duke island park

I've been going to Duke Island Park regularly for the ten years I've been living in Raritan. This is a Somerset County park which runs east to west along the Raritan River off of Old York Road in Bridgewater, NJ. If you park by the band shell you can walk a loop east towards the small pond, then south to the river and west all the way past the dam and return from there. Before you get to the dam, the river passes trough a small gorge where there are gentle rapids (one of my favorite spots on the river). Returning from the dam you can choose to walk the canal path (it parallels the Raritan Power Canal which begins at the west end of the park and then runs through the park). There is also a bike/walking trail that begins in Raritan east of the park at a parking area on Old York Road by the historic Hibernia Mine Railroad Bridge over the canal. This east end of the bike trail is very nice with close views of the river. As a bird watcher I love to walk the trails all year. Bald Eagles nest just across the river on the Duke Estate (a/k/a Duke Farms). In Spring the Virginia Bluebells bloom presenting a spectacular scene along the river. People like to picnic here, walk dogs, bike ride, come to concerts and enjoy the fresh air.

Nice trails, good parking, cute bridges. Good amount of space. Nice foliage. (That's all I have to say, but they make you write at least 50 characters.)

Best places to hang-out with friends, family. Well connectivity for some taking public transport. Needs more food joints.

We saw some wonderful and fun concerts this summer for FREE here this summer. The Stylistics, the Happenings - to name a few.Bring your lawn chairs, snacks and sit back and enjoy.

The food trucks were NOT ready for the crowd. Luckily we arrived at 4 and it wasn't crowded yet. But around 5, I waited half an hour for a sandwich from one of the trucks and I come to find out it wasn't even cooked. The chicken was cold which means it was premade therefore I'm unsure why it took 30 mins. Then my sister and her fiancée waited 1.5 hours for 2 burgers (ran out of fries).5 food trucks, 1 icecream truck and the entire park was full. While the concert was good (for those that like the music), do not go hungry!!! Bring your own good or go early!!!!

We rented a pavillion and needed to get supplies there. Rangers gave us a hard time on parking close, making it very hard to utilize the site. Happened last year in a different part of the park. The porta-potty had no paper in it pretty early on Sunday morning (also happened last year). There are really no other facilities within range of the picnic areas. If I had more time to spend there, the trails seem nice and paved, but lack of restrooms is really a turn-off.

Had an interesting day here. Enjoyed the stroll along the river and all the wild life that is associated with it...however....the creepy guy that stared at us from his parked bike spooked all of us. The park is unique and real lovely'. A decent hike.

Concerts in summer, trails for walking, playgrounds for kids, pavilion for picnics. Good local park for family.

We live nearby and love to come here for a change in scenery and to get outside for a walk. The park is free and has restroom facilities if needed. You can picnic/barbeque here for free or rent one of the "pavilions" for an event.The paths are well-paved and wide enough for bikes and walkers to share. Follow it along the Raritan and be sure to stop at the "falls" where you can walk on the rocky tiny beach.

Duke Island is a beautiful well maintained recreational park that offers picnic & pavilion areas, a playground, softball/soccer field, walking and biking trails along the Raritan River, an open field/band shell for the summer concert series, and a visitor center with restrooms. This weekend we saw the park come alive with family gatherings enjoying picnics, or walking the trail to see Headgates Dam and waterfall as we did. Our walk was made even more pleasant by the shade of the trees along the path. Even our dog (on leash) enjoyed walking here, especially when she got the chance to cool off in the river below the dam. We will definitely be back.

it was free to get it and it was so large that the entire time we were there we only saw one other couple walking around. There are plenty of hidden gems on the many different trails. There is a house of flowers/orchids, a secluded stone structure, a statue farm, and much more to enjoy on your walk through the park

Always a wonderful summer lineup from do wop to voodoo rock. Never crowded, great parking and a terrific place for all ages.

This is a cute park. There are nice walking trails that are partially parallel to the Raritan Water Canal. I enjoy bringing my dogs here for a nice 3 mile walk. Part of the walk is on pavement and some is on a trail. This park also hosts 5K runs/walks.

I've visited Duke Island Park on several occasions and found it to be a very nice park. I particularly enjoyed the jogging/walking trail that runs through the wooded area near the river.

Great county park with good walking trails. Good bathroom facilities. Great venue for 5K runs, etc., Well-maintained and easy to get to. Concerts outside in the summer in the bandshell.