Park · New Jersey
Watchung Reservation
Watchung Reservation is a park in New Jersey, at a modelled elevation of 114 m. Mount Arlington stands 371 m to the northwest, 21 miles off. The nearest named place is Evergreen Picnic Area, a picnic site 0.1 miles away. Millstone Valley Scenic Byway passes 16 miles off.
What to expect
How to reach it
Coordinates40.68495, -74.37626
- 16.5 mi off the Millstone Valley Scenic Byway, National
- 24.5 mi off the Palisades Scenic Byway, National
- 25.6 mi off the Warren Heritage Scenic Byway
- 28.1 mi off the Bronx River Parkway
Named places within 25 miles
Historic sites
- Lake Surprise Bathhouse (#12): 0.1 mi
- Badgley House (#13): 0.1 mi
- Lake Surprise Boathouse (#11): 0.2 mi
- Girl Scout Cabin (#10): 0.4 mi
- Feltville Mill Site (#3): 0.8 mi
Museums
- Trailside Nature and Science Center: 0.2 mi
- Deacon Andrew Hetfield House: 1.3 mi
- Miller-Cory House Museum: 2.1 mi
- New Providence Historical Society: 2.2 mi
- Littel-Lord Farmstead: 2.9 mi
Parks
- Neighborhood Triangle: 1.3 mi
- Lions Municipal Park: 1.5 mi
- Lions Park: 1.6 mi
- Brightwood Park: 1.6 mi
- Soldiers Memorial Field: 1.7 mi
Artworks
- Color Field Sculpture: 1.9 mi
- Virgin Mary Statue: 1.9 mi
- Louie: 2.4 mi
- Curate: 4.6 mi
- Tenth Muse Gallery: 6.1 mi
Nature reserves
- Hidden Valley Park: 2.3 mi
- Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center: 3.6 mi
- Fanwood Nature Center: 3.6 mi
- Fenske Property (Chatham Twp Open Space): 4.7 mi
- Ash Brook Reservation: 5.1 mi
Gardens
- Reeves-Reed Arboretum: 3.2 mi
- Habitat: 3.8 mi
- Tamaques Garden: 4.0 mi
- Millburn Community Garden: 4.4 mi
- Greenwood Gardens: 5.5 mi
Peaks
- Long Hill: 3.4 mi
- Nook Hill: 5.0 mi
- Mayapple Hill: 7.6 mi
- Riker Hill: 9.1 mi
- Mount Kemble: 9.5 mi
Attractions
- African Adventure: 7.5 mi
- Amazing Asia: 7.6 mi
- Australian Outback: 7.6 mi
- Prairie Dog: 7.6 mi
- Animal Ambassadors: 7.6 mi
Beaches: 46
- Flamingo: 7.6 mi
- Island Beach: 14.5 mi
- Robinsons Beach: 14.7 mi
- Krogh Beach: 14.8 mi
- Birchwood Lake Beach: 15.0 mi
Picnic sites: 35
- Evergreen Picnic Area: 0.1 mi
- Oak Grove Picnic Area: 0.3 mi
- Sky Top Picnic Area: 1.3 mi
- The Park: 7.9 mi
- Linden Airport mini-park: 8.5 mi
Waterfalls: 14
- Seele: 1.9 mi
- Hemlock Falls: 6.4 mi
- Hobble Falls: 6.5 mi
- Buttermilk Falls: 11.7 mi
- Buttermilk Falls: 15.1 mi
Cliffs: 11
- Hawk Hill: 5.3 mi
- little daddy Maginot: 14.9 mi
- Maginot Mountain: 15.0 mi
- Wooden Bridge: 15.1 mi
- Big Ma Maginot Drop: 15.1 mi
Rest areas: 6
- Harding Truck Rest Area: 8.9 mi
- Thomas Edison Service Area: 10.5 mi
- Grover Cleveland Service Area: 10.6 mi
- Larry Doby Service Area: 14.9 mi
- Cushetunk Rest Area: 19.7 mi
Ghost towns: 4
- Feltville Historic District: 0.6 mi
- Barber: 12.3 mi
- Raritan Landing: 12.7 mi
- New City Village: 23.2 mi
Lighthouses: 3
- LeFrak Point Lighthouse: 18.3 mi
- Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters: 25.0 mi
- Sandy Hook Lighthouse: 25.0 mi
Springs: 2
- Tulip Springs: 6.6 mi
- Boiling Spring: 15.6 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 21.0 miles of Watchung Reservation. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Arlington | NW 321° | 371 m | 20.7 mi |
| Mount Freedom | NW 316° | 341 m | 15.0 mi |
| Fugawe Ridge | N 353° | 335 m | 19.9 mi |
| Calais Mountain | NW 311° | 334 m | 14.6 mi |
| Watnong Mountain | NNW 332° | 295.7 m | 12.9 mi |
| Seward Hill | WNW 294° | 289 m | 17.2 mi |
| Stony Brook Mountains | N 359° | 289 m | 19.9 mi |
| Rock Pear Mountain | N 357° | 289 m | 19.9 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:02 | 18:34 | 19:10 |
| June solstice | 05:27 | 19:51 | 20:33 |
| September equinox | 06:46 | 18:20 | 18:57 |
| December solstice | 07:19 | 15:50 | 16:34 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 33 | 35 | 42 | 53 | 62 | 72 | 77 | 75 | 68 | 56 | 46 | 38 |
| Precip in | 3.7 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Cranford, 3 mi away.
- American wintergreen200 obs
- common mugwort192 obs
- wineberry184 obs
- multiflora rose175 obs
- American beech168 obs
- Christmas fern150 obs
- garlic mustard148 obs
- Monarch147 obs
Research-grade iNaturalist community observations within 3 km — what people have recorded, not a species inventory.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element way/1332522330
Day trips start here
- Scotch Plains · 2 mi
- Chatham · 4 mi
- Summit · 4 mi
- Clark · 5 mi
- Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge · 5 mi
- Short Hills · 5 mi
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