Photo: Jared Kofsky · CC BY-SA 3.012% of Morristown’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. 3.8 miles of mapped trail cross Morristown, 1.3 per square mile of land. 12% of Morristown’s land is conserved, about 226 acres.
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #170 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Morristown?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Morristown have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Morristown is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #170 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 Morristown’s 12% is ahead of 52% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 76% 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
The longest trail network is Burnham Park, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Washington's Headquarters
Fort Nonsense
All 12 parks & preserves
226 conserved acres
12% of Morristown’s land. Who manages Morristown’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speedwell Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Morristown National Historical Park Historic or Cultural Area | National Park Service | 38 | Restricted |
| Pocahontas Lake Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Burnham Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Foote's Pond Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Lidgerwood Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Abbett Avenue Playground Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Historic Speedwell Local Other or Unknown | County | 8 | Open |
| Passaic River Coalition Unknown Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 6 | Open |
| Traction Line Recreation Trail Local Recreation Area | County | 4 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
21 places to go in Morristown
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 14 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
2 named trails and 5 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.
17 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 27 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
5 more on the History page.
The best walking months in Morristown: 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 | 50 | 62 | 72 | 81 | 85 | 84 | 76 | 65 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.8 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Morristown →
Questions about parks and trails in Morristown
Where can I hike in Morristown?
The longest trail networks: Burnham Park, 0.5 miles; Washington's Headquarters, 0.4 miles; Morristown Green, 0.4 miles; Fort Nonsense, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Morristown is conserved land?
12% 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 Morristown’s trails?
Burnham Park and Washington's Headquarters don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Morristown?
1.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of off-road paths and 0.6 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: 9/11 National Memorial Trail (New Jersey thru route).
Is there public land near Morristown?
45,075 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Morristown or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 249 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Morristown have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #170 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 Morristown 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 →