Mills Reservation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mills Reservation
Mills Reservation in Fall
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Type	County park
Location	Montclair, New Jersey and Cedar Grove, New Jersey
Area	157.15 acres
Created	1954
Operated by	Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs
Status	Open all year
Website	https://www.essexcountyparks.org/parks/mills-reservation

Mills Reservation is a beautiful county park in New Jersey, USA. It's a protected forest area covering about 157 acres. This park is found in both Cedar Grove and Montclair. The Essex County Park Commission takes care of it.

The park has many trails for walking and jogging. These include the famous Lenape Trail and several other paths. One of the main trails leads to a high cliff. From this spot, you can see amazing views of the New York City skyline.

Mills Reservation sits on the First Watchung Mountain. This is one of three Watchung Mountains. These mountains are long, low ridges formed by ancient volcanoes in northern New Jersey.

Exploring Mills Reservation's Geography

Mills Reservation is located on top of the First Watchung Mountain. It stretches across parts of Montclair, New Jersey and Cedar Grove, New Jersey. The park is a large area of 157 acres. It includes forests, open grassy spots, and tall cliffs.

From a place called Quarry Point, you can see far and wide. This point is a 500-foot high rock ledge on the south side of the park. From here, you can enjoy views stretching from Montclair to Newark, the Hudson River, and even Manhattan.

Fun Activities at Mills Reservation

Mills Reservation is a great place for many outdoor activities. You can enjoy walking, jogging, and hiking on its trails. It's also a wonderful spot to see different plants and animal species, just like in other forest parks. However, please remember that bike riding is not allowed in the park.

The New Jersey Audubon Hawk Watch started here in 1959. Bird watchers meet at the park every spring for two months. This is because many raptors (birds of prey) fly directly over the reservation during their migration. It's an exciting time to see them!

Discovering the Park's Trails

Mills Reservation offers several walking trails for you to explore:

• The Mills Loop Trail is marked with white blazes. It makes a full circle around the park and is about one and a half miles long. This is the main walking trail.
• The Eastview Trail is a bit over one mile long. It runs along the east side of the park and is marked with blue blazes. You can get onto this trail from the Normal Avenue or Old Quarry Road parking areas.
• The Woodland Trail is just under one mile long. It has purple blazes and goes through the middle of the park.
• The Reservoir Trail is one mile long. It follows the west side of the park and is marked with red blazes. You can access it from the Normal Avenue or Old Quarry Road parking areas.
• The Lenape Trail is a very long trail, 34 miles in total. It goes through many of Essex County's parks. About one and a half miles of the Lenape Trail pass through Mills Reservation. It is marked with yellow blazes. This trail starts west of the Normal Avenue parking area and leaves the park near Mountainside Park. You can also get on it from the Old Quarry Road parking area.
• The Lenape Link Trail is a short path. It connects the Normal Avenue parking area to the northern entrance of the Lenape Trail. It is marked with black on yellow blazes.
• The Mills Gate Trail is a smaller loop that branches off the Mills Loop Trail. It is marked with orange blazes.

A Glimpse into Mills Reservation's History

From 1890 to 1918, a company called Osborne & Marsellis operated a quarry here. This quarry was located below Quarry Point, on the south end of the reservation. They used steam power to blast rocks from the side of the cliff.

In 1952, David and Ella Mills of the Davella Mills Foundation bought 118 acres of this land. They wanted to protect it and later donated it to Essex County. The famous Olmsted Brothers firm, known for designing many parks, helped design Mills Reservation.

During World War II, a large military searchlight was placed at Quarry Point. This was one of many searchlights around the New York City area. It overlooked New York City. The searchlight was later removed, but a large concrete circle remains where it once stood. This platform might have also been used as a base for a water tower. The water tower would have supplied water for the quarry's steam machinery and fire fighting system.

There are also stories that this cliff-edge spot was used for communication long ago. Some reports say it was a fire-beacon station for George Washington's army. Even earlier, Native Americans might have used it as a smoke-signal point.