Photo: Freeholdman12 · CC BY 4.06% of Westfield’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
7.1 miles of mapped trail cross Westfield, 1.1 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Mindowaskin Park (1 mi), Brightwood Park (0.7 mi), Tamaques Park (0.7 mi). 6% of Westfield’s land is conserved, about 275 acres.
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #272 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Westfield?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Westfield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Westfield is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #272 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 Westfield’s 6% is ahead of 32% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 68% 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 Mindowaskin Park, with 1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Brightwood Park
All 8 parks & preserves
275 conserved acres
6% of Westfield’s land. Who manages Westfield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamaques Reservation Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 88 | Open |
| Lenape Park Local Park | County | 44 | Open |
| Brightwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Echo Lake Park Local Park | County | 30 | Open |
| Memorial Pool Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Mindonaskin Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Gumpert Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Clark Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Unami Park Local Other or Unknown | County | 6 | Open |
| Sycamore Field Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
18 places to go in Westfield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
3 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
1.6 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.
7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Westfield: April to June and August
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) | 3.5 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.9 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Westfield →
Westfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westfield | 6% | 1.1 | 9 | 99% | A− |
| Mountainside | 38% | 3.9 | 141 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Scotch Plains Township | 21% | 1.7 | 50 | 98% | A+ |
| Garwood | 6% | 0.8 | 6 | 99%+ | A− |
| Cranford Township | 14% | 1.5 | 20 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Springfield Township | 16% | 1.3 | 30 | 98% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Westfield
Where can I hike in Westfield?
The longest trail networks: Mindowaskin Park, 1 miles; Brightwood Park, 0.7 miles; Tamaques Park, 0.7 miles; Gumbert Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Westfield is conserved land?
6% 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 Westfield’s trails?
Mindowaskin Park and Brightwood Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Westfield?
1.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Westfield?
31,022 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Westfield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 283 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Westfield have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #272 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 Westfield 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 →