Nice place for a walk. Mostly level ground so it's good for all ages & health conditions. Lots of picnic benches for parties. And decent bathrooms... that's ALWAYS a plus! read more

See all

There are 2 grounds here and I'm reviewing ground 2 , which is closer to the parking . Ground 1 is good . We had some U17 matches there and it's good. Ground 2 is a bit wierd . There is a tree right before the mid wicket boundary .... Everytime someone hits there and hits the tree, you have to run and score . It's not considered a six ! Nice and big parking !! Overall a good ground but ground 2 is a bit wierd ! read more

See all

JACKSON: NJ has the nickname "The Garden State" and we can see why with all the beautiful parks around! We love taking a stroll and Brie loves sniffing around and getting exercise. Johnson Memorial Park has a multipurpose path to walk around for under a mile with views of soccer fields. Also, the Jackson Dog Park is on the same property. read more

Johnson Park - Parks Near Me - Piscataway, New Jersey

I hosted a beagle meetup and loved the pack walk with everyone that day. There wasn't a dog or human not smiling that day at Johnson Park. We were all ecstatic to meet our fellow beagle friends and couldn't been happier. The parking was free and it was very convenient from the main road and the highway. The walking paths had shades and good flat pavement perfect for humans and wonderfully manicured grass for our beagles. It's always nice visiting anywhere that's considered dog friendly in New Jersey. I never see any leftover dog droppings anywhere. I also appreciated how polite other people were during our pack walk. Strangers actually asked prior to petting or approaching our beagles. Not many thinks of doing that and it was great when our group had anxious rescue dogs. I'm looking forward to revising Johnson Park in the future again. read more

See all

One of the better parks for many functions. I love biking here. Minimum car and a smooth ride. Summer time this is a great place to have young kids parties. You have to reserve the area you like on some sections. Other's are first come first use. Lots of fields for soccer, baseball and softball. The petting zoo has few different animals for the kids to feed. You can come and just sit and enjoy the weather and it is truly peaceful. The walking is about 5.0 miles end to end and back. Biking it twice makes for a great ride. This is a regular place for me to visit especially early morning. read more

Johnson Park is one of those pretty parks along the Raritan River. There is always recreation there, regardless of whether it is sport, picnic, running, walking, or dog walking. Parking is plentiful and the park is open from dawn to dusk, so there is always ample time to enjoy the day there. It is also easily accessible for Rutgers students when they want a change of pace from the hectic New Brunswick madness. Overall it is a beautiful park and should be enjoyed by all. read more

In addition to the zoo that other Yelpers are so fixatedly smitten with, Johnson Park is also ideal for long stretches of running or bicycling because of its tremendous length. Pedestrians have their own walkways but runners often choose to share the road with vehicles. Drivers should anticipate a few speed bumps. The scenery is very green and the noise level is minimal, even with the traffic from River Road and Rt. 18 so closeby. Exercise stations (many of which are also Pokestops) dot the pedestrian path in the western half of the park. If you keep heading west in the park after a certain point, around where the High Point Stadium is, the road turns into a one-way single lane, and the only way to leave the park by car is to take this one-way road to Hoes Lane. Depending on what direction you plan on going when you leave, I'd recommend parking in one of the lots by the picnic areas in the eastern part of the park (closer to 18), or park in the lot by the East Jersey Olde Towne Village on the far west side of the park. read more

See all

Great park right on River Drive. It winds along the river offering great paths with a view of the water. I go here mostly for the small zoo featuring goats pigs, horses etc. My daughter loves it and there is a playground right there with picnic tables. The perfect summer day. read more

Pleasantly surprised by this large park/zoo near the water. I've never heard of Johnson Park until a friend told me about it and I'm glad we drove down. There's a surprising number of different animals for a relatively unknown zoo. You'll find deer, bunnies, peacocks, pigs, llamas, doves, raccoons, and more. There are also playgrounds, bathrooms, and numerous picnic tables. A lot of space to bike/run/walk and a lot of areas with shade too. Nice place to spend a summer day! read more

