Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area
Managed by Morris County
1,023 acres12.1 mi of trail
Yellow TrailBlue TrailKincaid TrailOrange Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Montville Township
23% of Montville Township’s land is conserved: 2,766 acres
2,736 acres are parks and preserves, 120 per 1,000 residents. 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 19 miles of mapped trail cross Montville Township, 1.0 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #60 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
23%
2,766 acres · of 18.6 sq mi of land
Trails
19 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,736 ac
120 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.1 mi
0.1 mi paths
Highest peak
928 ft
Pyramid Mountain
Lakes & rivers
6
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Montville Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Montville Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Montville Township is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #60 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Montville Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land23% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (19 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land120 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,736 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13AParks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · NJ 98% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 97%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 87%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Montville Township’s 23% is ahead of 76% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 65% 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 Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area, with 12.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Montville Township Open Space
Nature preserve
299 acres1.9 mi of trail
Red TrailYellow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Camp Dawson
Managed by Montville Township
91 acres1.1 mi of trail
Yellow TrailWhite Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hierwarter Wildacres Preserve
Managed by Montville Township
37 acres0.7 mi of trail
Boot's TrailMyrt's TrailPennqueechee Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 13 parks & preserves
Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area1,023 acres · 12.1 mi of trail · Morris County
DirectionsMontville Township Open Space299 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
Camp Dawson91 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Montville Township
DirectionsHierwarter Wildacres Preserve37 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Montville Township
DirectionsCamp Dawson Park24 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsJohn Street Neighborhood Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMasar Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGreat Piece Meadows Preserve229 acres · New Jersey Natural Lands Trust
Manchester Park5 acres
DirectionsBill Reilly Memorial Park4 acres
DirectionsEtta Konner3 acres
REC Soccer Field2 acres
DirectionsFletcher Park1 acres
Who protects it
2,766 conserved acres
23% of Montville Township’s land. Who manages Montville Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,545 ac
County450 ac
Other state land247 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government29 ac
State natural resources24 ac
State Department of Land10 ac
Joint9 ac
Local Conservation Area · 1,517 acLocal Park · 965 acLocal Other or Unknown · 870 acState Conservation Area · 247 acLocal Recreation Area · 112 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 45 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 65 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,047 | Open |
| unknown Local Park | Not recorded | 760 | Open |
| Montville Township Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 642 | Open |
| Pyramid Mountain Local Other or Unknown | County | 417 | Open |
| Great Piece Meadows Preserve State Conservation Area | Other state land | 247 | Open |
| Montville Township Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 174 | Open |
| Camp Dawson Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 112 | Open |
| Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 81 | Open |
| Starkey Park Local Park | Town or city | 48 | Open |
| Wild Acres Preserve Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 43 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
25 places to go in Montville Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Montville Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Montville Township
Manchester Park PlaygroundIn Manchester Park
DirectionsMasar Park PlaygroundIn Masar Park
DirectionsMontville Community Park Playground
DirectionsMontville Kiwanis PlaygroundIn Camp Dawson Park
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Montville Township
Montville Dog Park
DirectionsWaterfalls in Montville Township
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Montville Township
100 Steps OverlookIn Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area
DirectionsLake Valhalla OverlookIn Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area
DirectionsLucy's OverlookIn Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area
DirectionsMontville Basin OverlookIn Camp Dawson Park
DirectionsWildlife Viewing AreaIn Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Montville Township
Pyramid Mountain928 ft elevation · In Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area
DirectionsTurkey Mountain879 ft elevation · In Montville Township Open Space
DirectionsWaughaw Mountain863 ft elevation
DirectionsTowackhow Mountain430 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Montville Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
19 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 10.7 mi
Yellow Trail4.4 mi
Blue Trail2.2 mi
Kincaid Trail1.5 mi
Red Trail1.4 mi
Orange Trail1.2 mi
White Trail1.1 mi
Purple Dot Trail0.6 mi
Orange Dot Trail0.5 mi
Green Dot Trail0.4 mi
Red Dot Trail0.3 mi
9 more trails
Boot's Trail
0.3 miYellow Dot Trail
0.2 miMyrt's Trail
0.2 miBlue Dot Trail
0.2 miPennqueechee Trail
0.2 miUnblazed
0.2 miPurple Loop Trail
0.2 miToddler Trail
0.2 miPink Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
20Tennis
8Baseball
8Basketball
7Soccer
3Pickleball
3Beach volleyball
2Softball
2Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Doremus HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itJames Van Duyne Farm HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itDavenport-Demarest HouseBuilding · listed 1992
About itEffingham Low HouseBuilding · listed 1992
About itJohannes Parlaman HouseBuilding · listed 1992
About itMartin Van Duyne HouseBuilding · listed 1992
About itParsonage of the Montville Reformed Dutch ChurchBuilding · listed 1992
About itSimon Van Duyne HouseBuilding · listed 1992
About itVan Duyne-Jacobus HouseBuilding · listed 1992
About itMontville SchoolhouseBuilding · listed 2009
About itVreeland, Nicholas, OutkitchenBuilding · listed 2009
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Montville Township: 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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 42 | 50 | 62 | 73 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 77 | 65 | 54 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Montville Township →
Next door
Montville Township and its neighbors
Montville Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Parsippany-Troy Hills Township43 miMontville Township19 miBoonton Township14 miFairfield Township6.8 miEast Hanover Township6.8 miTowaco2.0 miPine Brook0.2 miLake Hiawatha0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montville Township | 23% | 1.0 | 120 | 97% | A+ |
| Pine Brook | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Fairfield Township | 35% | 0.7 | 288 | 97% | A+ |
| Parsippany-Troy Hills Township | 25% | 1.8 | 67 | 99% | A+ |
| Towaco | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lake Hiawatha | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| East Hanover Township | 20% | 0.9 | 92 | 88% | A |
| Boonton Township | 28% | 1.7 | 286 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Montville Township
Where can I hike in Montville Township?
The longest trail networks: Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area, 12.1 miles; Montville Township Open Space, 1.9 miles; Camp Dawson, 1.1 miles; Hierwarter Wildacres Preserve, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Montville Township is conserved land?
23% 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 Montville Township’s trails?
Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area and Montville Township Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Montville Township?
0.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Montville Township?
66,509 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Montville Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,759 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Montville Township have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #60 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 Montville 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 →