| South Mountain Reservation | |
|---|---|
 Crater View | |
  | |
| Nearest city | Newark, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°45′00″N 74°17′34″W / 40.75000°N 74.29278°W |
| Area | 2,047 acres (8.28 km2) |
| Established | 1895 |
| Governing body | Essex County |
South Mountain Reservation, covering between 2,047[1] and 2,112[2] acres (between 8.28 and 8.54 km2), depending on the source, is a nature reserve on the Rahway River that is part of the Essex County Park System in northeastern New Jersey. It is located in central Essex County, New Jersey within portions of Maplewood, Millburn, and West Orange. It borders South Orange between the first and second ridges of the Watchung Mountains.[3]
Carved from wilderness at the end of the 19th century, designed by Olmsted Brothers, and developed over a few decades, the reservation has changed only slightly through the years. Preserved primarily in its wild state, woodlands abound in a variety of hardwood trees, and tall hemlocks tower above streams, creeks and ponds, and waterfalls. Higher points, such as Crater View, offer vistas of the New York and Jersey City skylines, Elizabeth, Union Township, and Staten Island.[4]
- ^ "South Mountain Reservation | South Orange Village, NJ". www.southorange.org. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
- ^ "South Mountain Reservation | Parks | Essex County Parks". essexcountyparks.org. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
- ^ South Mountain Reservation, accessed April 7, 2007
- ^ Kofsky, Jared (26 October 2009). "Walk in the Park: Scenic Reservation Overlooks". www.patch.com. South Orange Patch. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
Located on Crest Drive between Washington Rock and the dog park, Crater View is also about 500 feet above sea level. From Crater View...you can see New York, Newark and Jersey City. You can also see the Bayonne Bridge, and with binoculars, you can see cars traveling over it, as well as the Verrazano Bridge. You can see the Empire State Building, the world's tallest water tower in Union...