The Pond House & Pond
The Pond House
The Pond House was renovated in 2006 with a grant that the Conservancy won from NJ Green Acres with matching funding from Essex County. It has bathrooms, and is open to the public during the day and staffed by Essex County caretakers from May until October.
In the winter, when Essex County approves ice skating on the pond, a warming fire is maintained in the fireplace and GCPC volunteers provide coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Skaters can choose from over sixty pairs of figure and hockey ice skates of various sizes, which were donated by the community and are available for community use free of charge.
Ice skates waiting for children and adults to borrow.
Late afternoon on the pond.
The Pond
The pond is about 5.5 feet deep and supports fish, turtles, frogs, ducks, and birds. It is fed via an intake from the Pine Brook which runs alongside it and drains back into the brook via the weir beneath the stone bridge at Runnymede Road.
We’re looking forward to a Model Sailboat Regatta and Movie Nights by the Pond.
Ice skating is available in the winter months when the pond freezes and the ice reaches a safe thickness of 5.5 inches. The County tests the ice thickness and stability daily to determine if skating can take place.
Essex County also hosts an Annual Fishing Day.
Amenities
The fireplace keeps ice skaters warm.
Early summer morning at the pond.
Sailboat on the pond.
