Hedden Park, Dover, NJ


Hedden Park is located on Reservoir Ave (best entrance for playground) in lovely Dover, NJ.

Playground is hidden in the woods a bit, just past the picnicking area. A very scenic and restful area with a great big picnicking area and a beautiful pond. The playground itself is similar to all playgrounds at the Morris County parks, donated by Saturn, it’s made of plastic and wood and offers fun climbing structures.

NJ 10 West, right onto Center Grove, left onto Von Nostrand. Left onto Reservoir. Use the entrance on your right (the sign is on the left.) Proceed about ¼ of a mile to parkling lot at end and pond.

Hedden Park

Parking: Many different lots, small lot near the pond is best for playground
Picnicking: Very large gazebo with fireplace next to playground, reservable and non-reservable picnicking areas throughout the park
Climbing: Rings, rope wall, parallel bars, step wall with repeller, ladders, crescent steps, fireman’s pole and drawbridge
Playthings: Looking glass, steering wheel, crescent shaped benches underneath the equipment
Slides: One tube, three chute
Sports: Baseball fields close to playground area, fishing, hiking, snowshoeing, ice skating and bike trails
Walking Paths: Tons of hiking and walking trails
Water: Beautiful pond right next to playground with waterfalls and lots of wildlife (we saw a couple really cute turtles while we were there!)

Make a Day of It
Of course, like most of the County parks, you can easily spend a day at Hedden Park. Nick’s Restaurant & Pizzeria is a good stop for lunch or dinner.

Memorial Park, Nutley, NJ

Maple Pl. and Vreeland Avenue, Nutley, NJ.  For detailed Nutley Parks and Recs information on the web click here. 

So far I think I’ve enjoyed this beautiful playground in Memorial Park the most for feeding ducks. 

A couple of playground structures, plenty of swings and a very picturesque walking path adds to the attraction of this park.

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No bathrooms closeby but there is a Shoprite within walking distance if you can make it in time with potty-training children.  I really enjoyed walking here and look forward to exploring more of Nutley’s parks.

Thanks to @ecdesignz for this recommendation we will definitely return and perhaps add some reviews of the kid-friendly places nearby.  Take a glance of our pictures below, we did a few “patching up” pictures to get a better panoramic view of the park.  Enjoy!

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Ross Dock Park Area, Fort Lee, NJ


From “The Bergen County Playground Guide”:
ADDRESS: Henry Hudson Dr in the Palisades Interstate Park System
DIRECTIONS: I-80 E to the George Washington Bridge (GWB). Keep left and take I-80 Express towards I-95 NJ Turnpike/GWB. The take I-95 N exit on the left towards the GWB. Merge onto I-95 Express N/NJ Turnpike N. I-95 express N/NJ Turnpike N becomes I-95 N/NJ Turnpike N. Take exit 73 toward Fort Lee. Keep right at the fork in the ramp. Turn left onto Bruce Reynolds Blvd. Turn right onto Hudson Terr. Hudson Terr turns into River Rd. Make a left onto Henry Hudson Dr at the entrance to Palisades Interstate Park.

DESCRIPTION: Large playground overlooking the Hudson River. The playground has tall towers and is full of climbing from rings, repellers, walls, and chains. There are tons of slides and playthings but you just can’t beat the view.

PARKING: Large paved lot close to the playground
PICNICKING: This is a picnic area so there are a lot of tables and grills
CLIMBING: One corkscrew poles, climbing wall, rings, swinging bars, parallel bars, uneven bars, monkey bars
PLAYTHINGS: Steering wheels, call boxes, height measurers
SLIDES: One corkscrew, four chute, two toddler
SPORTS: Fishing
SWINGS: Eight full size, two toddler
WALKING PATHS: Paved around the park with benches to sit and enjoy the view
WATER: Hudson River
MAKE A DAY OF IT: Travel along Henry Hudson Dr from Fort Lee to Alpine. There are several locations to stop and park that include boat basins, picnic areas, and some of the best scenery of NYC.

Henry Hudson Drive, Fort Lee, NJ.  For directions, you can click on njpalisades.org site.

B U TEA FULL. Thanks hobokenmetromom for inviting us to crash the party.  Our drive to Ross Park was so exciting for my boys since we went under a cross-section of the George Washington Bridge.  I wish I took a picture of it, but it’s one of those things you don’t think about.  My oldest is very attached to one of the suspension bridges from Thomas the Tank (he’s brought it to bed with hiim on more than one occasion).  Once you got there, it was playground heaven! Great for big kids and there is also a smaller structure.  Take a look at the pictures to see all of the equipment.  My boys had a blast.  Lots of kids, grilling, and bathrooms are next to the parking lot. You can’t beat the view, lovely! Bring your mosquito repellant, at night we started to get some bites.

PS: Kids love feeding the ducks from the rocks (if they are there) but you should be very careful with the rocks on the edge.

Brookside Park, Bloomfield, NJ

Bay Avenue and Broad St., Bloomfield, NJ. 
Many thanks for this review and great photos from AT Cholet!!!

Street parking is on Morris Place behind the park.  The Third River in the background often has lots of ducks and geese and occasionally enough water to justify being called a river. There is no fence, which means for the younger kids that the caregiver needs to be paying attention.  There’s a gazebo, picnic benches and a softball field in the park, but no permanent bathrooms. If you need to grab a coffee or a snack, there is a Dunkin Donuts and 7-11 across Broad Street.
Have older kids? Check out the Joseph F. Tiseo Skate Park at Memorial Park in Bloomfield, information on how to get passes is here. Also check out their facebook page, with more informaiton on directions.