Address

Trailside Nature and Science Center, 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside, NJ 07092

County

Union County

Park System

Union County Parks Department

Activities

dog walking, fishing, hiking, historical activities, horseback riding, walking

Geo Coords

40.685064,-74.372635

Related Blog Posts

Read Posts

Watchung Reservation offers 13 miles of hiking along the valley and ridge of the lower Watchung Mountains and is located in Union County near the town of Mountainside and is easily accessible from RT 78 or RT 22.

Those out for a leisurely afternoon will find the trails along Lake Surprise and the Blue Brook to be calming and scenic. The historic abandoned village of Feltville is also a nice walk, particularly in the fall. If you want to get a few more miles in, explore deeper into the western park of the park for hiking over the basalt ridge line and through forests and pine groves. A look at a map is essential for exploring the park as there are a good number of parking areas and the trails—particularly near the nature trails and Trailside Nature Center—can loop back and overlap often.

Trailside Nature & Science Center

The staff at the Trailside Nature & Science Center manage the visitors center, interpretive nature trails, and events in the park.

Hike Descriptions

Trail Map available (pdf) for download from the Union County Parks web site.

Purchase Photographs

Photos of this park taken by Chris Casciano. Photographs from parks and trails around New Jersey can be purchased at New Jersey Landscape Photography by Chris Casciano. Buy a print to support this site and take home a memory of the trails.

Learn more about this park at these other sites:

• Trailside Nature & Science Center
• Wikipedia – Watchung Reservation
• Park Description at NYNJTC
• Watchung Reservation – a set on Flickr

Map & Location

View directions via the Trailside site or click on the map below for a link to Google Maps. or click on the map below for a link to Google Maps.

Guide Books Featuring This Park