The Park Mama

Duke Farms: Hillsborough, NJ

I love to drive. Fresh out of college, I took a job as a road warrior recruiting high school seniors across a 7 state territory for my alma mater. Armed with MapQuest directions (remember when that was a thing?) and keys to a state owned minivan, New Jersey was my first and longest assignment. Little did I know that I would later call the Garden State home, and traverse these same roads with 2 of my own little adventure buddies in tow.

I typically aim for 30 minute or less drives when traveling solo with my little guys, and reserve longer treks for when my hubby can join us on the weekends, but Duke Farms is currently only open on weekdays and had such raving reviews that I decided to pack a picnic lunch and hit the road.

I’ve discovered that long drives feel shorter when timed with naps and paired with good tunes and conversation. Our favorite jam is below for inspiration.

Located in beautiful Somerset County, Duke Farms is a self-proclaimed “nature lover’s oasis” and it certainly lives up to its name. 18 miles of flat, wide, paved trails are perfection for scooter, stroller, and bike riding with interesting sights to take in – wildflowers, sculpture, and water features abound. We had a blast doing scooter vs. stroller races and bonded with another preschool family (at an appropriate social distance) about scooters and dinosaurs. We even spotted 3 eagles soaring overhead – a real treat! Open and clean restrooms helped this mama make a longer trek with kiddos doable.

Our visit was poorly timed during peak sunlight and on one of the hottest days of the year, so we didn’t stay nearly as long as we would have liked. We cooled off in the shade and threw rocks in the pond before heading back to the car. We’ll revisit this expansive property again and again, and I’m sure each experience will reveal something new.

The Park Mama Tips:

Due to COVID, Duke Farms is currently open on weekdays only – closed on weekends.

Parking is at 50% capacity to allow for social distancing.

While there are some shady spots, a lot of the trail we ventured down was in direct sunlight. Sunscreen is a must.

Bring your bikes and scooters!

If you’re looking for a similar bike riding haven open on weekends, check out Holmdel Park.

For more info:

Homepage

Laurelwood Arboretum: Wayne Township, NJ

My 4 year old exclaimed: “Mama, I want to see a deer today!”

I read about recent deer sightings at Laurelwood Arboretum, so we packed up the kiddos and crossed our fingers for a deer encounter. As luck would have it, we spotted 6 deer here – 4 adults and 2 fawns – and one even darted out in front of my little deer seeker. He was amazed. We crossed paths with a variety of birds, butterflies, chipmunks, and even a groundhog while exploring this space, but the highlight for our boys was the little brook where they could throw rocks to their heart’s delight.

There are 2 trails here – easy and more challenging – both are gravel/woodchip. There was a fallen tree blocking the easy way during our visit, so we opted for the challenging path. Aside from the initial ascent, it wasn’t difficult to navigate with a stroller and littles. Our stroll was shaded and tranquil, winding through gardens and woodlands, allowing us to take in new sights, see wildlife up close, and socially distance easily. If you’re looking for a place to stretch your legs, get some fresh air, and appreciate the beauty of nature, this is your spot.

The Park Mama Tips:

Bug spray is a must. I gave this space 4 stars because it’s quite buggy.

Bathrooms are closed due to COVID, so plan ahead.

No picnicking allowed, so plan to eat in your car.

For more info:

Trail Map

Brookdale Park and Rose Garden: Montclair, NJ

We discovered Brookdale Park and Rose Garden in June, and it’s one of our favorite places to go. Quick drive, easy street parking, shaded, paved paths, wide open fields, scenic, and clean bathrooms – this place checks off all the boxes. Designed by the Olmsted Firm (the same folks who designed Central Park), this space is HUGE and spans 2 towns – Montclair and Bloomfield – so there’s more than enough space to socially distance easily.

Our boys love it here – we picnic under the shade of a big oak tree, have scooter vs. stroller races, dig in the dirt, kick the soccer ball around, play tag, and build nests out of sticks and leaves with acorn treats for the squirrels to enjoy. There’s also a playground, dog park, and rose garden to explore.

The Park Mama Tips:

Our favorite combo is Van Vleck House and Gardens + Brookdale Park and Rose Garden. They’re located just 5 minutes apart.

Beware of bees in the grassy areas – they’re attracted to the clovers.

Parts of the paved paths are a bit hilly, so be careful with scooters and bikes.

