Playground
- 1 route
- V0
- Bouldering
- Apr, Jun–Oct
- best months
Playground is a bouldering area in Sourland Mountain Preserve on county land in New Jersey. It sits among several climbing and hiking spots, with Main Boulder, Backyard Boulders and the Ridge hike all about a tenth of a mile away. The preserve is a compact cluster of boulders and short trails, and Playground itself offers a single boulder problem, Baby Bump, rated V0. That makes it a short stop for climbers looking to warm up or wrap up a day in the area. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 77°F, with July peaking near 85°F. Beyond the boulders, Ridge and Roaring Rocks Trail lie within about a third of a mile. Paddlers can reach the Delaware & Raritan Canal Water Trail roughly 5 miles away.
- Main BoulderRock climbing0.1 mi
RidgeHikingPhoto: robanhk, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)0.1 mi- Backyard BouldersRock climbing0.1 mi
Ridge TrailHikingPhoto: robanhk, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)0.2 mi- Roaring Rocks TrailHikingPhoto: robanhk, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)0.3 mi
- Roaring RocksRock climbing0.3 mi
- Tributary TrailHikingPhoto: robanhk, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)0.5 mi
- Delaware & Raritan Canal Water TrailCanoeing5.4 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Devil's Half AcreRock climbing · ~2 min drivePhoto: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
o. Chain Reaction ButtressRock climbing · ~35 min drivePhoto: Andrew Gnias, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Ralph Stover State Park (High Rocks)Rock climbing · ~35 min drivePhoto: Andrew Gnias, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- f. Cramped FaceRock climbing · ~35 min drivePhoto: Andrew Gnias, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Main BoulderRock climbing · Next door
- Backyard BouldersRock climbing · Next door
- Roaring RocksRock climbing · Next door
- SouthfieldRock climbing · ~2 min drive
- Half Moon AreaRock climbing · ~2 min drive
- Sourland Mountain PreserveRock climbing · ~2 min drive
Best time to visit Playground
Best months: April and June–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
38° / 22°
11 wet
Feb
41° / 23°
10 wet
Mar
49° / 30°
11 wet
Apr
62° / 40°
12 wet
May
71° / 50°
13 wet
Jun
80° / 59°
12 wet
Jul
85° / 64°
11 wet
Aug
83° / 62°
11 wet
Sep
77° / 55°
9 wet
Oct
65° / 44°
10 wet
Nov
54° / 35°
10 wet
Dec
43° / 27°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Wertsville 4 Ne, NJ, 3.6 mi away at 283 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
