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Mount Arlington is one of those Morris County towns where summer starts the second you crest the hill on Howard Boulevard and the lake opens up in front of you. Tucked along the eastern shore of Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey’s largest lake, Mount Arlington spends most of the year as a quiet residential borough. Then summer hits, and it turns into one of the most alive corners of the county.
Life on the Lake
The lake is the main character. Boaters, paddlers, and waterfront diners all share the same view from May through September, and the calendar fills up fast. The Lake Hopatcong Foundation runs public eco cruises every Monday from July 6 through August 31, launching from Hopatcong State Park. The Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club, founded in 1905 and based on Bertrand Island in Mount Arlington, holds its annual fireworks show on Friday, June 26, lighting up the lake from the water.
Lakeside Food and Drinks
Food follows the same lakeside rhythm. The Windlass sits right on the water and is a go-to for warm-weather lunches with a view. Pop’s Lakeside Grill handles the smash burger and breakfast sandwich crowd. The Beacon of Lake Hopatcong brings comfort food and live entertainment, and Stone Water at 3 Peaks Marina serves modern American cuisine across a 100 foot wraparound bar with a center that opens straight to the sky.
Nights Out in Mount Arlington
For nightlife, Pat’s Bar & Grill on Howard Boulevard runs live music most weekends, plus trivia, bingo nights, and Patsapalooza, an all-day party that drew a packed crowd on May 16. The Mount Arlington Fire Department also hosts community events throughout the season at its Howard Boulevard firehouse.
The Bertrand Island Legacy
The history runs deep too. For more than 60 years, Bertrand Island Amusement Park drew generations of Morris County families to its wooden Wildcat roller coaster, dance hall, and lakefront beach before closing in 1983. Scenes from Woody Allen’s 1985 film The Purple Rose of Cairo were filmed at the park’s entrance. Today the peninsula is residential, but the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum keeps the story alive with photos, video, and exhibits.
That is summer in Mount Arlington. The lake, the food, the music, and a little bit of Morris County history that still echoes off the water.