For more info:

https://brookdalepark.org/park-attractions

Van Vleck House and Gardens: Montclair, NJ

Van Vleck House and Gardens, nestled within the charming NJ suburb of Montclair, is by far one of our favorite places to visit. It’s serene, lush, and ripe with educational opportunities for littles. All of the trees and flowers are intentionally selected to support wildlife – chipmunks, butterflies, bees, birds, and squirrels – and spotting an abundance of creatures is always a big hit with my little animal enthusiasts. Labeled flora teaches youngsters the differences in plant species and we’ve already learned how to self-identify so many.

There are free self-guided activities geared towards preschoolers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (we’ve played garden bingo and done insect and bird safaris) and we’ve learned about recycling and composting, how bees make honey, and the differences between moths and butterflies.

I usually prefer stroller-friendly places, but this small garden is easy for me to manage both kiddos without lugging a stroller around. We play follow the leader down cool little trails that wind through shaded tree canopies, butterfly gardens and gorgeous flowers and just love spending time in this magical oasis.

The Park Mama Tips:

Ditch the stroller and baby wear or walk instead. This garden is small and while it’s mostly flat, there are some steps and narrow trails that would make strollers a bit tricky.

The bathroom is closed due to COVID and there are no porta potties, but Brookdale Park and Rose Garden is a 5 minute drive away and has an open and clean restroom.

There’s a small parking lot at Van Vleck – we like to visit in the AM when it’s empty and then head over to Brookdale Park and Rose Garden for a scooter ride, soccer game, and picnic before heading home.

For more info:

https://vanvleck.org

NJ Botanical Garden: Ringwood, NJ

My boys LOVE flowers, but they love picking them and giving them away even more. The other day, my 21 month old lovingly picked a bunch of dandelions and clovers and handed me a small bouquet just beaming. My 4 year old tells me, “Mama, put them in water so that they last a long, long time.” Ladies, let me tell you that being a boy mama does have its perks.

I love flowers just as much as they do and my favorite respite in the city is the NY Botanical Garden. When I discovered that the NJ Botanical Garden was open AND free, I said we’re going! I know, I know…I took a risk by taking them to a botanical garden. We talked over and over again about how the flowers are just to look at…don’t touch. Spoiler alert…they didn’t pick any.

After a breathtakingly scenic drive through the Ramapo Mountains, we were greeted by a huge buck and rattle snake warning signs. Umm, am I in the right place? We avoided the hiking trails (no one wants to cross paths with a rattle snake with 2 littles in tow) and stuck to the paved paths, but soon discovered these gardens are hidden.

We couldn’t see much from the paved paths, so my little 4 year old map carrying navigator blazed the way forward through a grassy area following the footsteps of a few folks way ahead in the distance. We’re walking along and I’m about to let my toddler out of the stroller to run free when I see a SNAKE slithering BETWEEN MY FEET and quickly under the stroller. EEK!! I screamed, my toddler looks around to see what he missed, and my 4 year old of course wants to PICK UP the snake. “BACK TO THE PAVED PATH, NOW!!” as I scrambled to turn the stroller and hunt for the snake while lifting my 4 year old and dashing out of there. Did I mention that I hate snakes? It was a harmless garden snake, but it scared me enough to abandon my hunt for lilacs. My kids on the other hand thought it was soooo cool that we had a snake sighting. Ew.

We moseyed over to the perennial gardens instead, admired the beautiful flowering plants, found a cool koi pond, studied an array of bugs, and watched chipmunks play tag until we were caught in a refreshingly cool summer rain. We bolted back to the car to eat Pirate’s booty and apples. What an adventure.

The next time we went (YES, there was a next time), we brought Daddy for an extra pair of snake spotting eyes, parked in a different lot (there are 3), and ventured down another (longer) paved path. A passerby warned us that a mama bear and her 2 cubs had just been spotted on this path the day before, so to proceed with caution. What kind of garden is this? I’m ready to turn around, but hubby and the kiddos want to keep going. My heart’s jumping out of my chest, there’s not a person in sight, and I’m convinced we’re going to come face to face with a mama bear at any second. Hubby picks up a fallen limb and lugs it around (like that’s providing any protection against a mama bear!). It’s dry rotted by the way and crumbles at the slightest tap after he carried it for at least a quarter of a mile. Haha. No bear sighting and very few wildflowers, but another epic adventure was in the books. Phew.

