Mountain Lake, Birchwood, Crystal, Sunset, Cove, Olive, Shadow, Reservoir and Wildwood lakes form a chain of water features woven into the borough's neighborhoods and parkland.
Morris County · Historic Planned Lake Community
Mountain Lakes
Mountain Lakes is one of New Jersey's most distinctive planned residential communities: a compact borough shaped by nine lakes, wooded hills, narrow curving roads, stonework and an extraordinary concentration of early-20th-century Craftsman-influenced homes known locally as “Lakers.”
Developed beginning in 1910 as a residential park suburb with direct rail access to New York, Mountain Lakes has preserved much of its original landscape and architectural character while supporting highly regarded schools, extensive resident recreation, public trails, a local library and a commercial corridor along Route 46 and Midvale Road.
Nine Lakes Hapgood “Laker” Homes National Register Historic DistrictCountyMorris County
GovernmentSeven-member Borough Council
MayorMelissa Muilenburg
Borough Hall400 Boulevard
RailNJ Transit Montclair-Boonton Line
Historic DistrictNational & State Registers
SchoolsPreK–12 + Lake Drive program
LibraryMountain Lakes Public Library
Explore Mountain Lakes
Mountain Lakes is small geographically, but its historic character, lake system, residential market and Route 46 corridor provide enough depth for a complete NJTGO town set.
Business & ShoppingRoute 46, Midvale Road, local services, healthcare, professional offices and neighborhood businesses.
Food & DrinkLocal dining and takeout in Mountain Lakes, with nearby options clearly separated by municipality.
Real EstateHistoric Hapgood homes, lake-area property, zoning, preservation, taxes and property resources.
Visiting & LodgingHistoric architecture, trails, rail history, lakes, nearby Tourne recreation and visitor planning.
ClassifiedsCommunity marketplace, announcements and genuine resident submissions.
JobsBorough, schools, Route 46 employers, nonprofits, services and nearby employment resources.
A planned community centered on lakes
Mountain Lakes was conceived as a residential park suburb in which the landscape came first. Roads, homes and public spaces were shaped around topography, water and woods rather than imposed on a conventional street grid.
Large stucco, Craftsman-influenced homes built during the borough's formative years remain a defining part of Mountain Lakes architecture and identity.
Woodlands, wetlands, boulderstone walls, naturalistic landscaping and publicly preserved land help retain the planned residential-park character envisioned more than a century ago.
The landscaped Boulevard remains one of the borough's most recognizable organizing features and a popular community walking route.
The 1912 railroad station gave early residents direct commuter access and helped make country-style residential living practical for people working toward New York.
The entire borough is within the New Jersey Highlands Planning Area and achieved full Highlands Regional Master Plan conformance in 2024.
Mountain Lakes history
Mountain Lakes changed remarkably quickly from rural woodland to a deliberately planned commuter suburb during the early 20th century.
Engineer Lewis Van Duyne helped shape the site concept, while developer Herbert J. Hapgood and landscape engineer Arthur T. Holton transformed the landscape into a planned residential park.
The Lawrence W. Luellen family moved into 46 Dartmouth Road in March 1911. By that summer, dozens of families were already living in the new community.
Completion of the Mountain Lakes station strengthened the borough's identity as a commuter-oriented residential community.
Mountain Lakes became a separate municipality after its early residents moved to protect the character and continuity of the planned community.
The Mountain Lakes Historic District was placed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.
The source page's 1924 incorporation date remains central to the borough story.
Mountain Lakes was formed from portions of Boonton Township and Hanover Township after the original residential community had already developed its own strong identity.
Mountain Lakes Historic District
Historic preservation is not a side topic in Mountain Lakes — it is central to understanding the borough's architecture, landscape and planning.
The National Register historic district covers roughly three-quarters of the borough and contains the core area of Hapgood's planned suburb, including all of the borough's lakes.
The district is significant for community planning, landscape design and its concentration of Craftsman-style homes, including the familiar stucco “Laker” houses.
The Jonathan Grimes Farmstead at 4 Craven Road is individually listed on the State and National Registers and represents an earlier chapter of local settlement history.
The 1912 railroad station is one of the borough's recognized historic resources and remains in active commuter use.
The 1914 fieldstone school building is another historic community landmark and continues to serve the district's Lake Drive program.
The borough's Historic Preservation Committee maintains archival photographs, historic-house information, essays and an interactive map that make the community's development unusually well documented.
Lakes & resident recreation
The lakes are both a defining visual feature and an active part of local recreation, but visitors should understand the distinction between public open space and resident-only special-use facilities.
Resident beach facility on Mountain Lake used for swimming, community events and seasonal recreation. Current beach tags are required for applicable resident use.
Birchwood combines a resident beach and competitive swimming/diving area with a wooded trail that circles the lake and connects toward the Tourne/Rattlesnake Valley landscape.
