explained on website. If you access from the service road on south side of I-280 there is a path through the woods which leads across some wooden planks in a marshy area to a ladder, which brings you to a very sturdily construced catwalk that parallels some high voltage power lines through the marsh. the catwalk makes for a nice hike with some pretty views. lots of birds here. a surprisingly tranquil place in the midst of major highways and suburbia..

Great for any weekend if you are up for a mild adventure. Bring the dog but definitly do not bring…read morethe stroller. Thus hiking trail is not stroller friendly. Great views of NYC if you follow the path all the way around. Would recommend if you have friends coming in from out of town as a great activity.

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.

The fam was looking to take advantage of this beautiful fall weather that we have been having. I…read morerecalled doing this hike a number of years ago and enjoyed it, so decided to give it another try. The parking lot was not the biggest, but there seemed to be many spots on the street. Fortunately we were able to find a spot in the lot though. It is dog friendly, so we brought our little guy too. Since the my younger son is only 7 we decided to do the hike (blue trail) to Tripod rock and back, which is about 3 miles. It does have some incline, but didn't receive any complaints about this from the fam. Also there are a bunch of stones on the hiking path, so be careful not to trip. The trail is marked well (apart from one point towards the tripod rock where it splits) so we were able to get to our destination fairly easily. It wasn't too crowded, which was nice.

Pyramid Mountain (Boonton) - Tripod Rock Blue trail - Difficulty: 4/10, Length: 3.4 Miles (2…read morehours), Payoff 7/10 (Cool rock & light view spots), Would Recommend

Fishing and hunting can be done at this wildlife management area. The terrain is very rugged be…read morewell prepared if you plan on using these state lands. It is not a state park and different rules might apply then what applies for state parks. Make sure you review wildlife management area regulations, which can be found online. The area is heavily patrolled by Conservation Officers, aka "Game Wardens".

Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area is 4,000 acre wooded reserve. There are three note worthy…read moreareas of interest. The 1rst area can be accessed by taking 80 west and exiting at #37, Green Pond road. Stay right on Green Pond Road for 2.8 miles until you see the sign for Lower Hibernia Road. At Lower Hibernia Road make a right then a quick left into the gravel parking area. The trailhead is at the far end of the parking lot. Take the White trail and make the third left to get to the bat hibernaculum. This is the largest of it's kind in New Jersey. Formerly an iron ore mine in the late 1800's and early 1900's, the tunnel is over a 1,000 feet into the mountain. The downward shaft is 2,000 feet deep and once had 26 levels. Today, it is the home of hundreds of brown bats. The 2nd attractions is the cemetery on top of the mountain. It is the site of the 1850's mining community. There was once a school, two saloons, a hotel, mining housing, a cemetery and Roman Catholic church at this site. Today only the cemetery headstones and and some foundations are visible. At one time about 760 miners and their families lived here. The cemetery has interesting headstones dating back to 1852. Many of the headstones have Eastern European names, as mining jobs were promoted in this area of Europe during the 1800's. After exploring this part of the Wildlife Management Area get back onto Green Pond Road by making a right and travel another 3.6 miles until you see a sign for Upper Hibernia Road which will be on your right. Make a right and stay on Upper Hibernia Road for 2+ miles until it ends in a gravel parking lot. Walk right at the parking lot until you see a gravel road on your left. The road is a little steep at times. After walking about a mile, you will be at the top of the mountain. A short trail on your right will take you to the Hawk Eastern flyway observation area. Here 16 different types of hawks migrate April/May and Sept/Nov from Nova Scotia to South America. Bring binoculars and/or a telescope. The hawks ride the thermals which can be as high as 5,000 feet. Additionally there is a beaver dam, splitrock reservoir, and numerous hiking trails.

This was a wonderful spot for a walk on a brisk and sunny winter day!…read more I've always heard great things about the Reservation and have been dying to visit. It's safe to say that I'll be back, especially when temps are on the up. The entire walk around the lake takes around 30 minutes. It's a very popular walk and on a sunny day there were a ton of people out and about. There are plenty of benches along the way and there is also a large sitting area with adirondack chairs. There is a really nice playground and when my daughter is a little older I think she'll really enjoy it. You can also rent a paddleboat in the summer. The Reservation is around the corner from the Zoo and a large outdoor ropes course. I like how there is so much to do in one area -- you can come for a really action packed day or just take a quick stroll to get some fresh air.

