Hiking to the Filthy Green Brook Falls at Watchung Reservation

Union County’s Watchung Reservation is home to the small Green Brook Falls. While this could be a nice local gem, visitors’ complete disrespect and an apparent lack of maintenance make it one of the worst waterfalls in New Jersey. If you like hiking over literal bags of garbage and enjoy the smell of rotting food, this waterfall is for you. If you still want to visit, the hike to the falls is nice and a quick, easy walk from the parking area. Aside from the waterfall, there is a small overlook, some old mill ruins, and a much more scenic dam. Continue reading to learn more about this disappointing waterfall.

The Hike

The hike to Green Brook Falls is fairly easy, and only 1.65 miles round-trip. The hike begins at the Seeley’s Pond Picnic Area which does feature a water crossing, the hardest part of the hike. If water levels are high, you may want to park on Sky Top Drive (as described below).

The hike is primarily on the White Trail. While there are some unmarked trails that are slightly shorter, the White Trail is maintained and a lot easier to follow.

Parking

This hike has two main parking areas. The closer option is the pull-offs on Sky Top Drive as you enter Watchung Reservation, just after the intersection with Glenside Avenue. Parking is available on both sides of the road, with a handful of cars on each side. These pull-offs have no address, but the GPS coordinates are 40.670333, -74.401389.

Alternatively, you can park at Seeley’s Pond Picnic Area, which holds about 60 cars. This parking area also has no address, but you can find it at 40.669333, -74.403306. Parking here is slightly farther away, but I recommend it for two main reasons: more space is available, and it offers easy access to Seeley’s Pond Dam, a scenic add-on.

Beginning The Hike

From the Seeley’s Pond Picnic Area, cross the large field adjacent to the entrance road. Walk across the field and locate the obvious unmarked trail heading into the woods. Follow this trail.

After a short distance, you will reach an unbridged water crossing. Once across, you will reach Sky Top Road. Generally, this crossing is easy, but during high water, you may want to go around. Fortunately, a less distinct path takes you upstream slightly to where you can cross the brook via road.

At the road, turn right and cross a bridge over Blue Brook. At the other side you will reach the alternate pull-off parking.

From Sky Top Drive

At the pull-off, locate the White Trail. If you arrived following the directions above, this will be on the right-hand side of the road. If you parked here, it is on the northbound side/side entering Watchung Reservation. Note that there are numerous unmarked trails here; only take the White Trail. While it is technically slightly faster to reach the waterfall by following one of these unmarked trails, there are numerous intersections, and it gets confusing.

The first part of the trail follows a wide woods road. After a short distance, the trail veers to the right, leaving the road.

About 0.4 miles into the White Trail, the trail reaches an overlook. Weirdly, you actually gradually descend to this overlook.

While the overlook looks inviting and clear, it is pretty underwhelming with not much to see.

After the overlook, the trail steeply descends a short hill.

At the bottom of this hill, you will reach a chasm to the right. Unfortunately, while geologically cool, this chasm is covered in graffiti and litter. You can take this chasm to the top of Green Brook Falls, or continue ahead on the White Trail.

If you continue on the White Trail, you will soon be brought to a view of Green Brook Falls.

Green Brook Falls cascades into a large pool of water. Unfortunately, there is a large rock blocking much of the view.

If you follow an unmarked trail upstream, you can reach where the waterfall cascades and carefully cross it for a better view. While you may think standing on the aforementioned rock will offer a clear view of the falls, the rock is actually part of the waterfall. You can get unique views from it, but you will not be able to see both drops clearly.

From across Green Brook, you can take in more views of the falls.

Waterfall Issues

Unfortunately, it might be scenic in a different scenario; visiting Green Brook Falls is not exactly enjoyable. This is because the area is covered in trash. Having been to hundreds of waterfalls, I have never seen one so filthy. Literal garbage bags of trash surround the place. Not only is it ugly, but the waterfall also stinks.

The park has installed numerous signs in English and Spanish prohibiting alcohol, dumping and swimming. Clearly these signs are not working.

The area needs a clean-up and more frequent patrols. The amount of alcohol I saw indicated that someone is going to drown here at some point. The waterfall is right next to and visible from New Providence Road, making it very easy to patrol, especially since the road features a shoulder to pull off onto.

Mill Ruins

From Green Brook Falls, if you continue slightly ahead you will reach the ruins of an old mill. While the building is gone, foundations, concrete flooring and pipes still reamin.

From the ruins, return the way you came. You can extend the hike and continue on the White Trail, but because of the trail layout, there are no easy ways to return.

Optional Seeley’s Pond and Dam

In addition to Green Brook Falls, there is another waterfall, albeit man-made, which can be reached from the Seeley’s Pond Picnic Area parking lot.

From the parking area locate a gazebo in the middle of the picnic area.

The gazebo also acts as an overlook; however, the view is mostly grown in.

Next to the gazebo locate an obvious unmarked trail heading into the woods. This trail is in the opposite direction of the initial trail to Green Brook Falls.

Follow the trail a short distance until you reach the dam for Seeley’s Pond. From here you also have a decent view of Seeley’s Pond, though the pond is not the most scenic.

Next to the dam, you can take the easy, mowed, slope to the base of the dam.

Though man-made, the waterfall is scenic and noticeably cleaner than Green Brook Falls. Signs prohibit crossing Blue Brook, which would be difficult regardless. While you can reach the other side of the dam via a network of unmarked trails, this viewpoint is more than enough for most visitors.

You might notice that this waterfall is on Blue Brook while Green Brook Falls is on Green Brook. While that might seem strange, it’s simply because Blue Brook flows into Green Brook just downstream of the falls.