skylands new jersey botanical gardens

smitty60

This has always been a favorite retreat of mine. I grew up down the road from Skylands and, as a child, spent many hours exploring the grounds and bicycling the roads and back trails. I watched as the gardens and fountains went from being an abandoned secret garden to the glorious Botanical Garden it is today. As an adult, I visit whenever I have the opportunity. The formal gardens are absolutely beautiful but are only a small part of the treasure that is Skylands.There is a fee to park on the weekends. Obtain a map from the Carriage House, as there is much to explore and discover, from the formal gardens, ponds and fountains to the lakes and ponds on the back trails and Shepherd's Lake Recreation Area. Some older trails aren't even on the map. So many favorite places, too many to be able to list them all!

RobertBaker09271963

Definitely for the Camera enthusiast, beautiful Gardens and great Hiking trails .. Free Parking during the week

EricMelanie

By no means a large setting it is a beautiful place to spend a few hours(actual park area is about square mile). The garden boasts many types of seasonal plantings and the grounds are plenty big enough for a family bicycle ride. Starting at the Ringwood(Cupsaw Lake) entrance ,expect a scenic 15min ride through the woods,Skylands Historical Manor and ending at a medium sized mountain top lake which sits next to Thunder Mountain. A skeet shooting range. All in all a cool,safe,fun place to spend a few hours with the kids.One more thing I forgot to mention is that if you like walking, there are many,many cool things to explore in the surrounding woods. There's 250-300 year old buildings nestled in some trails. There's a model airplane landing/takeoff strip/open lawn.Numerous dirtbike trails and some mountains,once climbed offer dramatic views of Oakland, Mahwah NJ and Suffern NY. Expect to spend a full day there if you go off exploring.

jeanl521

I love the New Jersey State Botanical Gardens at Skylands. This year, for the first time, I toured Skylands Manor when it was open during the holiday season. What a disappointment. I love historic homes, but this one is not decorated according to any notion of its historic period or even the purpose of the individual rooms. Instead, it is a hodge-podge of fussy decorations that detract from the manor itself.

cj591

Skylands area is a special place to explore and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings - and in season, the Botanical Gardens are nothing short of a beautiful day spent - even when it's cloudy! However, do not expect an overly expansive planting or style like NYC's. This one is more manor house country garden type including walled gardens and statues situated in the middle of the woods at the other end of a giant lawn. Even off-season (i.e. winter/spring), the grounds are hauntingly silent (especially during the week). A hidden gem in New Jersey (as is the surrounding Ringwood State Park / Ramapo State Forest).

R3438BAannac

A great place to visit and relax. The gardens are beautiful all year round but especially in Spring and summer. It would be a great place for a wedding.

LakeWinniFiddy

Skylands Manor and the NJ Botanical Gardens are among my favorite local places to visit. The park is rich in history, the architecture and buildings are stunning, and the gardens are lovely. My parents used to take me to the Christmas open house when I was growing up, and now my husband and I go every year. It's one of my favorite traditions.

980carolej

I think it would be a great day trip in May when the flowers are starting to come out. Right now everything is browning off but you can see how the trails are set up and they should be very nice in the spring

nbee98

Recently I visited the Jersey Skylands as a part of the Harvest Festival. It was a nice event and I was eager to see the grounds. The Skylands is a large property with a historic mansion and surrounding forest, yet the there is a lack of flowers for a "botanical garden." The Skylands is still worth a visit on a nice day to remind you that Jersey can be beautiful.

jeanl521

I have been to Skylands (the New Jersey Botanical Gardens) many times, and I am always sorry to leave. The gardens are beautiful, though the lack of professional staff (because of budget concerns, I'm sure) sometimes shows. But they make the most of the gardens, especially the annuals and perennials. If you love nature, gardens, photography, this is a lovely place for a stroll. I especially recommend Skylands during lilac blossom time.

799jacquelinep

Bring your camera and your cell phone to enjoy the cell-phone based audio walking tour of the gardens.

siggiedeluna

Lovely grounds with beautiful old specimen trees. Picturesque meadows and water features. We visited as part of our stay at the Castle at Skyland Manor. Since it was the end of August most of the lawns were dry and some of the perennials past their bloom. That did not take away from the beauty of the place but I can only imagine it to be even more beautiful in the spring or at the height of fall. Would def. recommend to visit if you like a peaceful park stroll and photography enthusiast

dvunkannon

Skylands is a hidden gem. Wind your way into the hills of Northern NJ and find a grand house and extensive grounds. In late summer the water lilies spread across the fountains, and koi swim beneath them. After the leaves fall in winter, longer views are revealed.Flower photographers will be very happy! My family tries to come several times a year to enjoy the changes.

NJkathleen

We visited the NJ Botanical Gardens on a beautiful late summer day. We love visiting gardens and were looking forward to the "Garden State" gardens. The gardens are just average and there were a lot of invasive plants in the meadows. The trees in the grove were diseased and plants were not tagged with names. They could do much better and we are hoping to see improvements in the future. It was not worth the drive and there are much better gardens in county parks in the area.

Jas104

There are some nice gardens here. The walking trails are not too difficult for small children. There are plenty of spots to make a picnic and take photos. Ive been to botanical gardens that had a nicer variety of flowers but this place is still worth the visit. The grounds are very nice and there are nice walking trails around the gardens and the property. You can easily spend three hours here if you take some time to explore the grounds. Paid 7 dollars parking fee.