Birchwood Lake

Mountain Lakes, New Jersey · on Birchwood Lake

Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: Yes, see below
SEASON: June

About Birchwood Lake

Birchwood Lake is one of seven man-made lakes built as part of the planned residential community of Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, founded in 1910. The lake hosts an official, borough-managed swimming beach open only to Mountain Lakes residents, making it a residents-only lake to swim in rather than a public swimming hole.

Birchwood Lake sits within the residential borough of Mountain Lakes in Morris County, NJ, one of several artificial lakes created when the community was laid out in the early 1900s as a planned suburban development around a chain of dammed lakes.

Swimming at Birchwood Lake

Swimming takes place at a town-designated beach on the lake, operated as a resident amenity rather than an open-to-the-public recreation site; no first-hand descriptions of water clarity, depth, or bottom conditions were found.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. Birchwood Lake beach is a town-managed amenity within the residential borough of Mountain Lakes, reached by street/road access, not a hike-in site.

Plan your visit

Hours

Beach area open sunrise to sunset; staffed/facility hours run 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, June through August (per borough rules referenced on Wikipedia, citing the municipal code and borough beach-badges page).

On the water

No source confirming or ruling out kayak/canoe/paddleboard use was found; access to the beach and lake is restricted to Mountain Lakes residents with a purchased beach badge, which likely limits any public watercraft use, but this wasn't directly confirmed.

Backstory

Birchwood Lake is part of the original chain of man-made lakes (along with Crystal Lake, Mountain Lake, Shadow Lake, Sunset Lake, Wildwood Lake, and Cove Lake) built when Mountain Lakes was developed as a planned community starting in 1910 by Herbert Hapgood.

Birchwood Lake: FAQ

Does Birchwood Lake charge a fee?

Seasonal beach badge required, purchased at Borough Hall; specific badge price not found in sources reviewed.

Do I need to hike to reach Birchwood Lake?

No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.

Where do I park for Birchwood Lake?

Borough's own site (mtnlakes.org) returned a TLS certificate mismatch and ecode360.com (municipal code host) returned a 403 block on every fetch attempt this session, so no parking details could be verified.

When is the best time to visit Birchwood Lake?

June through August (per posted beach facility hours).

What are the rules at Birchwood Lake?

Beach badges are available to Mountain Lakes residents only (not open to the general public). Beach area open sunrise to sunset; staffed facilities/hours run 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, June through August, per borough rules referenced on Wikipedia (citing the borough municipal code and the borough's beach-badges webpage).

What water body is Birchwood Lake on?

Birchwood Lake is on Birchwood Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.