State-owned reservoir at 420 Splitrock Road with designated public access for hiking, fishing and car-top kayaking near the dam.
Morris County · Highlands, Mining History, Lakes & Shopping
Visit Rockaway Township
Rockaway Township is one of Morris County's best combinations of outdoor recreation, industrial history and modern shopping. A visitor can paddle or hike at Splitrock Reservoir, explore the iron-mining landscape at Mount Hope Historical County Park, attend a program at the Ford-Faesch House, and finish the day with shopping or dining around Rockaway Townsquare.
The Township's size matters: attractions are spread across nearly 46 square miles, from the Mount Hope/I-80 district to Hibernia, Green Pond, Lake Telemark and the Highlands forest. A car is the most practical way to connect them.
Rockaway Township is not Rockaway Borough. Park Lake, Main Street and the Borough Historical Museum belong to the separate Rockaway Borough guide. Rockaway Township includes the Mount Hope/I-80 shopping district, Splitrock, Hibernia, Green Pond, Lake Telemark, White Meadow Lake and Picatinny Arsenal.
Highlands hiking, paddling & wildlife
Thousands of acres of state and municipal open space make the northern and western Township dramatically different from the retail district around I-80.
Highlands forest adjoining Splitrock with mature oak woods, streams, wetlands and trails of varying difficulty. The park is open sunrise to sunset and does not charge an entrance fee.
6,318-acre wildlife-management area encompassing rugged forest, former iron-mining landscapes, hiking trails, fishing waters and important wildlife habitat.
Trail system connecting portions of Rockaway Township's protected Highlands landscape and providing longer hiking opportunities for experienced visitors.
Municipal open-space property in the northern Township with lake scenery and a natural walking path following portions of the shoreline.
Large municipal park bordering Picatinny and Wildcat Ridge, with trails, picnic facilities and shoreline fishing in a wooded setting.
Splitrock safety and access: Public water access is from the designated parking area near the dam. Only car-top watercraft may be launched there; gas motors are prohibited, shoreline fishing is not permitted at the reservoir, and hiking should remain on marked trails. NJDEP also maintains a closure around the area commonly known as “The Cliffs” in Wildcat Ridge.
Township Outdoor Recreation
Farny State Park
Iron-mining & Revolutionary history
Rockaway Township's iron-mining story reaches back to the colonial period and continued for centuries. Mount Hope, Hibernia and surrounding areas supplied iron that became strategically important during the American Revolution and later supported large-scale industrial mining.
Township-owned Georgian stone manor at 629 Mount Hope Road associated with ironmasters Jacob Ford Jr. and John Jacob Faesch. The Historical Society opens the house for sponsored events and arranges tours by request.
479-acre Morris County park on Teabo Road preserving visible remains of the Richard, Teabo and Allen mining operations. Marked trails interpret nearly three centuries of iron-mining history.
The Hibernia section preserves the setting of another major Rockaway iron-mining district, with portions of the surrounding forest now protected within Wildcat Ridge.
Ford-Faesch restoration continues. The Township and Historical Society continue preservation work on the house, including interior restoration and building-system upgrades. Public access is tied to Historical Society programs or arranged tours rather than unrestricted daily visitation.
Historical Society
Morris County Parks
Parks, swimming & community recreation
Township recreation area on Burnt House Garden Road with swimming, boating, picnic areas and shoreline fishing. Summer beach access is resident-only and requires a paid badge.
Joint Township/Borough park at 8 Mount Hope Road with a 0.7-mile paved walking path, gazebo, leashed-dog access and shoreline fishing outside the beach area.
Membership-only water park on Picatinny Arsenal with slides, lap lanes, a zero-depth pool, lazy river and children's activity pool. Township residents are eligible for membership.
Municipal recreation space serving the Lake Telemark side of the Township.
Athletic and recreation facility within the Township's broader parks system.
Parks Lake can be monitored for winter ice skating when conditions permit, while Mount Hope Pond operates seasonally for swimming.
Resident-access distinction: Mount Hope Pond beach and Frog Falls are not ordinary drop-in public swimming attractions. Check current residency, membership, badge and security requirements before making plans.
Pools & Beaches
Rockaway Townsquare & Mount Hope shopping
Rockaway Township's most visitor-oriented commercial district surrounds Interstate 80 at Mount Hope Avenue. The enclosed Rockaway Townsquare mall is joined by Rockaway Town Plaza, Rockaway Commons, the Marketplace at Rockaway and a dense mix of restaurants and services.