See all

This is nice as a park! This is probably not my favorite park though. Donaldson Park in Highland Park probably would be! This park is not the cleanest I would say! There were animal feces at certain points of the park, which was a little bit gross! The park though has a lot of space to walk around, and it's pretty easy to find your way around! I don't quite like that it's next to such a busy road, but it's not that big of a deal! The park is also near a river which is also quite nice! There's also good space for animals to run around! It overall is a good park, just don't go in the feces area! LOL! read more

Having grown up in the area, Johnson Park is one of my favorite places in town, and my family and I have a lot of good memories here. It's my go-to place of retreat when I just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of work and people. It's expansive and I'm a big fan of the tow path, which is situated between the river and canal and provides a peaceful ambience for running. It conveniently provides a trail with places to work out and you'll always see locals out for a jog or walk with friends, family members, or pets. It had lots of playgrounds spread across the park for kids and families to hold outdoor parties and bbqs too. I'm not a huge fan of the petting zoo but that's because I personally have a vendetta against animals being held in captivity. One time my friends and I were casually feeding the animals and the fox was noticeably depressed, which just made me sad. That aside, it's a beautiful place, a wonderful green space with lots of "secret spots" to dig out and retreat to on good days. The sunset also looks fantastic from the Landing Lane bridge. Overall I really love this place- it's a gem in town. read more

Johnson Park - Tow path - Parks Near Me - Piscataway, New Jersey

A fairly nice park. This time of year the trees are bare and the pond is frozen. There's something beautiful about this. read more

Johnson Park - Parks Near Me - Piscataway, New Jersey

Months ago I saw a disturbed looking raccoon in a cage at the zoo/animal haven in Johnson park in Piscataway nj. Yesterday, I returned and saw him or her again. The first time, the behavior had been repetitive climbing up and down the top area of the cage. Today it was circular repetitive pacing. I don't think this raccoon should remain in this environment. He or she is not happy and, if healthy enough, should be released, or if not, should be placed in a larger natural habitat. It is tragic to see a creature live his or her life in suffering like that. read more

Johnson Park - Parks Near Me - Piscataway, New Jersey

Absolutely love this park. Had a nice time walking around enjoying the view. Love seeing the view of the animals also. Most definitely will return several times. read more

See all

Beautiful and relaxing park. It is located next to the raritan river and is very quiet. Great place to read or do work

I love this place. It's a hidden gem and in these pandemic times, it was easy for people to walk around, see the animals, and keep their distance. It really was a ray of light and snippet of normalcy, so thank you for being open. The only thing that I didn't like seeing was a bunch of people feeding the animals, with no staff member in sight. I doubt these animals are supposed to be fed by patrons. I saw different people feeding the animals carrots and strawberries. While those may be okay for some of the animals, I'm sure they're already fed by whoever tends to them and the extra feeding might be harmful. Please put up signs and have someone there to enforce this. Thank you! read more

This area in the lowland so temps lower with a breeze. Dress warm except during summer. A nice place to take a stroll,excercise, look at trees, and avoid canadian geese byproduct when they travel during that certain time of the year hehe. read more

Johnson Park - Trail - Parks Near Me - Piscataway, New Jersey

I saw a picture of an animal, a white animal, a horse maybe, with water up to its neck today. Other animals wading through muddy water. Upset me greatly. Hope somebody did something after these photos were taken. They all looked frightened. I know it was an exceptional day but hope they all are ok tonight. read more

I love this park because of the little zoo they have and it has great view of the raritan water front. read more

Johnson Park - Parks Near Me - Piscataway, New Jersey

See all

The 'zoo' in Johnson Park was very sad. No workers or supervision anywhere as I could see. People throwing anything they want into the small cages from dog biscuits to old bread. This zoo feels like a prison for animals. All the animals look sad and depressed. I wouldn't be surprised if they caught these animals off the side of the road. I'm going to look into this more as well as call them and animal welfare organizations if need be. Please don't take your children here and teach them its not ok to abuse animals. read more

I live 2 blocks away from here and drive by here on a regular basis. I never had an issue with this place until today. It's in the negatives and all the animals are still outside and not enclosed in a warm area. As I drove by they were all huddled together by a shed for warmth, They should not be left out like that on day especially like today. I understand that they are able to withstand some of the elements but this is ANIMAL CRUELTY. The ground is frozen with ice and snow, their water is frozen, and they are freezing to death. read more

