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.

Followed the gps and it told me to park on the side of the road but there was a sign that said you…read morecouldn't park there. I played it safe and looped around the park and noticed that there's actually a parking lot located on Loantaka Way. First time I came here was in the Spring of 2018 and by the summer I noticed they installed bikes now. You'll have to download the app and follow the instructions to unlock it. Nice clean well maintained park. What I love most about this place is that it's shaded!!!! Given the summer heat, this is the perfect place to take a stroll.

This small gem of a park is perfect for a dog walk, observing birds and turtles from the dock, or…read morejust a quiet lunch on a bench by the dam. I've seen people fishing but have no idea what they catch! The path goes all the way around the pond, perfectly smooth and level, ok for someone in a wheelchair. There's no parking lot, but you can leave a car on the street without much trouble. You can also enter the park from Overlook Road. Very occasionally in winter the pond freezes and you can ice skate here!

Foote's pond is a pretty and quiet little pong located in morristown. There are nice trails to walk…read moreon and always little dicks swimming in the water. This pong is nice for a dog walk or stroll around. You can listen to nature and even relax on a bench around the water. I have fond memories of visiting the pong as a child when I attended the elementary school located next to the pong. There was also a small dock where we used to feed the ducks. Definitely check it out and enjoy some of the simpler things!

Starting to the right of the restroom building, we took the Grand Loop Trail (Yellow) to the Pink…read more(K) trail, jumped on White (W), Teal (H) and Pink (K) for a few minutes before ending up on the Falling Waters Trail (B). Saw the beautiful waterfalls during our 2+ mile hike. The trail is well marked and pretty easy however around the waterfalls it gets a fair bit rocky and more difficult. We did the hike with two kids, so it's overall not that hard.

A beautiful venue. One of my closest friends got married here this past weekend and it was…read moreabsolutely perfect! The staff were great in helping us with set-up and facilitating the events while the backdrop was everything a person could love for a fall setting. Something about the glowing golden leaves, the massive fireplace, and the all around good feelings made the place seem like Imladris, the House of Elrond from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." Highly recommend this place and the staff!

We were in the area so decided to try a hike here on a not too cold Winter day…read more The trails are wide and not difficult at all (no real inclines), so this is a great option with kids. It was fairly empty because of Winter. There's not too many interesting landmarks on the way, although you do pass rivers from time to time. The kids were entertained for the most part fortunately (we only hiked for an hour due to the temps, so I'm not sure how long the hike is). Dog friendly + they provide bags to dispose of the waste, which is really nice. Look forward to returning when the weather warms up.

Was there for a short time, but the park is big, green and clean, with playground and sport…read moreactivities to boost.

Hurd Park is a Scenic Park located in Dover which features a Veterans of War Memorial Honoring Site…read moreCommemorating and Cherishing Our National and Local Heroes who have payed the Ultimate Sacrifice for our Freedoms. Scenic walking trails and paths which wander throughout this Park lead to clusters of oak trees and cherry blossoms. This is a very popular destination for wedding photos on the bridge or gazebo as well as the entire Park. It's very rare not to see wedding parties taking pictures here especially on weekends. Local Ceremonies are also held at this Park which is the perfect backdrop for any engagement that Officials deem worthy of "Special" Town business.

What a beautiful park! This park is meant for exploring the beautiful scenery! This park is not…read moremeant for climbing on plastic toys. Parking is right up a small dirt road or in the back. My family and &I were waiting for the cherry blossom tress to be in full bloom & Hurd Park did not disappoint! Amazing trees and cute wooden bridges! We also loved the dedication to the army and military. There is a whole area dedicated to them and it is beautifully done. This just adds such a special meaning to the park. The park is very well taken care of. What a memorable place. This park also boast lots of scenery for great pictures for any occasion. My children had a great time running, exploring, reading about the soldiers and resting under the trees.

