Was able to get a 2 mile walk in while on a business trip. The trail was easy to follow and you…read moreare able to do the trail in sneakers. Scenery was nice, walk was peaceful, got to see some wildlife. I would definitely walk this area again!!! There were also several people riding bikes on the trail.

New Jersey has a lot of excellent hiking spots. It's understandable that most of them are in pretty…read morerural areas with tons of room to roam/explore. So when I found out there was a 5.7-mile hike in the immediate vicinity of Bridgewater/Somerville, I was pretty skeptical. This is a pretty chaotic section of the state, with a lot of major highways interconnecting and a mall and heinous traffic circle thrown in for good measure - it's not the first or 100th place I'd think of for a hike. That remains the case. You can't force the design of a hike, and this is a clear example of a situation where you should have had, say, a mile's worth of trails and left it at that. My chum and I came here on Saturday to take advantage of the unseasonably warm early December weather. It was mostly cloudy throughout the hike, but the temperature steadily rose and the sun was largely out by the end. It had been raining pretty steadily the prior day so we were expecting and encountered a lot of mud and some mild rock hopping, but nothing egregious. Both of us opted for running shoes over hiking/trail shoes; it was a LITTLE rockier than I expected and in hindsight I would have gone with the latter for better support, but I didn't suffer any consequences for the decision. Our trek started at the entrance/parking lot off of Newmans Road (spacious, easy to spot with a pretty clean port-a-potty; there were drops on the seat but that's people being animals and not a reflection on the park) following the red trail running roughly parallel to the Washington Valley Reservoir before crossing Chimney Rock Road and heading up and down the orange trail in a quasi loop that runs alongside the East Branch Reservoir before another brief foray on a road (this one Gilbride Rd) and then doing another loop on the yellow trail that goes up to the Chimney Rock Outlook before circling back to Gilbride, at which point you basically complete the prior orange loop and then head back on the other side of the Washington Valley Reservoir to the parking lot. If that sounds overly complicated, you're right. There are two huge issues that mar this hike for me. One is that whoever designed the trails/blazes for this place had no idea what they were doing. Literally every possible trail and offshoot is painted with a blaze, always the same color as the "main" trail. As such, it's incredibly difficult to follow an official hiking itinerary because every fork in the trail has two choices with the same color blaze. Incredibly foolish and short-sighted. We had to VERY carefully stop each time, look at the map in our book AND double-check the GPS/map on the AllTrails app (which I hate doing) just to make sure we were on the right path. There's no reason to put a blaze on literally any walkable route like that; no idea what they were thinking. The other problem is what I alluded to earlier - this is a populated area with minimal room to hike so you end up by definition having to cross and briefly walk alongside busy roads. Chimney Rock was incredibly busy midday on Saturday, and cars were whizzing by us the entire time (the first section was probably about two minutes long, while the second was five minutes - believe me, it felt longer). I'm stunned people don't get hit there, especially since there's not a lot of room off to the side for pedestrians. If you're at the point where you're brainstorming a hiking trail and you can't avoid having the hikers come into contact with moving vehicles, that's probably a clue to scrap the plans. The big selling point of this hike is Chimney Rock, which was apparently a lookout point for George Washington during the Revolutionary War. That's all well and good, but for the money they spent to put up a protective fence and pave the trail here, they couldn't be bothered to maintain the actual rock, which is covered by broken beer bottle glass. And I'm sure General Washington had a much prettier view back in the day than we did; we were treated to the gorgeous scenery of the Stavola Bound Brook Quarry - crushed stones as far as the eye can see! The best part of the hike by far was the last section on the northern side of the Washington Valley Reservoir, and this is the part I'd actually preserve for walking, etc. It definitely helped that the sun was out at this point, but there was a cute bridge and a lot of bird activity. My chum is an avid birdwatcher and will likely be returning to this part with her camera. We also encountered a fallen tree (picture attached) that was taken down by a beaver. Very cool sighting. Head over to Watchung Reservation if you're in the area and want to commune with nature. You may hear the sounds of Route 78 but at least you won't be crossing that highway as part of your hike.

Beautiful park! Walking distance from the center of town…read more Bought lunch and ate in the picnic area. Enjoyed exploring the park! Love the art installation! Millburn Township's - All Together Now (a sculpture by Cooper Art Works LLC) Park features: Baseball / Softball Diamond Basketball Court Fitness Court Playground Pond Tennis Court Walking Path

I was impressed with Taylor Park. It has a lake, with a waterfall, tennis courts, children's…read moreplayground, the Baver Community Center, a rose garden, clean walkways, plenty of places to picnic, and right in the heart of Millburn. A stroll around the perimeter of the park is a perfect way to relax and enjoy every moment.

Update- Visited Brookdale Park Rose Garden in July' '26…read more Luckily, there were several beautiful remaining roses. The Rose garden continues to be beautifully maintained. Many of the roses still carried a wonderful fragrance, particularly the "Dark Desire Rose". (Think the name says it all!) In addition, the "Peachy Knockout and Cotton Candy Roses" were exquisite standouts in the garden. Thanks to Essex County Executive Joseph N.DiVincenzo and his staff for continuing to maintain this wonderful Rose garden for the public to enjoy.

