Essex County Park to Feature New Family-Friendly Playground, Mini Golf Course

Essex county residents who frequent the Turtle Back Zoo can now discover new and exciting opportunities to play and learn just beyond the gates of this family-friendly attraction. On Thursday, county officials marked the opening of a new and improved playground at the Essex County South Mountain Recreation Center with a ribbon cutting, the Jersey Journal reported.

The Jersey Journal reported that according to county data, nearly 622,000 people visited the park and recreation center last year - an attraction that garnered $4.3 million in county revenue in 2012. New visitors to the park will discover a treetop adventure course, zip line, an open pavilion, and a mini golf course. Most activities do incur an admission fee.

The new playground is just one of many improvements made to the expansive Essex County park that cater to children and families throughout Northern New Jersey. These efforts include an educational center at the Turtle Back Zoo, which features a 1.8 mile path that circles around the Orange Reservoir. Governor Christie helped to celebrate the opening of this facility when the educational center and walking path opened to the public in May.

“This is all about quality of life, but it is also about economic development,” County Executive Joe DiVincenzo said of the complex at the playground’s opening to the Jersey Journal. “We want Essex County residents to stay here…but we also want people from other counties and states to come here, enjoy it, and spend their money here.”

Photo courtesy of the Turtle Back Zoo Facebook Page