Morris Plains Station · Photo: Robert Mortell · CC BY-SA 3.08% of Morris Plains’ 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. 8% of Morris Plains’ land is conserved, about 135 acres. 1.6 miles of mapped trail cross Morris Plains, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #203 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Morris Plains?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Morris Plains have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Morris Plains is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #203 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Morris Plains’ 8% is ahead of 39% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 46% 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.
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Morris Plains Memorial Park
Robert's Garden
All 5 parks & preserves
135 conserved acres
8% of Morris Plains’ land. Who manages Morris Plains’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 13 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Morris Plains Borough Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Morris Plains Borough Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Briarcliff Openspace Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Moutain Way Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Watnong Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Simon Memorial Field Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Morris Plains Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Veterans Field Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Roberts Garden Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 4 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
6 places to go in Morris Plains
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
2 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
0.4 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.
1 place 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.
The best walking months in Morris Plains: 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 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 41 | 49 | 62 | 72 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 53 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Morris Plains →
Morris Plains 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morris Plains | 8% | 0.6 | 22 | 99%+ | A |
| Parsippany-Troy Hills Township | 25% | 1.8 | 67 | 99% | A+ |
| Morris Township | 13% | 1.5 | 87 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Hanover Township | 13% | 0.6 | 61 | 99%+ | A |
| Cedar Knolls | — 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 Morris Plains
Where can I hike in Morris Plains?
The longest trail networks: Morris Plains Memorial Park, 0.1 miles; Robert's Garden, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Morris Plains is conserved land?
8% 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 Morris Plains’ trails?
Community Park and Simon's Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Morris Plains?
0.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Morris Plains?
51,509 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Morris Plains or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 138 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Morris Plains have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #203 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 Morris Plains 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 →