Eagle Rock Reservation At A Glance...
- Lookout Point looks straight out at the New York City skyline.
- The Essex County 9/11 Memorial faces the skyline where the towers once stood.
- Hike a piece of the Lenape Trail, which links 18 parks across Essex County.
- The 1911 stone shelter on the crest is now the Highlawn Pavilion restaurant.
- Todays Sunrise: , Sunset:
- New Jersey Gateway Region Essex County
About Eagle Rock Reservation
Eagle Rock Reservation is a 408.33-acre tract of wooded land in the central section of Essex County, on the crest of Watchung's First Mountain where West Orange, Montclair and Verona meet. The mountain got its name in the early 19th century, when bald eagles were said to nest in the rocky cliffs on the eastern edge. The reservation is primarily undeveloped and laced with bridle paths and hiking trails that are friendly for hikers of all ages, though some of the woods can be boggy.
The main entrance on Eagle Rock Avenue opens onto a large green, the Essex County 9/11 Memorial and Lookout Point, which gives a spectacular view of the New York City skyline. The memorial was dedicated in 2002. A segment of the Lenape Trail, which links 18 parks and 11 towns across Essex County, follows yellow blazes along the eastern edge of the park.
The 1911 stone shelter on the crest, a row of open arches once called the casino, is now the Highlawn Pavilion restaurant.
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Activities:
- Equestrian / Horseback
- Hiking
- Mountain Bike
- Walking
Amenities:- Parking Lot(s)
- Monument
- Restaurant On Premises
Trails:- Rugged / Rocky
Park Type:- County Parks
- Historic Area
- Veterans / Memorial
- Scenic Areas (overlooks/waterfalls)
Contact / Location
A Brief History
The first land for the reservation was bought in 1895, and the whole tract was assembled by 1907. Frederick Law Olmsted drew a preliminary design, which the Olmsted firm developed further in the early 1900s.
Eagle Rock was already a famous weekend spot. Picnickers came from New York by trolley, changing in Newark and again for the Orange line, and in 1894 a trolley line opened to the foot of Eagle Rock Avenue. The grade was too steep to run the tracks to the top, so riders climbed the last hundred feet up a zigzag path cut into the side of the cliff. Car enthusiasts of the day raced up the cobblestone roadway of Eagle Rock Avenue to finish in the park.
The open masonry shelter with its series of arches was built on the crest in 1911. It was called the casino, in the Italian sense of a country summer house. After years of vandalism it was slated for demolition, and turning it into the Highlawn Pavilion restaurant is what saved it.
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Related Groups / Organizations
Below are a few groups that we have connected to Eagle Rock Reservation. If we are missing any, please let us know
Nearby Places
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens and Van Vleck House and Gardens are just down the hill in Montclair, Mills Reservation is a short drive north in Cedar Grove, and the Turtle Back Zoo is also in West Orange.
Here are 10 places near Eagle Rock Reservation
- Eagle Rock Reservation (~0 miles)
- Van Vleck House and Gardens (~1 miles)
- Edison National Historic Site, Glenmont Estate (~2 miles)
- Essex County Rose Garden (~2 miles)
- Thomas Edison National Historical Park (~2 miles)
- Anderson Park (~3 miles)
- Montclair Hawk Lookout (~3 miles)
- Brookdale Park (~3 miles)
- Presby Memorial Iris Gardens (~3 miles)
- Mills Reservation County Park (~3 miles)
- Turtle Back Zoo (~4 miles)
- Becker Park (~4 miles)
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West Orange, New Jersey 07052