There's animals enclosed off, so it's like a little zoo too. On Sunday, there's a building with bathrooms you can purchase ice-cream and animal feed. Peacocks, doves, deer, alpacas, and goats. For some reason, a raccoon too. Poor raccoon was pacing back and forth trapped in his cage. Ample parking, lots of playground things for kids. Long paths up and down the river, bike only routes. A small deck that overlooks the river overflow. A few pokestops (6is?), and a gym. Spread apart. read more

See all

Johnson Park has 8 tennis courts, located at the intersection of River Rd. and Rose Dr., that are in decent to good shape with some minor cracking on several courts. Tennis courts do NOT require reservations and are available on a first come / first served basis. However, anyone who wishes to use the tennis courts in the evening to play under the lights, after 7:00 pm (and until 10:00 pm) must be in possession of a tennis court permit pass that can be obtained at the Department's Administration Office. Tennis light season is from May 1 to October 31. Usually the permit passes are not checked but if all the courts are full and someone complains, a ranger is usually summoned to come down to the courts to ask to see if every individual who is playing, has a permit. If not, they will ask you to leave, usually meaning that 95% of the people at the courts have to leave. If you don't want to be interrupted, you can obtain a pass at http://www.co.middlesex.nj.us/parksrecreation/tennis.asp which cost $25/resident adult ($50/non-resident adult). Students and seniors can get a discount for $15/resident or $30/non-resident. Despite having to leave the court some evenings, whenever I visit my friends in the neighborhood, I love coming down to play here as there are not too many tennis courts that are lighted during the night. read more

It is a nice park. Plenty of parking. My son loves the animal exhibit.

This park convieiently located close to the heart of NB lies on the western side of the mighty Raritan river. Animals in cages a nice enough variety to keep the kids wanting more. Multiple playground swing sets & climby things. BBQ pits galore. Bike & jogging paved & off road trails. Several open fields. Tennis courts all over. . A great way to spend a lunch break, date:, afternoon, or swing by to observe at any time. read more

This is a very nice park straddling the Piscataway-Highland Park border. You're on the Raritan River and New Brunswick is across from you.If you go by the river ,look for the cormorants. You will often see a reasonably large variety of ducks and geese .The zoo is fun . Yes I feed them , especially the goats.Yes it's fun and I don't think the animals are being abused. Actually cruelty to animals is an appalling sight.Seeing it wherever animals are kept more or less as farm animals is neurotic. read more

I love bringing my kids to Johnson's Park, it's especially good for the younger kids. My son thinks we are at an honest to goodness zoo when we visit, which is a huge plus for me being it's local and free. My kids love "feeding" the animals, which is more like throwing animal feed through fencing wire and obviously not petting zoo caliber animal feeding. The playgrounds are average, but there is tons of room for the kids to run around and throw a ball or play tag and to have a large picnic or barbecue. It's also a great park for bicycling, walking or jogging. They have an area called East Jersey Olde Towne with historical houses and buildings transplanted from all over NJ. They give free tours of the buildings at different times throughout the week, definitely a great piece of NJ history if you are visiting the park. Even if the tours aren't running at the time you are there, it is still worth walking around and checking out the exteriors of the buildings and peeking in the windows. My 9 year old got a huge kick out of seeing a building that George Washington once stayed in. A warning though: The bathrooms at Johnson's Park are not for the faint of heart! If you are squeamish use the facilities before you leave your house and lay off the liquids while you are visiting! read more

I love coming here! There's so many animals you could be here for hours. It's fun feeding all the animals and just walking around. It's set up very nicely and the animals seem to be well taken care of and in proper habitats. I also bring my dog here, who loves all the animals and her long walks around this place. If you keep walking across the road/path past the animals you then come to a track on the perimeter of a body of water (river, lake, pond, I don't know lol). It's all very scenic and a great place to just relax and walk around. In the spring and summer there's usually people picnicking here and there's a playground right across the parking lot. There's so much to do here for any age. Lovely place to go to. read more

My favorite park around this area ! Grilling areas (need a permit) , a small lake (some people fish in) , tennis courts , fields for games and of course the animals ! Most people bring apples or celery and feed the goats and horses. The tennis courts do get busy, just a heads up! Especially in the late afternoon once the sun starts setting. read more