Love this garden! It's my favorite picnic spot and it makes for some great photos. It has several…read morebenches and labels on most of the flowers. Definitely recommend checking it out!

What a cute little park It's well maintained and well…read morelandscaped Great place to walk your dog or just sit in the bench

One of the best parks in the northern NJ area for a family friendly walk. No through traffic while…read morein the park. The park has a basketball court, baseball field, bathrooms, and picnic tables. One of the best features is that there's a stream that runs through the park with a small waterfall at the end. Plenty of restaurants within a 5 minute walk of the park

This is a large size park I frequented as a kid and through now pretty well maintained. It is named…read moreafter Monte Irvin, who helped desegregate Baseball and served in WWII. There is a nice memorial statue at the front tip of the park. The park is a large sprawl which includes a basketball court, playground, baseball field and somewhat recently a soccer field. There is also a pond with fountains which I find nice especially since all the ducks haven't been run out by the geese yet. There is quite a bit of open field for picnics and just hanging out, complete with trees for shade. There is even a small sort of grotto area where wedding receptions used to be common. The park is often full of people using all of these areas and is a nice place to just hang out. Only problem is I think the parking lot on right side of the park should be utilized. It just looks barren as its closed off. Also more trash cans and benches can't hurt.

I grew up going here. It was very fun for me, my favorite part other than the park were the…read moreturtles. I would like to ask WHERE ARE THE TURTLES? I haven't seen them in so long. (Nvm the turtles are back I think)

Grove Park is one of my favorites in the Essex County vicinity. It's great for relaxing, people…read morewatching, exercising (jogging or walking), and there's always parking available within its four corners. The grounds are clean and manicured. Not much shade, but the trees are around for a little relief if the sun shines too brightly for you! Nestled right off of the bustling South Orange Avenue street.

Having grown up in the area this park is very nostalgic and familiar to me. It's changed a lot over…read morethe years and though it's on the small side it has a big things going for it. The playground is the obvious attraction for youngsters but there is huge open field space perfect for picnics, kite flying, Frisbee, playing catch and much more. Framing the open field is a walking path that wraps around at about a 1/2 a mile. probably most widely used part of the park for walkers or people passing through off the main road. It can get crowded, especially when people ride on it with their bikes. There are adequate benches around the park, trash receptacles and a water fountain which is nice. The park is regularly cared for and for it's size, is a nice little place to people watch or bring the little ones if you have any.

I've been familiar with this park ever since I was a kid, and its beauty never fades. Not until…read moreadulthood did I realize how humongous it is; the way it extends beyond what the eye can initially see. The park itself is as gigantic as its massive trees. And you can't forget the hype that abounds during the brief Cherry Blossoms season; the crowds come from near and far, just to witness its beauty. I remember when the skating rink was a coming attraction and newly built, I was a teenager. Branch Brook Park never loses its charm, no matter the season. It's a good open space for relaxing, people watching, exercising, or just simply being.

What's a better way to enjoy springtime than to visit a beautiful park full of cherry blossom…read moretrees where admission is free of charge. We drove all the way to Branch Brook on its last day of the annual cherry blossom festival. I could not agree more why people love visiting this park. It has the most number of cherry blossoms trees in comparison to popular NY botanical gardens. The entire park has blossom trees spread out and near its welcome center ( both ends), trees are lined up in multitudes. We made a wrong move of parking right away on the area that we saw multiple trees where in there's a good chance of getting parking spot near the Welcome center , here there are more trees to see. This park is huge. It has sport fields, man made lake, walking and running trails, picnic grounds and great views of historic landmarks. If I'll be given another chance to be in this area on next spring season , I would definitely come back.

This park at the heart of Morristown is one of the few surviving colonial-era greens in the state…read more Established as early as 1715, it served as a communal hub where townspeople grazed livestock, drew water from a shared well, and gathered for religious, political, and social events. During the Revolutionary War, it became a military parade ground--General George Washington even supervised drills from nearby Arnold's Tavern. What makes Morristown Green especially notable is its rarity. While many American cities were originally designed around central squares or commons, only a fraction have preserved them as active public parks. Think of Boston Common, New Haven Green, or Savannah's many squares--each a living remnant of colonial planning. But in New Jersey, only Morristown and Newark still retain their original greens in recognizable form. After stopping to visit Morris Frank and Buddy, we walked this square and enjoyed the pleasant space, the many statues and monuments and then a bench. And then back to the Sprinter for more driving. [Review 1051 of 2025 - 172 in New Jersey - 24605 overall]

Been to Morristown downtown many times, and it's always nice to see a park right in the middle of…read morethe city. It feels good to take a walk here while being surrounded by the bustle and hustle of downtown life. The last two visits were during Christmas, and this place truly shines during the holiday season. The festive lighting around the park adds a beautiful , feels like festive season, right! They usually have a carol section, but the Meet with Santa event is clearly the most popular--especially with families. The kids' train ride is another big hit and adds to the holiday excitement... There are also a couple of statues and memorials in the park, dedicated to history and local heritage, Overall, it's a great spot to relax, walk around, and soak in the holiday spirit--perfect for families, kids, or even a casual stroll while exploring downtown.