Featured Place: Round Valley Recreation Area

This weeks featured park is one of our favorite parks in NJ. We visit Round Valley a few times a year for hiking, paddling, and just stopping by for a nice view at lunch.

Trails

There are 2 main sections of the park with trails. You will find some easy trails near the overnight camping parking lot. These are nice trails with great views of the reservoir. You will find a much harder trail that wraps around most of the reservoir. This trail is great for biking, hiking, horseback riding, and snow sports. The elevation change here is very challenging, with a few hundred feet up/down steep trails. This is very fun.

Water

The reservoir itself is beautiful. The green/blue water is very clean and clear. The fishing here is great. At it's deepest, the reservoir is over 160 feet. Big fish lurk down there :) There is also an area of the reservoir where groups and individuals come to scuba dive, which says a lot about the quality and clarity of the water. Boating/Padding on the water is a lot of fun as well.

Camping

Round Valley offers rustic camping that can be reached by boat or hiking only. Depending on which site you have, you may have to hike anywhere from 3 to 8 or 9 miles out. Padding is also dependent on your spot. We have stayed out there once, paddling over for a one night stay.

Swimming

There is a beach/swimming area within the park as well. This area is separated from the main reservoir. Though we have never swam here, it looks nice. Please note that there is no swimming in the actual reservoir.

Why this is a feature

As we mentioned, this park is great. From very challenging hiking, to hard biking, to great fishing, it is all here. Overall it is a beautiful, fun and amazing park.