I really enjoy this park, it is really convient for me and my dog. I always ride my bike down there and there are big paths and there are a lot of places to go. You can ride right into the heart of Main Street Highland Park or you can do farther down River Road by Route 18. There is a "petting zoo" but you can't really pet them, there are 2 fences blocking some of the animals and others only one. You can feed them, which is really cool. I haven't really seen any caretakers when I'm there but I know people do take care of them because there is a barn farther away. There are a lot of picnic tables and places to grill, playgrounds for kids to play on. Baseball/softball fields. It's a nice place, the Raritan river is right there, not the cleanest but it is what it is. Donaldson Park is a little farther away but when I just want to walk around, I like this park. read more

Johnson Park was a staple for me during my undergraduate days (and beyond actually), and thus I have numerous fond (as well as some strange) memories. This is definitely a solid spot to get some running in whether you limit your run to the park boundaries or incorporate the park into a larger running route (especially if coming off the D+R Canal). In fact, the HipHop 5K is a wonderful race held annually in the park. Running through the park offers a taste of nature and some good views of the breathtaking (I'm not being sarcastic) Raritan River. Just be sure to avoid the hissing geese (especially in the spring after their baby geese have just been born) and frequent floods of the Raritan following rainfall. If you're not into running, you can also utilize the park paths to bike, walk, or rollerblade. Yes, some people still rollerblade.... Aside from the running path, there are also a few baseball fields, picnic groves, tennis courts, and playgrounds. There is also an "animal haven" that houses the likes of wolves, foxes, deer, ferrets, and ducks. Ok, I know that the animals aren't kept in the best of conditions and there seems to be little upkeep of the area, but the animals always seemed healthy and happy to me (in my novice opinion) and I always enjoyed visiting them. Should you desire a bit of history, there is also the "East Jersey Olde Towne" village at one end of the park where old school buildings have been maintained and recreated in the olden fashion. You can walk through the grounds and buildings at certain times of the day, and also indulge in guided tours as well. Yes, Johnson Park offers more than meets the eye and yes, you should check it out. read more

I agree with Jason P. on the 3 stars.. Playground is average, but feeding the animals is the best part of this park. concession stand is right by animals. I reviewed it with my kids and included 8 pics, too lazy to post them here so see link. If you want to find out more of what we thought, find out more on nj playgrounds site listed on my profile (had to remove link because of Yelp Terms of Service) read more

Nice little riverfront park, it would feel downright tranquil if it were not for the highway bridge next to it.. there is some really cool graffiti under the bridge by the river.. read more

Big fan of Bruce the Donkey @ the Johnson Park Zoo - he loves apples if you visit Dali the llama - not such a big fan... read more

Huge park. Lots of parking and place to bbq and just have fun. The best part is that they have a mini zoo here with lots of animals. The best part is they're free! read more

Came here to start part of the D&R trail (over the bridge and across the bed of rocks to cross the stream). Very enjoyable trail. Long and straight, so a little boring, but you always have water on both sides to keep the tranquility. read more

My husband and I had the pleasure of taking our children out to this beautiful park. The park was awesome. They have a mini petting zoo and a food stand if you like to snack. While riding looking for the petting zoo part of the park, we noticed people barbecuing. They have grills posted all throughout the park, which I found to be very convenient. I also noticed that kid parks and bathrooms were located throughout the park near the grills as well. Disposing of garbage looks easy with no fuss. The park is HUGE. They also have an area to fish. This park is perfect for my family. I love to cook, my younger kids love parks and my older son and husband love to fish. The best part, ALL FREE FREE FREE. Gotta love that. I recommend this park for families to have a good time together read more

See all

I didn't expect the animals but they make a nice touch to this park. Very nice well maintained park. Enjoyed the walk and peacefulness. read more

See all

Decent park. A lot of tennis courts, most in good shape two have a decent size crack tho. The have a bike path and a running sort of military style path. There are various checkpoints and tasks, pull ups etc. The petting zoo is really cool for kids. My only beef with this park is you have to watch out for geese poops. Shit everywhere. Some homeless guys live under the bridge too so ladies don't jog that way at night. read more

A nice park that borders the river. There are plenty of places to picnic. I have gone there to play soccer games and the fields are not of good quality. I think that may need to improve their lawn care and field rotation. read more