Chester NJ Community Information
Chester, New Jersey, like Chatham, has two municipal divisions, the Chester Township and the Chester Borough. Located through the middle of Route 24 and Route 206, It has a total land area of 29.33 square miles with a total population of 7,282 people (average year is 36.41). Chester managed to preserve its local marketplace through small stores and specialty shops. And while the other towns in New Jersey seem to be an urban pleasure for some, Chester consists of two main parks good for recreational activities and relaxation purposes like Chubb Park and the Hacklebarney State Park (the latter being located at the opposite of Chester Township).
Chester NJ Shopping & Recreation
Donated to the Township by the Chubb Family, this 85 acre facility is the Township's busiest park. It is located on Route 24, 1/2 mile West of Route 206 and has the following attractions
- 2 Multi Purpose Athletic Fields
- 2 Tennis Courts
- 1 Multi Purpose Softball/Baseball Field
- Children's Playground
- 1 Teen & Adult Baseball Field
- Ice Skating & Nature Pond with shelter
- 1 Youth Soccer Field
- 3 Youth Softball Fields
- Sledding Hill
- 1 Little League Baseball Field
- Veterans Monument
- 9-11 Memorial
- Patriots Path Hiking Trail Access
- 1/4 Mile Walking Path Open Fall of 2004
- Family & Special Event Showgrounds
The tennis courts at Chubb Park are open for use from mid-March through mid-December, weather permitting. The Ice Skating Pond is monitored by Township volunteers for safe skating conditions. No skating is permitted on the pond until a minimum thickness of four inches is achieved. When the ice is safe for skating, a green skating is permitted sign is placed at the Ice Skating Shelter. Unsafe ice conditions are signified by red no skating sign at the shelter.
The athletic fields and show ground facilities at Chubb Park are available for group reservation each year. Most athletic programs serving the Chester area use the park during their seasons. Groups are required to present an application for reservation of the park and a Certificate of Liability Insurance for the organization.
Athletic groups serving Chester area youth must complete criminal history background checks for all administrators and volunteers.
Chubb Park is the site of several annual events. The Chester Volunteer Fire Company's annual Carnival & Fireworks is held each year during the last week of June. Each July, the Morris County 4-H Fair takes place and in late September, the Chester Lions Club hosts their annual Octoberfest.
Tiger Brook Park
Purchased with the assistance of the New Jersey Green Acres Program in 1980, this 270 acre preserve contains a ten acre reservoir. The Park is located on Cooper Lane, 1/4 mile east of Route 206
- Forest Management Preserve
- Fishing in Reservoir
- Hiking Trails
- Scout Camping Area
A parking lot was constructed in 1992 to accommodate increased visitors to the area. The lot, located immediately adjacent to Cooper Lane, provides access to the preserve's service road and to a system of trails within the park. A map of trails is available from the Township Clerk's office.
Black River Park
This park is located on property leased from the West Morris and Chester Township Boards of Education. Two tournament quality multi purpose fields complete with an underground irrigation system were constructed in 1995 and were opened for use in 1996.
A permanent concession building with bathroom facilities has also been added. The building was constructed and funded by the Chester Police Athletic Association. A little league baseball field was completed and a small picnic area is available. The park is located on Route 513 (North Road) 1 mile east of Route 24.
MacGregor Preserve
MacGregor Preserve consists of 159.51 mostly wooded acres on Old Chester-Gladstone Road. The property was purchased in January 2001 for $3.2 million from the Estate of Samuel C. MacGregor. This property was purchased through the combination of a Morris County Open Space Trust Fund grant, a grant from the State Green Acres Program and money from the Township Open Space Trust Fund.
The MacGregor Preserve is adjacent to the Township's existing Tiger Brook Park and together, the two parks provide 430 acres of contiguous open space. Peapack Brook, a major tributary of the North Branch of the Raritan River and a state classified Trout Production stream flows through the park.
Hiking trails connect the MacGregor Preserve with Tiger Brook Park. The entrance to the property is located on Old Chester-Gladstone Road, just south of Route 206 where a gravel parking area for 8 cars is provided.
Click here for a map of MacGregor Preserve Hiking Trails
Evans Family Forest Preserve
The Evans Family Forest Preserve was purchased in December 1999 with a combination of funds from the Morris County Open Space Trust Fund, a Green Acres Grant from the State of New Jersey and funds from the Chester Township Open Space Trust Fund. This 110-acre tract is primarily wooded. It is traversed by Ayers Brook, which is classified as a Trout-Production Stream. This park is available for passive recreation. A trail system for hiking is currently under construction.
Future plans are for the addition of an interpretive nature trail and Scout Camping Area. Catch-and-release fishing for trout in Ayers Brook is permitted but restricted to artificial lures with barb-less hooks only.
Evans Preserve can be accessed at the Trailhead located at the end of Willow Drive where parking area is available or at the Trailhead on South Road where there is a gravel parking area that can accommodate 2 cars.
Click here for descriptions of Evans Preserve Hiking Trails
Click here for a map of Evans Preserve Hiking Trails
Highlands Ridge Park
The newest addition to the Township's parkland, the 113 acre Highlands Ridge Park (formerly Bell Labs' Telcordia Tract) was purchased in July 2004. Directly adjacent to the Evans Family Forest Preserve, the two parcels combined provide a total of 223 acres of contiguous parkland. Locally known as the "Telephone Pole Farm", the park was formerly a long-term test facility for AT&T.
