Grace Lord Park is a small park in Boonton, New Jersey, located just below the town’s downtown area. Following the Rockaway River as it enters the Boonton Gorge, its primary attraction is Boonton Falls, a powerful 36-foot waterfall. Aside from the falls, the park holds remnants of the town’s industrial history, including the ruins of the Boonton Ironworks, along with lesser-known sites such as an old railroad trestle and turntable.

Basic Information

Pros and Cons

Points of Interest

• Boonton Falls
  • A 36-foot waterfall
• Boonton Ironworks
  • Ruins of old ironworks featuring 4 dead-end tunnels
• Stone Arch Bridge
  • A bridge used to carry water over the Rockaway River, initially built in 1866
• Railroad Trestle and Turntable
  • A fenced-off 215-foot trestle over the Rockaway River, built in 1906. Adjacent to the trestle in a 54-foot diameter railroad turntable.

Trails

Trails at Grace Lord Park are limited. The main section of the park features a simple gravel-and-dirt path that extends from Essex Avenue past Boonton Falls before ending at the Boonton Ironworks Ruins. An unmarked trail takes visitors about 10 feet from the Morris Avenue parking area to the turntable and trestle.

Before Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, a trail connected the two park areas. Unfortunately, the storm severely eroded the hillside and washed the trail out. Even before the storm, the trail was located along a steep hillside. Plans to repair this section of trail have stalled, and FEMA has denied aid for repairs.

Another somewhat disappointing quirk is how the trail basically disappears after the Boonton Ironworks Ruins. This isn’t how some trails become overgrown and fade away; this trail basically takes you into an industrial area where you don’t feel like you should be.

Parking

Parking for Grace Lord Park is easy, but annoying. The main section, including the playground, Boonton Falls, and some ruins, is accessible only by street parking. The much smaller area featuring the train trestle and turntable has a decently large parking lot that is virtually never used.

• Main Area – Street parking on Essex Ave
  • Booton Falls, Playground, Gazebo, Arch Bridge, Boonton Ironworks; Street parking, on side street. There is plenty of parking, but visitors may need to walk.
• Southern Area – Morris Ave, Boonton, NJ 07005
  • Turntable, Trestle; Large gravel lot that never fills up. Chances are you will be the only car.

Crowds

The main section of the park, especially around the playground can get moderately busy as it is an easy walk from many houses. Even then, the park is never too crowded.

The southern section of the park is nearly always empty.

Maintenance

Maintenance for the most part is fine: the park is clean and presentable. Unfortunately, as mentioned in the “Trails” section, part of the park has been damaged for over 15 years, and is showing no sign of repair. While it is understandable, as the trail has been washed out, and the neighboring private property make a reroute challenging, the lack of connectivity in the park is frustrating.

Who is this park for?

Grace Lord Park is perfect for Booton residents looking for a nice, close park. The park is also perfect for those interested in waterfalls, as Boonton Falls is a legitimately powerful waterfall and one of the most aggressive in the state. Finally, those interested in industrial history will enjoy all the ruins from the Boonton Ironworks.

Final Thoughts

I’ve been visiting Grace Lord Park my whole life, mainly for the view of Boonton Falls. Though the park itself isn’t huge, it packs a surprising number of interesting spots into a relatively small footprint.

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