So beautiful. The trails are poorly marked and there aren't any maps really. But it's worth it…read more Just leave plenty of time. Lots of variety

A quiet preserve with a nice, paved path on slight grade. There are more paths through the woods…read moreand alongside the river that runs through the glen. Watch out for coyotes and bears! It's nice to see a refuge like this, and great spot for easy access to a little bit of nature when you need to kick back and dangle your feet in a cool stream..

This is one of my favorite local hikes. Its not too far of a drive if you are coming from Bergen…read moreCounty like myself. Upon arrival there is a pretty decent size lot with a good amount of parking. I have never had an issue finding a spot. The hikes are pretty calm with nothing being too strenuous. But you can still get a good hike in. There is a huge lake, a waterfall, some old foundations, a few old tanks, and a dam. So there is a lot to see here. There is even one point where you can see what appears to be an old jeep off one of the trails. This is a good hike if you want to get a good walk in without it being to tough. There is also plenty to see throughout the hikes.

This is our first hike that we took in NJ and although we did not see any bears (thankfully!!) - my…read morehusband did pull out a huge dog tick which was making its way into my skin!! This was absolutely my nightmare come true and I am partially to blame for because I did not spray an insect repellant. I also did not wear clothing that covered my stomach (it was hot!). Anyways, apart from that little scare, it was a beautiful hike. There are a few different trails (based on difficulty) which are detailed on a billboard at the entrance. There are a ton of squirrels and chipmunks running around...like A TON! So don't get scared and think it's a bear. The Butler Reservoir is a beautiful scenery and you can take some awesome pictures! Also, the trail itself is pretty rocky. TIPS: *Wear good hiking shoes, there are some steep/slippery areas and it's rocky most of the way. *Spray insect repellant, inspect your exposed skin for ticks AND take a shower right after you get home. Remove the tick very slowly to prevent the head from breaking off. *If you see a bear - DO NOT RUN! Scream and make yourself appear bigger/more scary by waving hands. *Take a lot of beautiful pictures! *Plan and follow the trail. The trail is available on google maps if you ever get lost and there are color coded markings on the trees throughout the hike. And most importantly - HAVE FUN!

This is an amazing hike! It's almost all shaded and once you climb the rocks, straight up on blue,…read moreit's quite an easy hike. Guys we hiked blue to purple to blue to orange (which comes back to blue and the parking lot) and it took 2 hours and 3 miles. We met people who thought the whole thing took 45 minutes and had the water to go with that. This is an intermediate hike and you really need the water, as well as trail map or at least pic of trail map, to make it happily. We met so many lost people on the trail. It's not marked as well as you think. Also we took the pup who thought lake at first sight, meant jump. Pro tip; keep them out of the lake. It's full of stagnant water and stinking mud. Your nose will thank me. Instead enjoy the bubbly creek crossing before and after the hike.

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.

Just an anonymous little rest area on state route 23 northbound sidw with some picnic tables and a…read morenice view across the higgway of a lake and mountain , and plenty of parking. to the right is forest. a tranquil spot, if it were not for all the traffic on busy route 23...

Our pup loves taking walks at the Tourne! They have multiple paths so the chances of running into…read morelots of people and other dogs are very slim, which is great for us as he's still in training and is reactive.

This location is an absolutely lovely spot to go for a hike. My SO and I got to explore the park on…read morea quiet Monday morning, there weren't many people around. The trails were clearly marked and very clean, making our trek enjoyable. We hiked to the top of Tourne, enjoying the fresh air and views. We also got to explore the Emily K. Hammond Wildflower Trail, which was a nice detour from the normal trails. We'll be returning once the flowers are expected to bloom so we can learn more about the species on the trail.

Beautiful garden to spent an hour exploring. I tested out my new camera here and it didn't…read moredisappoint.

Beautiful park to see fall colors in October or the prettiest flowers in the spring. There are…read moremultiple parking lots so plenty of parking. The website has an interactive map if you get lost. I walked around the whole park in about an hour, it's not too big. Leashed dogs are allowed!

I visited this trail for the first time and was actually quite surprised at how good of a hike it…read morewas. I haven't heard much about it so I didn't expect much. Upon arrival there is a small parking lot, with a kiosk and the usual map of the trails. I used primarily the red and yellow trails to reach the top of the mountain. The view is nice, with a little bit of obstruction due to the trees. On a clear day you can easily see New York City. At the top of the mountain there is also a star with lights on it that I believe was donated. In addition to this, there is a large rock with the American flag painted on it. These are two little interesting things to see in addition to the view. The hike itself was fairly easy, with one steep section before reaching the top. I would say it is definitely a good hike if you live nearby and want to go for a hike without taking a longer drive. The one negative, is that in some areas the trails are not properly marked and can be a little confusing. This doesn't seem to be too big of an issue because it seems they all end meeting back together at some point.

In high school we used to have keg parties on top of the mountain. In college fraternities and…read moresororities would have events in these woods too. You can follow the trails or there's other ways up the mountain. You can ride your mountain to the top of the mountain or through to the Franklin lakes preserve but there's a lot of area where trees are down or there is too much water. There's a great view and plenty of space once you get to the top of the mountain. You can find "buttermilk falls" by the North Haledon entrance to the college.

This is a great club to join. Awesome place for families, meeting new friends, lots of outdoor…read moreactivities year round in a woodsy setting. LOVE IT!!!

4.5 stars I recently…read morerevisited the Deer Lake Club with friends who are members, and I had a lovely afternoon. We drove up and down through winding suburban roads and almost drove right past the entrance to the club, as the sign was just a small red deer on a post. We drove down the dirt path and arrived at the gate, where a young student needed to check us in. For some reason he was having a tough time locating our names on the guest list, but eventually was able to allow us to enter. There were two parking lots that were essentially full, but we were able to catch someone as they were leaving for the day. We grabbed our bags and headed over to the small beach area, where there was a section blocked off for shallow swimming with a lifeguard present. They even allowed rafts and floaties in that part of the lake. Beyond the designated swimming area was a beautiful, massive lake where they were having a race that afternoon and where people typically enjoyed boating. There was a pier for fishing, as well. Food was not allowed on the beach, but there were plenty of picnic tables and Adirondack chairs scattered across grassy areas that were reserved for that purpose. In fact, though they had a snack bar with ice cream, grilled foods, and snacks, they even allowed people to bring their own meals. In addition, my friends told me that they had been able to secure a locker for this summer, after an extended period of being on the waitlist. By having on-site storage, they were able to keep all of their chairs, floats, umbrellas, etc. only a few steps from the beach, rather than needing to drag everything home full of sand and to track down a place to keep it all. Lastly, I learned that the lake had various events, like movie nights. Deer Lake Club really seemed to care about its members with its slew of amenities. Plus, it was just a very peaceful and pristine place to relax during warmer months.

Did a hike today starting from Mary Roth Drive and ending near Lake Riconda Drive. It was four…read moremiles, had some climbs but wasn't too strenuous, and had a few great views. A nice way to spend a day, in the forest.

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.

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".