Tamaques Park, Westfield, NJ

1515 Lamberts Mill Road, Westfield, NJ.  Hello Union County, my shady friend, I always come back to you. So I had visited this friend with a long-time college buddy and her 2 lovely girls.  I think I told her about how much I loved the shade in this park about 5 times.  2 playgrounds, one for small kids and then you have to walk to the opposite side for the other playgrounds.  What a great walking circle (.8 miles) the road is one way with a white line that gives plenty of space to walkers and women with strollers. You can also choose the gravely path but we preferred the street.  Bathrooms are open and decent!  Lake is center to the park, I’m not fond of the Canadian geese, they are getting a bit too bold lately, but we still had a good time.

A great place to train
This has also been my favorite park to bike continuously. I’m not a fan of riding with street traffic, so I found this 0.8 mile loop great for training for my sprint tri. Great shade, and you will always find people working out, enjoying the weather. Shout out to the fabulous TriWomen of Scotch Plains, Fanwood, and Westfield. These inspiring women helped me meet my goal of doing my first ever Sprint Triathlon (Danskin 2010). You will frequently find these awesome women at Tamaques. Another group you are bound to see at Tamaques are the BCWF folks. My favorite instructor, Mari, is now part owner of this great outdoor program. If you are looking for a boot camp to get you back into shape this one gets results.

From westfieldnj website.
“Tamaques Park- A 106 acre park on Lamberts Mill Road featuring 18 picnic areas, 2 Basketball Courts, 8 Tennis Courts, Shuffleboard Courts, 6 playing fields, 2 playground areas, pond, ice skating, a .8 mile jogging path, 2 Handball Courts and two service buildings with restrooms.”

Here’s some pictures!

Memorial Park, Westfield, NJ

713 Cumberland Street, Westfield, NJ.  Thanks to kids guide for the information regarding special needs: This park was built by Greg Rayn, Jr. in 2004 for his Boy Scout Eagle project. 

It is wheelchair-accessible with rubber surfacing with 4 special needs swings.  Not as popular as Mindowaskin Park, this quiet little park is adjacent to tennis courts, and across from Westfield’s pool.  No bathrooms close by, unless you try the pool, but I didn’t try. 

Kids loved playing store here, and picnic benches were near for a quiet lunch.

Mindowaskin Park Westfield, NJ

N. Euclid Avenue, Westfield, NJ located close to town center.  I would definitely go to Mindowaskin Park  for meeting with friends, downtown Westfield is perfect for strolling and getting a bite to eat.  There’s a great little toy store in the area, Thinka dinka right on Broad Street.  Beautiful playground nearby a brook, kept very clean and great for both toddlers and school-age kids.  To support the park, contact “Friends of Mindowaskin Park” organization.

Slides: Various sizes both for toddlers and older kids
Swings: bucket swings and adult swings
Climbing: Many things to climb on/through
Walking Paths: Beautiful picturesque walking loop w/ gazebo great for lunch
Parking: Lot adjacent to playground
Seesaw: Bouncers

Make A Day of It: Westfield is one of the cutest downtowns we have ever been to. Not only do they have shops, and restaurants, but they also have a movie theater not too far from the park.