South Mountain Reservation

South Mountain Reservation At A Glance...

• At 2,110 acres it is the largest park in the Essex County system.
• The landscape was designed by the Olmsted firm - the same practice behind Central Park.
• It lies between the first and second ridges of the Watchung Mountains, which is what gives it real elevation change this close to Newark.
• It spans parts of Maplewood, Millburn and West Orange and borders South Orange, so four towns can each claim it.
• Todays Sunrise: 6:52 am,   Sunset: 6:40 pm  
• New Jersey Gateway Region Essex County

• Activities:

  • Equestrian / Horseback
  • Fishing
  • Hiking
  • Jogging / Running
  • Skiing / Snowboarding
  • Walking

  Amenities:

  • Dog Park / Dog Area
  • Picnic / Sitting Area
  • Benches
  • Picnic tables
  • Monument

  Trails:

  • Rugged / Rocky
  • Natural Surface (Dirt/Roots/Rocks)

  Park Type:

  • County Parks
  • Dog Park
  • Park (General)
  • Recreation
  • Scenic Areas (overlooks/waterfalls)

Contact / Location

Trail & Path Info

The Reservation offers around 50 miles of trails and carriage roads - enough that it is worth carrying a map rather than improvising.

The carriage roads are the wide, graded routes, and Essex County describes them as suited to jogging, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. They are the easier going and the better choice with a stroller or a mixed-ability group.

The hiking trails are a different proposition - wooded, rocky in places, with real elevation change as you move between the two Watchung ridges. Hemlock Falls is the best-known target and the reason most people come - a dramatic 25-foot waterfall tucked into the gorge. The ground near the water is the part to take slowly, particularly after rain.

Things to See & Do

Washington Rock Lookout is the historic overlook, and the Scenic Overlook is the view most people come up for.

The dog park is a genuine destination in its own right - Essex County runs it as a named facility with its own posted rules, rather than as an informal off-leash corner.

The Wildflower Sculpture Park and the Girl Scout camp are the two things people do not expect to find here. There is also fishing, a wildlife refuge area, and the South Mountain Recreation Complex on the edge of the reservation, which is where the Turtle Back Zoo, the arena and the treetop course sit.

Picnic areas are scattered through the park rather than concentrated in one spot.

Parking

There are multiple entrances and lots around a park this size - OpenStreetMap alone maps more than thirty parking areas inside the boundary - so the practical advice is to pick your lot by what you came for rather than heading for a single main entrance.

The South Orange Avenue and Cherry Lane area is the address Essex County publishes for the reservation as a whole.

Check the county's page before setting out: they post lot closures there, and at least one lot has been closed for construction in recent memory.

Though this location is managed by the Essex County Parks department, the South Mountain Conservancy is dedicated to preserve, protect, and enhance the South Mountain Reservation through active stewardship, advocacy, and education.

Groups Associated to South Mountain Reservation

• Essex County Parks

Here are 10 places near South Mountain Reservation