High Mountain Park Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
1,222 acres16.5 mi of trail
Bear TrailSummit TrailWoodland TrailPancake Hollow Trail+1
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Lithium6ion · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Wayne Township
16% of Wayne Township’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
31 miles of mapped trail cross Wayne Township, 1.3 per square mile of land. 16% of Wayne Township’s land is conserved, about 2,374 acres. The biggest trail networks: High Mountain Park Preserve (16.5 mi), Laurelwood Arboretum (2.4 mi), Wayne Area Park (1.4 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #132 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
16%
2,374 acres · of 23.7 sq mi of land
Trails
31 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,236 ac
23 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.3 mi
1.9 mi paths
Highest peak
853 ft
Beech Mountain
Lakes & rivers
19
8 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Wayne Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Wayne Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Wayne Township is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #132 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.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Wayne Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land16% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (31 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land23 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,236 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home98% 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 94%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 72%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Wayne Township’s 16% is ahead of 61% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 77% of them.
Water is 6% of Wayne Township’s area (1 of 25 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 15%.
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 High Mountain Park Preserve, with 16.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Laurelwood Arboretum
Park
29 acres2.4 mi of trail
Back 40Hickory HillLilac WalkHome Hill+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
North Cove Park
Park
25 acres0.5 mi of trail
Morris Canal Greenway
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Shai Shacknai Memorial Park
Park
31 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Two Sisters Wetland Preserve Property
Nature preserve
31 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Terhune Memorial Park at Sunnybank
Park
10 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 44 parks & preserves
High Mountain Park Preserve1,222 acres · 16.5 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsLaurelwood Arboretum29 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWayne Area Park37 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Cove Park25 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsShai Shacknai Memorial Park31 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Two Sisters Wetland Preserve Property31 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Terhune Memorial Park at Sunnybank10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPeninsula West4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAlps Road Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPompton Aquatic Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Passaic County
Peninsula East3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBarbour Pond Park17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEverett J. Faber Memorial Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Wayne Captain Michael Kilroy Memorial Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPeninsula Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBeverly Way Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Tall Oaks Park97 acres · Township of Wayne / Wayne Township
DirectionsLance Corporal Ralph Valt Memorial Park37 acres
DirectionsMacDonald Drive Park33 acres
Orange Place Park10 acres
DirectionsBoonstra Park9 acres
Village Drive Park9 acres
Dotterweich Field8 acres
DirectionsLinden Road Park6 acres
DirectionsFriends and Family Park5 acres
DirectionsFern River Park5 acres
Fayette Avenue Park3 acres
Wayne Van Riper Hopper Musuem3 acres
South Beach3 acres · Pines Lake Association
DirectionsLionshead Park3 acres
Osborne Park3 acres
Sgt. Thomas Deppa Memorial Park2 acres
DirectionsBoulevard Park2 acres
DirectionsGeorge Tahan Tennis Complex2 acres · Township of Wayne
Tintle Park2 acres
DirectionsTownship of Wayne McCoog Park2 acres
Lieutenant Carey A Arthur Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsRiverside Park1 acres
Veterans Alliance Park1 acres
DirectionsRoe Field Park1 acres
Minnisink Park1 acres
Rumana Road Park1 acres
Judith-Jerome Place Park1 acres
Oak Lane Park1 acres
Who protects it
2,374 conserved acres
16% of Wayne Township’s land. Water is left out: Wayne Township has 23.7 square miles of land and 1.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Wayne Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,000 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,217 ac
County337 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government29 ac
Other state land3 ac
Not recorded137 ac
Private Conservation · 1,246 acLocal Conservation Area · 1,141 acLocal Park · 561 acLocal Recreation Area · 403 acLocal Other or Unknown · 277 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 15 of 83 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Mountain Park Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 1,256 | Open |
| High Mountain Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,184 | Unknown |
| Preakness Valley Park Local Recreation Area | County | 291 | Open |
| unknown State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 110 | Unknown |
| Tall Oaks Park Local Park | Town or city | 88 | Open |
| Barbour Pond Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 85 | Open |
| FEMA Buyout Properties Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 76 | Open |
| Wayne Area Park Local Park | Town or city | 52 | Open |
| Wayne Township Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 44 | Unknown |
| Wayne Township Park Local Park | Town or city | 43 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
86 places to go in Wayne Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Wayne Township
East Beach
DirectionsLionshead Lake Beach
DirectionsPines Lake West Beach
DirectionsSunny Ridge Beach
DirectionsWest Beach
DirectionsPlus 3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Wayne Township
Inclusive PlaygroundIn Shai Shacknai Memorial Park
DirectionsPlayground Inspection Professionals, LLC
Directions61 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Wayne Township
The Madison Dog Resort & Spa
DirectionsWayne Dog ParkIn Friends and Family Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Wayne Township
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Wayne Township
Buttermilk FallsIn High Mountain Park Preserve
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Wayne Township
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Wayne Township
Beech Mountain853 ft elevation · In High Mountain Park Preserve
DirectionsMount Cecchino755 ft elevation · In High Mountain Park Preserve
DirectionsPoacher Peak607 ft elevation · In High Mountain Park Preserve
DirectionsMoon Hill591 ft elevation · In High Mountain Park Preserve
DirectionsPackanack Mountain472 ft elevation
DirectionsPackanack Mountain430 ft elevation
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Wayne Township
Speert Green
DirectionsTrails & water
17 named trails and 19 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 16.6 miUnpaved · 23.9 mi
Bear Trail4.0 mi
Morris Canal Greenway2.4 mi
Summit Trail2.2 mi
Woodland Trail2.0 mi
Brookside Trail1.7 mi
Pancake Hollow Trail1.7 mi
Beech Mountain Trail1.3 mi
Clove Trail1.3 mi
Butterfly Trail1.0 mi
Turtle Trail1.0 mi
7 more trails
Brookside/Clove Trail
0.4 miBack 40
0.2 miHickory Hill
0.1 miLilac Walk
0.1 miHome Hill
0.1 miCedar Hill
0.1 miAlgonquin Trail Path
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.9 mi
off-road bike paths
0.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
58Tennis
37Baseball
34Basketball
21Soccer
11Multi-sport
8Pickleball
3Football
1Field hockey
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Wayne Township: 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 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 77 | 65 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Wayne Township →
Next door
Wayne Township and its neighbors
Wayne Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Wayne Township31 miPequannock Township11 miPompton Plains8.4 miLincoln Park8.0 miFairfield Township6.8 miPompton Lakes6.2 miTotowa0.0 miSingac0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Township | 16% | 1.3 | 23 | 98% | A |
| Lincoln Park | 36% | 1.3 | 94 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Pequannock Township | 18% | 1.6 | 49 | 95% | A+ |
| Totowa | 1% | under 0.1 | 11 | 99%+ | C+ |
| Pompton Lakes | 6% | 2.1 | 21 | 98% | A |
| Pompton Plains | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Fairfield Township | 35% | 0.7 | 288 | 97% | A+ |
| Singac | — 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 Wayne Township
Where can I hike in Wayne Township?
The longest trail networks: High Mountain Park Preserve, 16.5 miles; Laurelwood Arboretum, 2.4 miles; Wayne Area Park, 1.4 miles; North Cove Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Wayne Township is conserved land?
16% 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 Wayne Township’s trails?
High Mountain Park Preserve and Laurelwood Arboretum don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Wayne Township?
2.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.9 of off-road paths and 0.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Wayne Township?
69,238 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wayne Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,236 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Wayne Township have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #132 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 Wayne 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 →