The Township is in the process of developing a long range plan for the use of this park. Telcordia provides a connection between the Evans Preserve and the remainder of the permanently preserved open space in the Township. Currently, the system of hiking trails in the Evans Preserve is being expanded to provide access to Telcordia for hikers. The property was purchased for $6 million which was paid for with a combination of Township funds, a grant from the Morris County Open Space Trust Fund and a State of New Jersey Green Acres grant.
Allen & Knight Tracts
Chester also owns two large wooded parcels in the southwest portion of the Township. The Knight property and the Allen property were acquired in 1998 as part of the Black River Greenway project. These properties provide connections between Morris County’s Kay Environmental Center and Bamboo Brook and Willowood Arboretum. Management of these properties is handled under an agreement with the Morris County Park Commission. Combined these properties consist of almost 400 acres of heavily wooded land. Well marked hiking trails connecting Willowood with the Kay Center and the Cooper Mill cross the properties. The properties were purchased through a combination of State of New Jersey Green Acres Program low-interest loans and donations of value by the former land owners.
Morris County Parks
The Cooper Mill
This mill is the oldest existing mill in Morris County and is on the National Historic Register. Built in 1826 and renovated in the 1980's, it provides visitors with an opportunity to see how grain was processed in the 1800's. The mill is part of Black River Park containing 578 acres used for fishing and other passive recreational activities. This park is located on Route 24 and State Park Road 1-1/2 miles west of Route 206.
Click here for detailed map of trail
Bamboo Brook and Willowwood Arboretum
This facility offers programs in environmental and natural sciences. The gardens at Bamboo Brook were developed over a thirty-year period by Martha Brookes Hutcheson, a noted landscape architect during the early 1900's. The Willowwood Arboretum, containing 3,500 species of native and exotic plants, was acquired by the County from Rutgers University. These areas are located on Longview Road in the southern portion of Chester Township.
Click here for detailed map of trail
Mount Paul Memorial Park
This park, located off Route 24, consists of 285 acres of wooded and undeveloped land.
Kay Environmental Center
The center, located on Pottersville Rd., is home to the New Jersey Office of Nature Conservancy. There are numerous walking trails on the property leading to the Cooper Mill. A map is available in the parking area.
Click here for detailed map of trail
New Jersey State Lands
Hacklebarney State Park
This park was established in 1924 when 32 acres of land were donated to the State by Adolph E. Borie. In 1967, the eastern portion (113 acres) of the original natural area of the park was donated by Anita Morle-Smith Knight. Through Green Acres acquisition, an additional 380 acres were acquired from 1964 to 1974. Additional acreage was obtained through donations and capital purchases bringing the current park size to 890 acres. Of the total acreage, 708 acres are located in Chester Township off State Park Road. Hacklebarney State Park is primarily wooded and provides passive recreational opportunities, such as picnicking, fishing, and walking. The Black River, which bisects the park, is one of the premier trout fishing streams in New Jersey.
Black River Fish and Wildlife Management Area
This area consists of 3,020 acres in the northern portion of the Township. It was purchased under the Green Acres Acquisition Program for passive recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, canoeing, cross-country skiing and hiking along the abandoned right of way of the former Chester Branch of the DL&W Railroad. Morris County's Patriot's Path hiking trail crosses through the Black River WMA. This area is heavily used during the hunting season and non-hunters should check with the park office on Route 513 before using this area in the fall and winter.
Chester NJ School and Community Information
Black River Middle School
Rt. 513 – North Road , Chester, NJ 07930, Phone: (908) 879-6363
Fax: (908) 879-9085
Bragg School
250 State Route 24 # 2 Chester, NJ 07930-2643, Phone: (908) 879-5324 Fax: (908) 879-5438
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Dickerson School
250 State Route 24, Chester, NJ 07930-2642, Phone: (908) 879-5313 Fax: (908) 879-7018
West Morris Mendham High School
65 East Main Street
Mendham, NJ 07945
p: (973) 543-2501
http://www.wmmhs.org/
259 Bartley Road Chester, NJ 07930 (908) 879-5212
http://www.wmchs.org/
Washington Township Public Library
37 E. Springtown Road Chester NJ 07853
http://www.washingtontwplibrary.org/
Senior Resource Center (SRC)
www.seniorresourcecenter.org
Chester Library
250 West Main Street Chester, NJ 07930 Phone: 908/879-7612
Chester Commute and Transportation Information
Lakeland Bus
NJ Transit Train available at Mount Arlington
Local Routes: Route 24, Route 10, Route 80 & Route 206
Chester NJ Shopping
Chester Township has several shopping locations & restaurants.
Streets of Chester
http://www.shopsofchester.com/
ANN TAYLOR,EDDIE BAUER, GAP KIDS/BABY, J.CREW WOMEN, J.JILL, LIMITED, TOO, PAPYRUS, WHITE HOUSE|BLACK MARKET, TALBOT'S WOMEN, CHICO'S, COACH, CARTERS, BANANA REPUBLIC
ITC Crossing Retail Center
http://www.cbre.com/USA/US/NJ/New+Jersey+North/Property/InternationalTradeCenter.htm?pageid=2
Sam’s Club, Lowes, Old Navy, Walmart, Babies R Us, Panera, Longhorn, Applebee’s Chilis, Macaroni Grill
Chester NJ Map
Chester NJ Weather and Climate
http://www.weather.com/weather/today/Chester+NJ+07930?lswe=07930&from=searchbox_localwxChester NJ Links
http://www.chesterborough.org/
http://chester-library.gti.net/
http://www.recordernewspapers.com/
http://www.chester-nj.org/index.cfm
http://www.shopsofchester.com/
