Gov. William Liberty Hall (Livingston House) · Photo: Dmadeo · CC BY-SA 4.010% of Union Township’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. 10% of Union Township’s land is conserved, about 597 acres. 3.5 miles of mapped trail cross Union Township, 0.4 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #275 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Union Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Union Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Union Township is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #275 of 468 in New Jersey. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Union Township’s 10% is ahead of 47% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 33% 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 Sichel Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 13 parks & preserves
597 conserved acres
10% of Union Township’s land. Who manages Union Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rahway River Parkway Local Other or Unknown | County | 127 | Open |
| Elizabeth River Park Local Park | County | 114 | Open |
| Galloping Hills Park Local Other or Unknown | County | 80 | Open |
| Union Co Local Park | County | 65 | Open |
| Lenape Park Local Park | County | 57 | Open |
| Kennedy Reservation Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 41 | Open |
| Joe Collins Park Reservation Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 41 | Open |
| Biertuempfel Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Kawameeh Park Local Other or Unknown | County | 23 | Open |
| Galloping Hill Reservation Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 20 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
9 places to go in Union Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
2 lakes & rivers
0.6 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.
4 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Union 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 43 | 51 | 63 | 73 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 66 | 55 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.8 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Union Township →
Union Township 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Township | 10% | 0.4 | 11 | 99%+ | A− |
| Hillside Township | 9% | 0.1 | 8 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Springfield Township | 16% | 1.3 | 30 | 98% | A+ |
| Kenilworth | 19% | 3.1 | 34 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Millburn Township | 29% | 3.6 | 78 | 91% | A+ |
| Elizabeth | 2% | 0.3 | 2 | 99%+ | B− |
| Maplewood Township | 22% | 4.4 | 21 | 98% | A+ |
| Irvington Township | 3% | 0.7 | 1 | 99%+ | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Union Township
Where can I hike in Union Township?
The longest trail networks: Sichel Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Union Township is conserved land?
10% 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 Union Township’s trails?
Sichel Park and Lightning Brook Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Union Township?
0.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Union Township?
36,398 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Union Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 643 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Union Township have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #275 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 Union Township 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 →