If you’re feeling adventurous, then go to the NJ Botanical Garden.

The Park Mama Tips:

Park in parking lot A. It’s the closest to the bathrooms (very clean) and also to the perennial garden and koi pond. So beautiful and fun.

Be on the lookout for snakes in the grassy areas and on the trails.

Much of the gardens require going down rocky paths that were too difficult for our stroller. There’s a 1 mile paved loop, but it’s mostly trees, so plan to baby wear if you’re on the hunt for lots of flowers.

No picnicking is allowed on the grounds, so plan to eat in the car.

Free entry during the week, but there’s a $5 parking fee on the weekends.

For more info:

https://www.njbg.org

Loantaka Brook Reservation: Morris Township, NJ

We discovered this gem a few weeks ago and it has quickly become a favorite respite from our densely populated urban life. Magical. Heavenly. Peaceful. Green. That’s how I would describe this place. Babbling brooks, cute little bridges, stroller-friendly trails, wildflowers, grassy fields, and tons of animals. We spotted chipmunks galore, butterflies, dragonflies, fish, dogs, and horses. What’s not to love?

As a mama of littles, I appreciated the flat, shaded trails. Pick your flavor – paved or gravel – there’s 9.9 miles of them. Share paved paths with bicyclists and runners or gravel trails with horseback riders – either way, people were respectful and friendly and it was easy to socially distance and claim our own space to explore.

We did stroller vs. scooter races on the paved paths and a bug safari through the gravel paths with frequent stops to inspect sticks, dirt, and rocks for centipedes and worms. Did I mention I’m a boy mama? If you choose the gravel paths, beware of the horse manure. It’s a little like dodging landmines, but it’s worth it to find quiet spaces to skip rocks and watch fish and dragonflies.

There’s so much to explore here and with little legs, it will take many trips to discover the full park. There’s huge open fields just begging for a yoga or meditation session, ball playing, or a picnic. There are restrooms positioned beside the playground at the entrance (closed due to COVID) and porta potties also conveniently located at the exits.

I thought we had to venture out of state for an experience like this and had no idea spaces like this were so close to home. I’m slowly discovering why the Garden State is so aptly named.

The Park Mama Tips:

We’ve frequented this place a couple of times and have explored different entrances. Our preferred parking lot is adjacent to Seton Stables. The kiddos get a glimpse of horses as they arrive and you’re positioned to reach the brook pretty quickly.

Playing “I Spy a Chipmunk” encourages those little legs to keep on moving and forget they were just asking you to carry them the rest of the way.

For more info:

https://www.morrisparks.net/index.php/parks/loantaka-brook-reservation

Grover Cleveland Park: Essex Fells, NJ

We begin the day by singing a song:

“Let’s go on an adventure! Time to go and explore. So much to see on our adventure. I can’t wait to see more!”

Singing helps energize our boys and excites us to explore something new. I tell them about the place we’re going to that day over breakfast to get them pumped up and ready to put on those socks and get out the door.

Our newest discovery, Grover Cleveland Park in Essex Fells, NJ, was an immediate hit with our animal enthusiasts. This place is teeming with wildlife! We spotted a turtle family of 5 sunbathing on a log, 11 ducklings following their loving mama’s every move, a half dozen catfish, a mama deer with her juvenile deer and 2 lovely fawns feeding on nearby grass, and the star of the show: an earthworm that our 4 year old proudly dug out of the ground using his favorite digging tool (a stick).

We picnicked in the shade, played tag in the open field, collected sticks and dug in the dirt on a mission to find bugs and worms, strolled along the paved paths around a lovely pond and woodland trails, and watched animals with a child-like sense of awe.

There’s a fun little playground with sections suitable for children aged 2-5 and 5-12. We’re avoiding shared equipment at the moment, but the children and parents there were enjoying it safely. Everyone we encountered throughout the park was friendly and respectful, maintaining social distancing and wearing masks. There were open restrooms during the week, but they seemed to be closed on the weekend when we were there. There are porta potties available in a pinch.

The Park Mama Tips:

Street parking is free and easy. Parking next to the pond positions you for an awesome up close look at ducks, turtles, and fish. Parking further down the road by the tennis courts places you closer to woodlands trails where you may spot deer, play at the playground and visit the restroom.

We spotted a couple of mosquitos here. Pack bug spray!

For more info:

https://www.essexcountyparks.org/parks/grover-cleveland-park