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Quick answer: The best things to do in Kinnelon, NJ are hiking and fishing at Silas Condict County Park, dinner at the Smoke Rise Village Inn (open to the public, despite what many locals assume), coffee and comfort food on Boonton Avenue, and the borough’s big community nights, KFEST in September and the Kinnelon Carnival in August. Kinnelon is a wooded, hilly borough in northeastern Morris County, just off Route 23.
Kinnelon does not have a classic downtown, and that is part of the appeal. What it has instead is a lot of protected forest, a lake you can actually walk around, and one of the more interesting origin stories of any town in Morris County. Here is how to spend a day there.
How Kinnelon Got Its Name
The borough is named for the Kinney family, whose fortune came from the Kinney Tobacco Company in New York City. After the company merged with the Duke American Tobacco Company in 1890, Francis S. Kinney built a stone country manor on rocky land he called Kinney Lawn, in what was then part of Pequannock Township. When that section broke away and became its own borough in 1922, it took the name Kinnelon, and Kinney’s son Warren served as the first mayor. Fun footnote: Francis’s brother, Abbott Kinney, is the man who founded Venice, California.
Hike, Fish and Picnic at Silas Condict County Park
Silas Condict County Park is the reason most people from outside Kinnelon end up here. The Morris County Park Commission property covers 1,513 acres, with more than 10 miles of trails and connections to several overlooks in the Kinnelon hills. At its center is a seven-acre lake partly lined with weeping cherry trees, which makes the short lakeside walk worth the trip on its own.
- What you can do: hiking, fishing, equestrian trails, picnicking, and snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in winter
- Hours: open daily, sunrise to sunset
- Groups: picnic sites, a shelter and tents can be reserved through the Park Commission
- History: the land was once known as Canty Farm
Fall is a great time to go, with the leaves turning across the ridges. Our guide to the best hiking trails in Morris County has more ideas nearby, including Tripod Rock at Pyramid Mountain, about a 15 minute drive away.
Have Dinner Inside Smoke Rise
Smoke Rise is a private club community developed in the 1940s on what remained of the Kinney estate, centered on Lake Kinnelon. Most of it is members only, but there is one way in for everyone else: the Smoke Rise Village Inn. The restaurant sits in what was once the Kinney family’s dairy barn, and the Inn says plainly that it is open to the public, even though many people assume it is for residents only.
A la carte dinner runs Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 to 9 PM and Thursday through Saturday from 5 to 10 PM at 9 Perimeter Road. Call (973) 838-7770 to reserve. It is a cozy, country-style room, and one of the better date night picks in this corner of the county.
Where to Eat and Get Coffee in Kinnelon
- Comfort Kitchen Cafe, 104 Boonton Ave.: run by David and Brianna Soule, this family-friendly cafe serves breakfast and lunch with a full coffee bar, seasonal specials and regular craft workshops and community events. Order online or call (973) 838-3333.
- Longfellow’s Coffee, 2 Kiel Ave.: a drive-thru coffee stop that opens at 6 AM, perfect before a morning hike at Silas Condict. Order ahead here.
- Smoke Rise Village Inn, 9 Perimeter Rd.: the sit-down dinner pick, covered above.
Want more options? Butler is right next door, with German lagers at Ramstein and a walkable Main Street. See our guide to things to do in Butler.
Kinnelon’s Big Community Events
Two annual events bring the whole borough out. The Kinnelon Carnival sets up at Kinnelon High School each August with rides, games and food, and KFEST, the borough’s free fall celebration, fills Borough Hall each September with more than 100 vendors, live music, food trucks and fireworks. Both are worth planning a visit around.
Kinnelon, NJ FAQ
What is Kinnelon, NJ known for?
Kinnelon is known for its wooded hills, the private Smoke Rise lake community and Silas Condict County Park, a 1,513 acre county park with a lake and more than 10 miles of trails. The borough is named for the Kinney tobacco family.
Is the Smoke Rise Village Inn open to the public?
Yes. Even though Smoke Rise is a private community, the Village Inn says it is open to the public for a la carte dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
When is Silas Condict County Park open?
Silas Condict County Park is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
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