East Fox Chase Road, Chester and Mendham Township

This Park, comprised of 298 acres, is presently undeveloped. Gladstone Brook, a trout production stream, has its headwaters within Mount Paul Memorial County Park.

An American Chestnut tree orchard was planted on-site in conjunction with the American Chestnut Foundation on April 24, 2004.  The Foundation is working to develop a blight-resistant tree by crossing the American Chestnut with the Chinese Chestnut, which is more blight resistant.  If ultimately successful, the process will take six generations or 48 years.

History:

In the mid-1700s, a Native American Lenape Indian Chief whose English name was Paul, purportedly lived in the area known as Roxiticus, now Mount Paul. He assisted the settlers in their relations with the Peapacton Indians and other tribes. Traveling the Indian path from Roxiticus to what is now New Brunswick, he uprooted a lone hemlock sapling and carried it back home. Chief Paul planted the young tee on a hill overlooking his village and tended it until his death.  The legend is that Chief Paul was buried beneath the tree so that he could look out over his beloved home for eternity. As years passed and the Lenape moved west, the seedlings from the lonely hemlock spread along the forest floor surrounding his grave with gentle firs. (Wolfe, C. G. Black River Journal, late Summer/Early Fall 2003).

In the 1800s, the land was owned by a local family, the Thompson, and they called it Mount Paul Farm.  Portions of the park were donated by the Winston family, and were part of the 950-acre Winston estate.

Hours of Operation:

Mount Paul Memorial County Park is open 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 which 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!