The borough operates watercraft registration plus rack and ring systems. Current rules, registration and location availability should be checked before storing or launching resident watercraft.
Fishing is part of Mountain Lakes recreation, including community traditions such as the Birchwood Lake trout derby. Current borough and state rules apply.
A borough advisory committee monitors and helps plan for water quality, lakebeds, watersheds, tributaries and long-term lake restoration and protection.
The lake network includes large community focal points and smaller lakes and ponds, all contributing to the borough's historic district and landscape identity.
Beaches and other special-use recreation facilities are primarily resident amenities.
Borough-owned parks and open spaces are generally accessible regardless of residency, while beaches, tennis and other special-use facilities have residency and tag requirements. Check current borough rules before planning a visit around lake access.
Trails, parks & open space
Mountain Lakes has meaningful trail and woodland access despite its compact size.
Approximately 50 acres of woods east of the railroad tracks with access from Maple Way, Crescent/Center Drives and Yorke Road.
Wooded trails, wetlands and sports-field areas between Powerville Road and Fanny Road provide both active and passive recreation.
The Tourne landscape extends across Boonton Township, Denville and Mountain Lakes. Borough-owned Wilcox Park and the Birchwood area connect Mountain Lakes into this larger trail network.
The approximately two-mile Boulevard route provides a highly recognizable local walking and jogging corridor through the planned community.
Lake Drive parkland includes memorials honoring borough residents who died in major conflicts and contributes to the community's network of smaller open spaces.
Trails around the upper lakes lead through a landscape of glacial boulders, woods, springs and historic remnants toward the Tourne.
Tourne County Park is not wholly inside Mountain Lakes.
The 545-acre Tourne spans Boonton Township, Denville and Mountain Lakes. NJTGO will keep that cross-municipal geography explicit on the Visiting & Lodging page.
Mountain Lakes School District
Education is a central part of borough life. The current district includes preschool through high school plus the specialized Lake Drive program for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Inclusive district preschool serving children ages 3 and 4.
District elementary school serving grades K–5.
District middle school serving grades 6–8.
District high school serving grades 9–12.
Specialized district program serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students from age 3 through 21 and drawing students from communities across New Jersey.
The borough also identifies The Craig School and several private preschool/early-learning programs serving local families.
Mountain Lakes Station
NJ Transit serves Mountain Lakes from the historic station on Midvale Road, connecting the borough with regional employment centers and New York-bound rail connections.
Three municipal station lots provide permit parking. NJ Transit currently lists a combined 87 standard spaces across the Midvale Road lots.
Bike racks/lockers and a ticket vending machine are available at the station. Overnight parking is currently permitted under posted rules.
Mountain Lakes Public Library
The Mountain Lakes Public Library provides print and digital collections, databases, programming, technology assistance, museum passes and community meeting space.
The local library traces its origins to 1914, when the Woman's Club opened a 100-volume library in Lake Drive School. It is now part of the Main Library Alliance.
Business & the Route 46 corridor
Mountain Lakes is primarily residential, but it also has a meaningful commercial edge that gives the borough enough depth for dedicated business, dining and employment pages.
Retail, restaurants, churches, fitness, healthcare, professional offices and service businesses line portions of the borough's Route 46 frontage.
The station and Midvale Road area form another recognizable local center with commuter access, library proximity and neighborhood-oriented businesses.
The borough maintains a committee focused on attracting and retaining businesses consistent with the Master Plan and Mountain Lakes' established character.
Borough government
Mountain Lakes has a seven-member Borough Council elected at large. The Council selects the Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among its members at the annual reorganization meeting.
Borough Hall400 Boulevard
Main Phone973-334-3131
MayorMelissa Muilenburg
Borough ManagerMitchell Stern
Seven elected council members serve four-year terms and conduct public meetings with opportunities for resident comment.
Planning, zoning, environmental and historic-preservation policies are closely tied to maintaining the borough's planned-community character.
Committees and commissions play an unusually visible role in lakes, historic preservation, recreation, environmental issues, economic development and community life.
Nearby communities
Boonton TownshipWooded Morris County neighbor adjoining the Tourne area and northern side of Mountain Lakes.
BoontonNearby historic town with a traditional Main Street, restaurants and rail service.
DenvilleNeighboring township with downtown shopping, dining, lakes and additional Morris County rail access.
Parsippany-Troy HillsLarge neighboring township with major employment, shopping, hotel and highway corridors.
Own a business serving Mountain Lakes?
Reach residents and visitors through NJTGO's Mountain Lakes guide and dedicated supporting pages.
View Advertising InformationCommunity information reviewed in August 2026. Beach access, recreation rules, rail parking, public programs, business activity and municipal services can change; confirm time-sensitive details with the responsible organization.