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."

Echo Lake Park

Echo Lake Park is located just off Route 22 in Mountainside, Union County, New Jersey.



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

This park is great for a Sunday morning stroll.  There is a main paved path that traverses the whole length of the park.

Echo Lake Park has a lot of fun amenities - a dog park, playground, picnic tables, and a boat house where you can rent pedal boats.  Fishing is also a popular activity here.  Across Mountain Avenue, you can take advantage of a fitness trail.