A nice area for hiking/walking that has some wide paths and not so overgrown. There are plenty of…read moretrails to diverge from. Hemlock Falls seems to be a draw and is very nice to relax around but can get a little crowded. Because there are multiple parking lots with easy accessibility, there's a bit of trash and broken glass here and there which is unfortunate. There were quite a few hikers, trail runners and dogs but it never felt claustrophobic. The hikes aren't that difficult but there are quite a few rocks and protruding tree roots. Montclair is less than 10 minutes if you want a bite to eat afterwards.

Great path with a combination of paved and gravel paths to accommodate all needs for bikers l,…read morewalkers and runners. It's a very well maintained path with street markings and mileage on most intersections. Along the path there's benches to enjoy the outdoors, along with restrooms and ball fields. Plenty of parking!

For what it's worth, this review specifically pertains to a rainy winter hike - I can't comment on…read moremost of the park amenities near the playgrounds, playing fields, etc. And I'm also willing to acknowledge that I likely would have felt more favorably disposed toward this park if we had been there in better weather that didn't give off massive Pacific NW vibes. The dreary conditions were not the park's fault. Loantaka was the site of the annual first of the year hike with a group of noble chums. Interestingly, there was a rival "official" hike being held at the same time by the Boy Scouts of America - their social media announcements (complete with map) ahead of time were very helpful in locating a decent parking area for my compatriots. I don't think I have the ability on Yelp to review the BSA, but their scoutmaster was a gem and several of my chums purchased commemorative pins for the event at their little kiosk. Also, my dad was an Eagle Scout and can start a bonfire in about 30 seconds, so that's something. For the purposes of our adventure, we ended up walking 3.13 miles (assuming an Apple watch was correct, which I'm always dubious about), an out-and-back from the parking lot off Loantaka Way to Kitchell Lake just across the aptly named Kitchell Road. The parking lot was easy to access with plenty of spaces, though it was a bit more crowded by the time we were done. It was very pleasing to see several port-a-potties nearby, and I can report from firsthand experience that they were relatively clean, though the toilet seat in mine was wet and required my first squatting situation of 2022. I could breathe comfortably though, so I think you take that compromise if you can get it. The trails are very well maintained - we were exclusively on paved ones, though it looked like there were a few dirt paths that went off them as well, all of which looked tidy and drama-free. That said, it would have been nice if there were more markers/signage giving us a better idea of where we were. It would be difficult to get authentically lost in this area (I imagine it would take roughly 15 minutes to accidentally stumble across a county highway), but it would have been helpful for our orientation. This year's hike featured an Honorary Young Pup of 6, who was able to handle the adventure with aplomb (and enjoyed spotting the metal tags on the trees). There were also many pooches on the premises, and virtually all seemed to be doodle mixes of some sort - very little variety in this area of Jersey, apparently. If you're looking for decent photo ops, this is not where I'd go; this is a park that I'd use exclusively for very mild cardio/fresh air. There are a few streams on the journey, but nothing to write home about. The pond was pleasant enough, with abundant waterfowl in the distance, but it's hard to get whipped up about scenery that looks like it's straight out of Taylor Swift's Folklore album photo shoot.

Located by W. William St. in the town of Lincoln Park, this park is a little gem. Coming here on a…read moreweekday early morning is one of the best times to visit, no trash, not too much noise and you pretty much have the park all to yourself. Just like today! It's right by the residential area so it may get somewhat crowded during summer as expected with parks of course. It has a playground (obviously), a basketball area, an ample fenced yard for the doggies and a ground for a few sport im guessing for baseball and soccer? Im not entirely sure. But anyway i like it here, a good place for some peace and quiet sometimes when you have the place solo. Lots of trees for shade too. And the best part is the swinging bench!

Tucked away in the Burnham Park neighborhood, Jones Woods is a heavily-wooded park that features…read morefour short and well-blazed trails, meandering streams and springs, and an 8-acre earth-dammed reservoir that dates back to the 1870s as part of the Morris Aqueduct System that supplied water to Morristown. There are several relatively short, easy-to-moderate trails in the park -- including the 1/3-mile long yellow-blazed trail that circles the top of earthen reservoir and the 1-mile red/blue-blazed trails that explore the southern and eastern perimeter of the property. The trails are well-maintained and wooden walkways are strategically placed over streams, but the landscape is also dotted with the legacy of years of neglect by local residents and use by the water utility. We observed a lot of man-made materials strewn alongside the trails, including construction debris, furniture, and an old lawnmower; two large steel water tanks and equipment that provide water to Morristown residents and businesses are in the center of the park. Most visitors access the park via the gate and gravel path at the top of the Burnham Park green strip between East Lake Blvd and West Lake Blvd, where Hillcrest Avenue meets Fairmount Avenue. There is no designated parking area, but there is plenty of street parking available.