G. Thomas Donch Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
105 acres2 mi of trail
Preserve Shoreline LoopIsland Bridges TrailAccesible TrailAccessible Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Lithium6ion · Public domainA−Outdoors
Outdoors in Franklin Lakes
Franklin Lakes has 593 acres of parks, 54 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: G. Thomas Donch Nature Preserve (2 mi), Old Mill Woodlands (1.3 mi), Parsons Pond Park (1.3 mi). 7.3 miles of mapped trail cross Franklin Lakes, 0.8 per square mile of land. 9% of Franklin Lakes’ land is conserved, about 526 acres.
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns · #249 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
526 acres · of 9.4 sq mi of land
Trails
7.3 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
593 ac
54 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
74%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
15
What kind of outdoors town is Franklin Lakes?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Franklin Lakes have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Franklin Lakes is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns, #249 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Franklin Lakes’ overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land54 acres of park per 1,000 residents (593 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home74% 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 84%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 47%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Franklin Lakes’ 9% is ahead of 41% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 55% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 G. Thomas Donch Nature Preserve, with 2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Old Mill Woodlands
Nature preserve
172 acres1.3 mi of trail
Blue TrailRed TrailYellow TrailWhite Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Parsons Pond Park
Managed by Franklin Lakes
64 acres1.3 mi of trail
Yellow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lorrimer Sanctuary
Managed by New Jersey Audubon
14 acres0.5 mi of trail
Woodland TrailLucy's TrailButterfly Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Campgaw Mountain Reservation
Managed by Bergen County Department of Parks
70 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 8 parks & preserves
G. Thomas Donch Nature Preserve105 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Mill Woodlands172 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsParsons Pond Park64 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Franklin Lakes
DirectionsLorrimer Sanctuary14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · New Jersey Audubon
DirectionsCampgaw Mountain Reservation70 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Bergen County Department of Parks
Franklin Swamp62 acres · Franklin Lakes Borough
DirectionsHigh Mountain Park Preserve8 acres · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsFiremens Field5 acres
Who protects it
526 conserved acres
9% of Franklin Lakes’ land. Who manages Franklin Lakes’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city397 ac
County120 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits15 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)6 ac
Local Recreation Area · 283 acLocal Other or Unknown · 167 acLocal Conservation Area · 31 acLocal Resource Management Area · 24 acAgricultural Easement · 19 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 7 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 22 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Lakes Nature Preserve Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 120 | Open |
| Saddle Ridge Horseback Riding Area Local Recreation Area | County | 94 | Open |
| Franklin Swamp Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 62 | Open |
| Pulis Avenue Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 48 | Open |
| Municipal Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Franklin Lakes Borough Wooded Lot Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| McBride Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Municipal Park Tennis Facility Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Lorrimer Sanctuary Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 14 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
9 places to go in Franklin Lakes
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Franklin Lakes
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Franklin Lakes
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Franklin Lakes
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Franklin Lakes
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
11 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.2 mi
Preserve Shoreline Loop1.3 mi
Yellow Trail1.0 mi
Blue Trail0.8 mi
Island Bridges Trail0.4 mi
Woodland Trail0.2 mi
Red Trail0.2 mi
Accesible Trail0.1 mi
Lucy's Trail0.1 mi
Accessible Trail0.1 mi
White Trail0.1 mi
1 more trails
Butterfly Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
15Tennis
9Baseball
3Soccer
3Basketball
2Football
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Reaction Motors Rocket Test FacilityBuilding · listed 1979
About itAckerman-Boyd HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itAlbert Pulis HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itDe Gray HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itPacker HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itVan Houten HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itVan Houten-Ackerman HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itWinters-Courter HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itAaron Winters HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itStorms HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itVan Blarcom HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itVan Koert-Winters HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Franklin Lakes: 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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 41 | 49 | 62 | 72 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Franklin Lakes →
Next door
Franklin Lakes and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Mahwah Township76 miWayne Township31 miOakland24 miFranklin Lakes7.3 miPines Lake2.9 miWyckoff Township2.7 miNorth Haledon2.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Lakes | 9% | 0.8 | 54 | 74% | A− |
| Mahwah Township | 46% | 3.0 | 264 | 83% | A+ |
| Oakland | 17% | 2.8 | 67 | 68% | A |
| Wyckoff Township | 4% | 0.4 | 9 | 82% | B |
| Wayne Township | 16% | 1.3 | 23 | 98% | A |
| North Haledon | 11% | 0.8 | 11 | 93% | A− |
| Pines Lake | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Franklin Lakes
Where can I hike in Franklin Lakes?
The longest trail networks: G. Thomas Donch Nature Preserve, 2 miles; Old Mill Woodlands, 1.3 miles; Parsons Pond Park, 1.3 miles; Lorrimer Sanctuary, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Franklin Lakes is conserved land?
9% 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 Franklin Lakes’ trails?
G. Thomas Donch Nature Preserve and Old Mill Woodlands don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Franklin Lakes?
61,563 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Franklin Lakes or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 593 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Franklin Lakes have?
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #249 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 Franklin Lakes 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 →