Elizabeth D. Kay Environmental Center
Managed by Morris County
1,188 acres8.5 mi of trail
Patriots' PathGreen TrailPatriots' Path (Blue)Green / Orange Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Chester Township
44% of Chester Township’s land is conserved: 8,184 acres
6,695 acres are parks and preserves, 864 per 1,000 residents. 41 miles of mapped trail cross Chester Township, 1.4 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Elizabeth D. Kay Environmental Center (8.5 mi), Tiger Brook Park (3.9 mi), Evans Family Preserve (2.8 mi).
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #37 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
44%
8,184 acres · of 29.1 sq mi of land
Trails
41 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,695 ac
864 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
85%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.0 mi
4.0 mi paths
Highest peak
942 ft
Pleasant Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
What kind of outdoors town is Chester Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Chester Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Chester Township is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #37 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Chester Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land44% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (41 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land864 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,695 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home85% of residents within a half mile of a park · NJ 98% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 92%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Chester Township’s 44% is ahead of 95% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 79% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Elizabeth D. Kay Environmental Center, with 8.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Tiger Brook Park
Managed by Chester Township
285 acres3.9 mi of trail
Red TrailGreen TrailWhite TrailYellow Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Tiger Brook Parking
Evans Family Preserve
Nature preserve
106 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
MacGregor Preserve
Managed by Chester Township
158 acres2.5 mi of trail
Blue TrailYellow TrailBlue Trail / Yellow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mount Paul Memorial Park
Managed by Morris County
275 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Highlands Ridge Park
Managed by Chester Township
113 acres1.4 mi of trail
Patriots' Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hacklebarney State Park
Nature preserve
709 acres1.2 mi of trail
Riverside TrailWintershine Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Sportsman's Parking Lot 4
Tanners Brook Preserve
Nature preserve
74 acres1.1 mi of trail
Patriots' Path
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 12 parks & preserves
Elizabeth D. Kay Environmental Center1,188 acres · 8.5 mi of trail · Morris County
DirectionsTiger Brook Park285 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · Chester Township
DirectionsEvans Family Preserve106 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMacGregor Preserve158 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Chester Township
DirectionsMount Paul Memorial Park275 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Morris County
DirectionsHighlands Ridge Park113 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Chester Township
DirectionsHacklebarney State Park709 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsTanners Brook Preserve74 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Parker Road Preserve45 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Chester Township
DirectionsMount Paul Preserve41 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Schiff Natural Lands Trust
DirectionsBurnett Brook Natural Area14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSeward Hill Preserve5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Chester Borough
Who protects it
8,184 conserved acres
44% of Chester Township’s land. Who manages Chester Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife3,027 ac
County2,753 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government1,527 ac
Town or city1,320 ac
State natural resources474 ac
Other state land270 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)253 ac
Agricultural Easement · 3,439 acState Conservation Area · 3,027 acState Park · 993 acLocal Other or Unknown · 730 acLocal Park · 727 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,681 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 22 of 130 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black River Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 3,027 | Open |
| Hacklebarney State Park State Park | Not recorded | 993 | Open |
| Black River Park Local Resource Management Area | County | 891 | Open |
| Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center Local Historic or Cultural Area | County | 587 | Open |
| Tiger Brook Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 289 | Open |
| Willowwood Arboretum Local Historic or Cultural Area | County | 178 | Open |
| Chester Township Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 170 | Open |
| Black River Greenway Local Park | Town or city | 151 | Open |
| Chubb Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 143 | Open |
| Chester Township Athletic Facility Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 102 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
8 places to go in Chester Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Chester Township
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Chester Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Chester Township
Pleasant Hill942 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Hill850 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Paul804 ft elevation · In Mount Paul Memorial Park
DirectionsCampgrounds in Chester Township
1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
13 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.8 miUnpaved · 12.2 mi
Patriots' Path9.9 mi
Patriots' Path (Blue)4.2 mi
Blue Trail1.8 mi
Red Trail1.6 mi
Green Trail1.3 mi
Patriots' Path (White)1.0 mi
Riverside Trail1.0 mi
Yellow Trail0.6 mi
White Trail0.6 mi
Patriots' Path (Red)0.3 mi
3 more trails
Wintershine Trail
0.3 miGreen / Orange Trail
0.1 miorange
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.0 mi
off-road bike paths
9/11 National Memorial Trail (New Jersey thru route)Bike route
5.1 miCourts & fields
10Baseball
5Soccer
4Tennis
2Pickleball
2Basketball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Chester Township: April to 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 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 3.7 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.0 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Chester Township →
Next door
Chester Township and its neighbors
Chester Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Mount Olive Township82 miChester Township41 miWashington Township41 miMendham Township41 miRandolph Township25 miTewksbury Township23 miBedminster Township18 miSuccasunna4.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Township | 44% | 1.4 | 864 | 85% | A+ |
| Randolph Township | 21% | 1.2 | 96 | 99% | A+ |
| Washington Township | 29% | 0.9 | 163 | 80% | A |
| Mendham Township | 28% | 2.3 | 404 | 94% | A+ |
| Succasunna | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mount Olive Township | 31% | 2.8 | 229 | 99% | A+ |
| Bedminster Township | 27% | 0.7 | 212 | 92% | 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 Chester Township
Where can I hike in Chester Township?
The longest trail networks: Elizabeth D. Kay Environmental Center, 8.5 miles; Tiger Brook Park, 3.9 miles; Evans Family Preserve, 2.8 miles; MacGregor Preserve, 2.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Chester Township is conserved land?
44% 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.
Are dogs allowed on Chester Township’s trails?
Elizabeth D. Kay Environmental Center and Tiger Brook Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Chester Township?
4.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.0 of off-road paths. Named routes: 9/11 National Memorial Trail (New Jersey thru route).
Is there public land near Chester Township?
69,549 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Chester Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,695 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Chester Township have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #37 of 468 in New Jersey. 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 Chester Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
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 →