468 South Street, Morris Township, NJ 07960

(For driving / GPS address)

Hours of Operation / Spring & Summer Activities / History / No Smoking Policy

Loantaka Brook Reservation is a general purpose park comprised of 883 acres with 9.9 miles of trails. This linear greenway through a lush flat terrain park is perfect for bicycling, jogging, hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and much more! There are both paved and unpaved trails through a variety of scenery. Digital trail maps are available online.

What makes this park so appealing are the four distinct areas that include Seaton Hackney Stables, South Street area, Kitchell Pond area, and Loantaka Way with an area of the Park being dedicated as the Helen Hartley Jenkins Woods.

Spring and Summer Activities:

Loantaka Brook Reservation, one of the busiest parks in the park system, offers something for everyone. You will find people taking a stroll with carriages and their favorite canine companions. As you walk on the trail and enjoy the variety of wildflowers and bird life, you can experience the unique sections of the park, each with its own personality. Many visitors enjoy the activity of biking, skating, or running.

Bike share is back! Rent a bike and ride Loantaka trails from South Street to Loantaka Way courtesy of the Morris Moves Bike Share Program sponsored by the Morris Park Alliance. There are three docking stations: South Street, Kitchell Road, and Loantaka Way. Register on the Koloni app, either through Apple Store or Google Play, and scan the QR code on the bike with a smartphone to get started. Bike rentals are available from spring through fall. Fees are $1 per half hour. Be sure to lock the bike when it is returned to the docking station!
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Begin your adventure on the trail that meanders along the nearby Loantaka Brook. You can choose to walk the paved trail or make arrangements with Seaton Hackney Stables for a trail ride on horseback through unpaved trails through beautiful natural scenery! The natural wooded area is so scenic, and around each bend, a different story is told. Enjoy crossing over Loantaka Brook on the wooden bridge and see the sparkling water, small fish dart among the rocks, and the beautiful greenery. At the end of the trail, you will come upon the Kitchell Road area.

At the Kitchell Road area, you can fish, or pack a picnic and sit alongside the beautiful 5-acre Kitchell Pond. Bring your camera as the location is picturesque. Toss a Frisbee or ball, and enjoy the open green space or play on the nearby athletic field. Continue on the trail that follows the meandering of Loantaka Brook with an interesting natural setting. Choose the trail to the left and you will complete your journey on Woodland Avenue parking area. If you choose the trail to the right, you reach the connection to the Helen Hartley Jenkins Woods.

Follow Loantaka Brook through the Helen Hartley Jenkins Woods, natural woodland with serene trails. It is quite lovely and peaceful, and you can see the horses in the adjacent pastures enjoying a sunny day. Noted ecologists have called this area one of the finest untouched forests in the nation. At the completion of your journey, you reach Green Village Road, Chatham Township.

Picnics and Athletic Fields: At both South Street and Kitchell Road areas, plan a fun picnic for family and friends. In the nearby athletic fields, toss a Frisbee or play catch. There are picnic tables and charcoal grills.

If your group is larger than 25 people, take advantage of reservable picnic sites that include shelters, picnic tables, and charcoal grills. You can also reserve one of the athletic fields to organize a softball or soccer game.

You can also reserve one of the athletic fields to organize a softball or soccer game. For reservations, visit morrisparks.net and click on "online reservations" on the Reservations page or call 973.326.7631, option 1.

History:

The Park Commission acquired its first three land parcels on December 30, 1957, which were donated by J. Spencer Woods, the M. Hartley Dodges, and the George E. Potters. The vision of these donors was to create a linear greenway to protect Loantaka Brook. Seaton Hackney Stables was donated to the Park Commission on September 25, 1958 by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Moore.

Loantaka Brook Reservation bears a name given by the Lenni Lenapes, which means ‘the place of cold winter.’ During the Revolutionary War, an encampment that housed approximately 2,000 soldiers was located on a portion of what is now Reservation property during the winter of 1776-1777. This took place an entire year prior to the more famous Jockey Hollow encampment.

Hours of Operation:

Loantaka Brook Reservation is opened daily sunrise to sunset throughout the year.

No Smoking Policy

The Morris County Park Commission has recently announced a No Smoking Policy banning all smoking including burning of, inhaling from, exhaling the smoke from or the possession of a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe, or any other matter of substance that contains tobacco or any other matter that can be smoked, or the inhaling or exhaling of smoke or vapor from an electronic smoking device. CLICK HERE for more details. Thank you for your continued support!