South Mountain Reservation
South Mountain Reservation is a beautiful and expansive park offering a serene and nature-filled environment with a variety of trails ranging from easy walks to moderate hikes. It features a dog park, picnic areas, public restrooms, barbecue grills, and is wheelchair accessible. The park includes scenic spots like Hemlock Falls, a reservoir with turtles and ducks, fishing areas, and family-friendly amenities including a jungle gym and nearby zoo. Parking is available onsite, making it a great spot for dog walks, trail runs, and family outings.
Reviews
What’s my best friend and my son, I went on a short hike for about 45 minutes. We just wanted to enjoy the rest of a beautiful day in the winter. The air was clean, and the trails were cleaner. All of the paths were clearly marked. I have no complaints. It was exactly what I had intended to do.
I’ve been to SMR with my ex gf many times and it’s just beautiful. Hemlock falls is where we had always taken a minute to sit down and enjoy some quality time with nature but where are so many trails you can go on that you could spend a whole day and not see it all.
Definitely recommend going. Some incline during the hike in places but for the most part its an easy hike.
If you’re not up for the hike you can always just take a walk around the reservoir and see turtles, ducks and sometimes a crane fishing…and speaking of fishing, there are many places you can fish in it as well as rent paddle boats. There is a pretty cool jungle gym if you have kids and when you’re done, there is a Mcloons Boathouse restaurant not far from the jungle gym and entrance to walk the reservoir with beautiful views of it. Nice fire pit outside the venue but plenty of room inside as well.
If you’re into MORE animals, the Essex County zoo is adjacent and accessible from the reservoir.
A beautiful and expansive park with a wide variety of trails, ranging from easy walks to more moderate hikes. Hemlock Falls is a must-see, and there are plenty of picnic areas, streams, and wooded paths. Great for trail runs, dog walks, and weekend getaways into nature.
So pretty! And although there was a good size crowd there, it was still serene. The statues were a nice touch. And there is a nice sized doggy park.
A very quite nice and beautiful place. we did the yellow trail, the trail markers are painted instead of stickers , and hence washed out at many places, so need to be little careful or one can get lost and get out of loop. We had a perfect weather and the hike was easy.