***3 1/2 stars*** I…read morewas a little surprised when I saw how low the average rating was for this place; typically parks and hiking trails tend to have inflated/positive reviews, mostly because the only people willing to write them love being outdoors. However, it's really hard to argue. This was probably by fifth time here yesterday, and I'm never blown away by the experience. The hike I do here is featured in njhiking.com (which is a massively strong recommend - great, detailed and varied hikes featured all over the site) as one of the most challenging hikes in the state. It's an 11.1-miler that starts out at the boat launch parking lot on Splitrock Road (and there is ALWAYS a port-a-potty there - strong selling point; very clean this time too), goes east for about half a mile to the white trail, cuts south mostly through the woods and occasionally alongside the reservoir, switches to the blue trail by the southern end, goes up Buck Mountain and then continues mostly north back up to the road and the boat launch. It's a nasty hike (rugged with constant up and down), but it's one I like to do as training prep when I'm about to do a crazy adventure somewhere in the country - if you can do this one pretty easily, you can literally do almost any hike that doesn't involve massive rock climbing or something. In my opinion at least (and I AM in excellent hiking shape right now, full disclosure) the most difficult or challenging part of this is just the mileage. The up and down isn't as extreme as, say, a hike up in Norvin Green where you're literally going up an incline for a solid 15 or 20 minutes multiple times. There's one quick scramble up the mountain that took less than five minutes, and maybe one or two other sharper inclines that were shorter in length than that. But cumulatively, you're going to feel it toward the end of the hike, even though that part is largely on a woods road. I tend to meander and not bulldoze ahead (journey not the destination), so this whole hike took me six hours and 38 minutes. Start early. The primary reason I'm always tepid about this one is that SO much of it is just in the woods with no viewpoints. I'm of the opinion that if you have sweat pouring off of you and sore hindpaws, you'd better have a few majestic vistas or something for the payoff. Aside from the obvious reservoir optics from time to time, there also aren't a lot of exciting natural features to get hot and bothered about. You really just have one view up on Buck Mountain, and for whatever reason, I always seem to be over here on a meh, mostly overcast day. And this is sort of a pro and a con, but this is not a popular hike. Yes, you're not contending with hoards of people and the ones you do are CLEARLY legit hikers - there's no one wearing Uggs asking if you have extra water - but it means the canine situation is pretty barebones. Obviously a personal issue that may not apply to other prospective adventurers. That said, the wildlife game is always pretty abundant and yesterday was no exception. There were tons of frogs/toads, and I saw at least two skinks yesterday (the corgis of reptiles). There were also quite a few representatives of the waterfowl family hanging out on the edges of the reservoir, including one or two swans. The snake game was nuts, and both took place toward the end on the blue trail with maybe a mile or two to go. First I encountered a garter snake who was very on edge and tried to lunge at me (which I just rolled my eyes at), but then a few minutes later I came within a foot of a long black racer snake that mimicked a rattlesnake with the intentional rattling of its tail, which I've NEVER seen before, and that was a bit jarring. But I continued on, no worse for wear. I always enjoy being able to eat an entire pizza guilt-free and chuckling at the temporary loss of water weight from this hike, but this isn't one that I enjoy all that much. It gets you in shape and doesn't have much in the way of other selling points unless you're really into snakes with low self-esteem.

