Great Places To Play Pokemon Go In New Jersey: Saddle River Park, Saddle Brook

In the blistering heat, she steps outside with water bottle and phone in hand, knowing the journey will be arduous, long, and possibly futile…

Since its release in 2016, Pokemon Go has helped me discover beautiful parks and nature trails in my area, many of which I didn’t even know existed. However, finding Pokestops in suburban north New Jersey can be difficult if you don’t know where to look. I mean, look at the difference between a street in New York City and my street:

Pathetic, isn’t it?

Saddle Brook County Park, Saddle Brook, New Jersey

A hotspot for Pokemon Go is Saddle Brook County Park in Saddle Brook. This place is Pokestop, Lure, Gym, and Pokemon heaven. The area has a small lake surrounded by benches, all engraved in remembrance of people who have died. These benches are all designated Pokestops and because the lake is small, it is the perfect place to walk around and pass through all of the streaming petals and Pokemon.

But apparently I wasn’t the only person to discover this secret. When I first visited this park, there were thralls of kids, teenagers, young adults, and even parents, all walking around with their phones, scouting the area. Or, they were gathered in big groups, challenging Gyms or taking advantage of Lures. There were so many people that it was difficult not to bump into someone in front of you; if you walked too slowly, people bumped into you from behind. Don’t let this deter you, though.

I went back on another day and I have to say that I enjoyed it much more. There were still a lot of people playing Pokemon Go, but there were far fewer than the first time I went.

I was able to enjoy the walk and the scenery, and, of course. catch some Pokemon. At this lake I caught two rare Pokemon: a Bulbasaur and a Charmander. In fact, the area seems to be a Charmander nest, although I can’t guarantee this considering the nests change from time to time. There are also Dratini and Electabuzz in the area.

I walked around the lake a couple times and took in the scenery. It really is beautiful.

At one point, I came across a Lure that was placed near an empty bench. I sat down and read my book while letting the game run, only pausing when my phone buzzed and a good Pokemon showed up. If you like reading and also like playing Pokemon Go, this park is the perfect place to do it.

While at the Lure, I caught a bunch of water Pokemon, including Staryu, Magikarp, Slowpoke, Krabby, Goldeen, Poliwag and Seaking.

One of the rarer Pokemon I found, though, wasn’t directly next to the lake. I ventured down a path that leads to other parts of the park because I was curious to see what Pokestops were in that direction. Pokestops were scarce, but, during my search, I happened upon a Jynx and captured it! :3

A Scyther also appeared on my radar, but unfortunately I was unable to find it (this was last year so the current, improved tracking system wasn’t in place yet so finding Pokemon was nearly impossible).

Although Scyther was forfeit, I was able to capture a ton of Charmander (seriously, this place is Charmander heaven) and evolved it into a Charmeleon, which made up for the loss of the Scyther.

Overall, this area is a perfect place to play Pokemon Go. You can enjoy beautiful scenery and get exercise without having to take a long hike. Even if you don’t want to play Pokemon Go, it’s the perfect place to relax if you are stressed.

but if you are playing Pokemon Go, just follow the path around the lake and you will comes across tons of Pokestops, Lures, and Pokemon. The benches lining the lake are great if you want to take a break, stay at a specific Lure, read a book, or just admire the view of the lake. The area is also a hotspot for nests and a great place to meet other people who play Pokemon Go. There are also some gyms around the lake, so you can meet new people by teaming up with them in raid battles.

I can’t guarantee what Pokemon will show up, or whether there will be a lot of people (which could be a good or bad thing in your opinion), but if you happen to be in the area, you should definitely check out Saddle River County Park to get a wonderful Pokemon Go experience.

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