Watchung Reservation

The Watchung Reservation, in Union County, is one of our favorite places to hike.  It has trails ranging from a half-mile to 10 miles, plus other amenities like horse trails, canoeing/kayaking, fishing, and a nature and science center contained within its 2,000+ acres.



For a map of the park, visit the Union County Parks website here.

On a recent visit, we took the History Trail northeast from Glenside Drive and hiked around Lake Surprise.

Lake Surprise

We hiked for approximately 2 1/2 miles.  The trails here are generally well-maintained, but some of them can get rocky, so watch your footing.  One of the reasons I love the Reservation is because there is so much to see.  Markers along the trails point out the locations of historic sites.  According to the Union County Parks website, "The stops along the History Trail recall features from the early years of the Watchung Reservation, or describe uses of the land before it was incorporated into the park."