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Middlebrook Trail Main Washington Valley Park page Larger versions for East and West Sections. | Zoom out to Bridgewater Source: https://www.somersetcountyparks.org/genInfo/maps/WashingtonValleyPk.pdf This 686 acre undeveloped wooded area includes mountain biking and hiking trails It is located on the first ridge of the Watchung Mountains between Vosseller Ave. and Newmans Lane, on both sides of Chimney Rock Road and is the second largest park in the Somerset Co. Park System.
The western portion next to Vosseller Ave. also has
many rock walls some of which may be remnants of the Middle Brook Encampment during the revolution. It includes the Hawk Watch, a platform a short walk from a parking area towards the end of Miller Ln. A team has been counting hawks here since 1990 and typically spot from 10 - 20,000 hawks, falcons and eagles in a season. The migration season runs from Sept. through Nov. with the greatest number of birds in the middle of Sept.
It is home to the Chimney Rock Mountain Bike Trail Park with 10 miles of bike trails accessable from Newmans Ln. Gilbride Rd. and Miller Ln. MiddleBrook Trail runs thru the park. The Bound Brook/Elizabethtown Reservior will become the focal point of future development. There are many groves of wineberries (A type of raspberry) that ripen in late July. It is considered an invasive but the berries are great. See wineberries.
The park is a haven for ticks. Washington Valley Park page at the Somerset Co. Park System site. Contact: Somerset County Park Commission Rangers at (908) 369-1458 ext. 422 or the Naturalists at (908) 766-2489. Return to: Martinsville Information
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