Regional indoor mall at 301 Mount Hope Avenue with department stores, specialty shopping, technology, apparel, beauty, jewelry, entertainment and dining.
Target, Best Buy, PetSmart, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Walmart and other major retailers cluster around the Mount Hope/I-80 interchange.
The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's, Miller's Ale House, Buffalo Wild Wings, Olive Garden and numerous fast-casual choices make dining easy during a shopping trip.
A useful rainy-day option: Rockaway Townsquare and the surrounding retail centers make the Township unusually easy to visit when weather rules out hiking or paddling.
September 2026 visitor calendar
As of September 1, several Township events are still ahead this month.
Family/couple scarecrow competition associated with Park Lake and social-media voting.
Community remembrance program at the Parks Lake Gazebo.
Annual Township senior picnic at Craigmeur for eligible senior residents.
Community-wide sale day throughout Rockaway Township.
Community blood-donation event held the same morning as the townwide sale.
Township wellness program with registration continuing into mid-September.
Check before traveling. Event locations, parking, registration and weather policies can change. Verify final details on the Township calendar.
Current Township Calendar
Hotels in Rockaway Township
Rockaway Township currently has two conventional hotels inside its municipal boundaries. Both are convenient to I-80, but they serve different parts of the Township.
Recently renovated full-service hotel beside Rockaway Townsquare, convenient to I-80, Mount Hope dining and Picatinny Arsenal.
Modern hotel on Green Pond Road serving the Hibernia/Green Pond side of the Township as well as I-80 travelers.
Additional all-suite and extended-stay lodging is available just outside the Township around Commerce Center Drive in Dover, close to the Mount Hope retail district.
Commercial lodging policy: Hotels are identified as practical visitor options, not paid endorsements. Standard NJTGO listings do not include free external commercial booking links. Confirm current rates, room types, accessibility, amenities and policies directly before booking.
Camping & specialized camps
Rockaway Township has substantial forest and open space, but it does not currently function as a public transient-camping destination. Several properties with “camp” in their names have specialized purposes and should not be treated as ordinary campgrounds.
The former Scout camp at 39 Upper Hibernia Road closed in 2024. Current posted information indicates that public access is prohibited; it should not be treated as an active campground.
27 Durham Road. Active nonprofit residential summer program for campers with physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities. It is a specialized camp program—not public overnight lodging.
100 White Meadow Road. Active eight-week summer day camp serving the White Meadow Lake community and surrounding area. It is not an overnight campground.
Nearby in Jefferson Township. Public Morris County campground with 18 RV sites, eight tent sites and four Adirondack shelter sites.
Best public camping option: Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, 955 Weldon Road in Jefferson Township, operates an April–November public campground with RV, tent and Adirondack-shelter camping and more than 3,500 acres of parkland.
Mahlon Dickerson Camping
Getting to & around Rockaway Township
Interstate 80 is the primary regional route. Exit 35 serves Mount Hope Avenue and the main shopping/hotel district.
Rockaway Township does not have a passenger rail station. Dover and Denville are the nearest practical NJ TRANSIT rail hubs.
Splitrock Road, Upper Hibernia Road and other Highlands roads are narrower and more rural than the Mount Hope commercial area. Drive cautiously and use designated parking only.
Picatinny Arsenal is a controlled military installation. Do not assume general public access because a recreation facility or event is located on base.
Do not park informally at trail or reservoir access points. Splitrock and Wildcat Ridge users should use designated public parking and observe NJDEP closures, posted signs and seasonal rules.
Rockaway Township trip ideas
Start early at Splitrock Reservoir for hiking or car-top kayaking, explore the Farny/Wildcat Ridge landscape and finish with dinner near Mount Hope.
Walk the marked trails at Mount Hope Historical County Park, visit Ford-Faesch during a scheduled program or arranged tour, then explore Hibernia-area history.
Spend the afternoon at Rockaway Townsquare and the surrounding retail centers, then choose from the Mount Hope restaurant cluster.
For eligible residents or members, combine Mount Hope Pond or Frog Falls with an easy Parks Lake walk and casual food nearby.
Use the September townwide yard sale, remembrance ceremony or another Township event as the centerpiece of a local visit.
Stay at a Rockaway Township hotel or camp at nearby Mahlon Dickerson, then use the Township as a base for Highlands trails, shopping and Morris County attractions.
Reach visitors coming to Rockaway Township
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