Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.011% of Califon’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 74 acres are parks and preserves, 80 per 1,000 residents. 11% of Califon’s land is conserved, about 66 acres.
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Califon?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Califon have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Califon is ahead of 75% of U.S. towns. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Califon’s 11% is ahead of 49% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 3% of them.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
66 conserved acres
11% of Califon’s land. Who manages Califon’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 8 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 9 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Califon Borough Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| New Jersey Water Supply Authority Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Regional Water Districts | 16 | Open |
| unknown State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 15 | Open |
| Califon Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Columbia Trail Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 9 | Open |
| Califon Borough Athletic Facility Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Califon Borough Wooded Lot Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 1 | Open |
1 places to go in Califon
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 lakes & rivers
1.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Califon: April to June, August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 40 | 48 | 61 | 71 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.0 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Califon →
Califon and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Califon | 11% | under 0.1 | 80 | 99%+ | A− |
| Lebanon Township | 31% | 1.2 | 735 | 84% | A+ |
| Tewksbury Township | 21% | 0.7 | 300 | 77% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Califon
How much of Califon is conserved land?
11% of its land, against a typical 11% for a New Jersey town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Where can I bike in Califon?
1.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Califon?
41,250 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Califon or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 74 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Califon have?
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Califon neighbors.
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →