Hilltop Reservation
Hilltop Reservation is the most recent addition to the Essex
County Park System. It is composed of lands formerly included in
the grounds of the Essex County Hospital Center. The land was
designated a Conservation Easement in 2001, by the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection, permanently dedicating it
for conservation and recreation purposes, and thereby protecting it
from any future development.
In 2003, additional acreage was dedicated, bringing the
Reservation’s total to 284.16 acres. This addition to the
County’s official NJ Green Acres Recreation and Open Space
Inventory brings the current total acreage of the Essex County Park
System to 6010.52.
Portions of the land, particularly some smaller parcels which
are not contiguous with the main area, will be dedicated to
recreational use by the host communities: Cedar Grove, Caldwell,
North Caldwell, and Verona.
Hilltop Conservancy
The Hilltop Conservancy is a non-profit organization of local
volunteers dedicated to preserving wildlife habitat on the Hilltop
Reservation, and to providing a site for respite, enjoyment and
nature-based learning activities for our neighbors and park
visitors. The group has been working since 2003 to clean up the
park, removing almost a century's worth of trash and debris that
had accumulated during the area's institutional use as a
tuberculosis treatment center, then its subsequent abandonment and
neglect.
Cache Description
The lower part of the Hilltop Reservation housed the Essex
County Jail Annex in North Caldwell before it was finally closed in
2004. Originally named the Essex County Penitentiary, the 'Pen' was
opened in 1872 and housed inmates until replacement with the state
of the art Essex County Correctional Facility opened in Newark at a
cost of 416$ million. While most the of land was sold to
developers, a portion of acreage was set aside for addition to
Hilltop Reservation.
The cache is hidden in an area called 'Prisoner's Pond'. The
White Rock Trail skirts both some prison ruins and a small pond.
Please explore at your own risk.
References:
Essex County Park
Hilltop
Conservancy