The Tourne

The Tourne is a county park in Morris County, New Jersey. The park covers 547 acres (2.2 km²) in three different municipalities, Mountain Lakes, Denville and Boonton Township. It includes bike trails, equestrian trails, hiking trails, picnic areas and play areas. Sledding and cross-country skiing are also allowed in the winter. Hiking is the most common activity at this park with several miles of gravel trails that climb a small mountain that has scenic views of the Rockaway Valley and east to New York City, which locals dubbed "The New York Overlook".

People enjoying sledding at the Tourne in Winter 2006.

Much of this land was inherited and acquired by Clarence Addington DeCamp in the late 1850s. Using hand tools and levers, DeCamp built two roads leading to the top of the Tourne. Considered one of Morris County's first conservationists, DeCamp encouraged local residents to accompany him on hikes in the woods and fields. In 1958 the Morris County Park Commission wisely acquired the initial 219 acres (0.89 km²) from Logan Steele and Dr. Lewis Hull and opened the park to the public in 1960.[1]