Farney State Park is a 589 acre mature mixed hardwood forest in Northern New Jersey. Tall red,…read morewhite and black oak trees dominate the canopy, The park is a habitat for the red-shouldered hawk and barred owl both of which are endangered. Be aware that there are ticks, bears and copperhead and eastern rattle snakes in the area. The terrain is rocky and features streams, stone walls, dams, a bridge and Split Rock Reservoir. The reservoir is part of the Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area. The reservoir is open to kayaking which I do a great deal of since it is so close to where I live. You can also canoe or bring your boat, only electric motors though. There are two car=top launches on the the reservoir. No swimming is allowed and if a ranger sees your feet in the water, you will be reprimanded. Both use of alcohol, smoking or vaping is not permitted. There is a 13 mile loop around the reservoir with other shorter trails of varying difficulty. People come to Farney State to bird watch, fish (16+ need NJ license ), hunt in selected areas, ice fish, and hike. The Split Rock site was used as a production area during the Revolutionary War for producing iron. A furnace can still be seen if you take the trail down the road toward the bridge. It is down the slope by the overflow of the reservoir. There are trail maps on-line. Your phone GPS will work in this area as well. Signage is mixed in this State Park. The bridge crossing on the reservoir dam is one way but there is a red/green light system. ADMISSION IS FREE. Ten minutes from my home, it is my go to kayaking spot.

This is a really cute park! I do think that it's a great central location for the county and the…read morearea, because it's large enough to host many many events but also it's out of the way so it doesn't really get to a point where the streets are crowded or anything like that. I also really appreciate how much parking it has. It's well kept and a beautiful area. It is pretty hilly at certain points so I can't see it as a recommendation for like walking or running. But overall, I think it's a very nice area especially if you have kids. This is where I lost boarding events are held and a lot of community events as well.

Great place to bring the kids in a summer day. You have the park and splash pad all in one.read more

This is a beautiful little park. It's the perfect place for a quick stroll if you want to get a bit…read moreof fresh air. The space isn't huge, but it is very well maintained with fresh cut grass, lots of trees and pathways. During autumn there are some wonderful oak and Japanese maple trees, so I'd definitely suggest stopping by when foliage is at its peak. There is also a large map in the center of the park with a numbered guide to all of the trees. It was fun to learn about the wide variety of trees in the park. I haven't lived nearby during summer, so I'm excited to see everything in full bloom. I also think there is a summer concert series here, so that will be really nice. Oh, and this park is also adjacent to the town public library. Grab a book and read it in the park -- what could be better? Love having Roberts Garden so close to home!

This Historical Garden Wears Many Hats…read more One can not help but notice this large patch of green in the heart of the Morris Plains Community next to the Morris Plains Library. This park was once part of the Roberts estate and was donated to Morris Plains as a permanent green space. Roberts Garden normally serves as a sort of community Arboretum but it also plays host to a number of events in Morris Plains which as of now also includes 3 Poke Stops for Pokemon Go. In the summer Roberts Garden is the venue for the Concerts in the Park every Sunday in July from 6pm - 8pm. These concerts will feature local bands and bring out folks from the community. Music, lawn chairs, picnics, and kids playing through the grounds are a staple of these events. During Halloween it serves as the starting point of the Morris Plains children's trick-or-treating parade. This attracts families from Morris Plains and beyond which results in a sea of adorabeezle trick-or-treaters who will proceed to parade to Simons Park just a few blocks up Mountain Way under the careful watch of the Morris Plains PD. From Simons Park, the kids disperse throughout the surrounding communities for some good old fashioned trick-or-treating. The Morris Plains PD will continue to patrol around to ensure that trick-or-treaters and locals are staying safe while the event is on. My son loved the Halloween Parade so much that he wanted to do it every day for a few weeks after the event. During the snow season you can find young children and their families snow sledding behind the Morris Plains Library after a healthy snow. The hills here are big enough to be fun for smaller children to sled down, but small enough for concerned parents to feel safe about the situation. Try as I might, I could never get enough speed/momentum to get close to hitting one of the big trees at the bottom of the hill. If you come and check out the fun without a sled do not fear, the friendly people of Morris Plains will most likely offer to share some of theirs with you and your little one(s). There are no bathrooms here but that's not unexpected as this is not normally a place where you'll be coming to if you are farm from your (or a friend's) house. If the Morris Plains Library is open you can use the bathroom there. The true gift this park offers is the abundance of green grass, variety of trees, shade, and winding paths that let your stroll through the grounds.