Heading To Somerset County Parks? Here's What's Open, Closed

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Somerset County Park Commission announced on Tuesday they will be reopening its general use parks, trails, and golf courses on Saturday at sunrise. The commission is also clarifying what areas are open and what will remain closed.

What is open:

• General use parks including Duke Island Park on Old York Road and North Branch Park on Milltown Road, both in Bridgewater; Natirar Park in Far Hills and Peapack-Gladstone; East County Park in Warren; and Skillman Park in Montgomery.
• Trail systems in Washington Valley Park in Bridgewater, the Sourland Mountain Preserve in Hillsborough and Montgomery, the Environmental Education Center at Lord Stirling Park in Basking Ridge, and the Little Brook Sanctuary in Bernardsville.
• Golf courses including Neshanic Valley in Neshanic Station, Green Knoll in Bridgewater, Quail Brook and Spooky Brook in Somerset, and Warrenbrook in Warren Township will be open starting on Saturday at 7 a.m.

What remains closed:

• Leash-free dog areas located in Colonial Park, East County Park, and Skillman Park.
• Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden at Colonial Park and the Leonard J. Buck Garden in Far Hills.
• Lord Stirling Stables activities and programs
• Classes, lessons, and programs at all Park Commission facilities remain suspended indefinitely.
• All of the Commission’s baseball, basketball, softball, cricket, and soccer fields, the tennis courts at the Green Knoll Tennis Center and Colonial Park, and the roller hockey rink at the North Branch Greenway Park in Bridgewater.
• Restroom facilities, picnic areas, pavilions, playgrounds, exercise stations, and all buildings including, but not limited to, visitor centers and educational/interpretive centers.

Somerset County's reopening followed Gov. Phil Murphy's announcement on Tuesday saying he is reopening state parks and allowing golf courses to reopen with statewide restrictions. However, he left it up to the local counties' discretion whether they plan to reopen. Read More: Gov. Murphy To Reopen State Parks, Golf Courses In NJ Coronavirus

In compliance with the Governor’s most recent order, the following requirements will be implemented at its general use parks and trail systems:

• Employees and visitors must wear cloth face coverings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health or where the individual is under two years of age;
• Parking will be limited 50% of the maximum capacity at one time, and visitors shall be prohibited from parking in undesignated areas, including in roadways. At 50 percent of parking capacity, parking areas will be closed. We thank patrons for their patience and compliance;
• Picnicking, of any nature, shall be prohibited. This prohibition includes a ban on picnic blankets, chairs, coolers, and other such personal property;
• Visitors must practice social distancing and stay six feet apart whenever practicable, excluding immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners;
• Organized or contact activities or sports shall not be allowed; and
• Gatherings of individuals in park or on trails are prohibited.

Updates on programs and activities may be found at www.somersetcountyparks.org or by calling 908-722-1200.

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