Basic Information
Link to AllTrails website for Watchung Reservation
Date of hike: 10/16/2021
Difficulty level: easy
Distance: 1.7 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 36 feet
Location: Union County, NJ
About Watchung Reservation
The Watchung Reservation is an over 2,000 acres and 6-mile history trail that is part of the Union County Parks System. Along the trail are various stops that describe how the land was used before being incorporated into the park. The stops include:
- The Trailside Nature & Science Center – includes a Visitor Center, Museum, and Planetarium
- Copper Mine – mine used to collect copper ore that was used by the Lenape tribe of Native Americans and later by the Colonial Army during Revolutionary War.
- Feltville Mill – factory that was powered by water to serve the printing business, Stationers Hall Press, owened by David Felt.
- Hermit’s Pond – spring-fed pond that supplied water to the guest house of Warren Ackerman’s summer resort, Glenside Park. A man known as the Hermit operated the steam-driven pump and steam laundry at the pond.
- Seeley’s Pond – pond created in order to provide power to a paper manufacturing company.
- Drake Farm House and Barn – was used to provide food for residents of Feltville and, later, for cattle grazing and recreational pursuits
- Deserted Village of Feltville/Glenside Park – Feltville was a town build by David Felt in 1845 to support the operation of the Feltville mill. The village was later converted to a summer resort, called Glenside Park, by Warren Ackerman
- Boy Scout Camporee Field – a camping site used by Boy Scouts until 1985.
- Corn Field – a field where corn grew.
- Lake Surprise – lake used as a secondary source to provide power for David Felt’s mill. It later served as a the resort lake of Glenside Park.
- Girls Scout Cabin – used by Girl Scouts until it was destroyed by a 1975 fire.
- Lake Surprise Bathhouse – bathhouse used for changing in and out of swimsuits by park visitors
- Badgley House – the residence, horse riding stable, and maintenance garage of the Badgleys
- Road from Westfield to New Providence – a former trail used by Lenape Indians, now a hiking or bridle trail.
Our Impressions
This was a mommy and kids trip that I went on with four of my girlfriends, six of our eight children, and one dog. It was a very easy hike, very child friendly. Unfortunately, children were very whiny so we did not do the full 6-mile history trail. We did enjoy the gorgeous lake and the cute furry caterpillar that we saw along the way.
