Until I started searching for Hudson County playgrounds I was not familiar with the Mill Creek Point Park Playgrounds in Secaucus New Jersey. I am so grateful I did search those because there are not one but 2 fabulous playgrounds at Mill Creek Point Park.
I also never knew Secaucus was so beautiful. As you drive through town you see many picturesque settings. Drive through a neighborhood and cross the threshold into Mill Creek Point Park and be prepared to have your breath taken away. Pack a picnic and your sunblock because this is a destination you'll want to spend the day at.
As part of our challenge to write about 100 New Jersey playgrounds in 100 days we bring you the details about the Mill Creek Point Park Playgrounds, playgrounds in Secaucus, New Jersey, Hudson County.
Mill Creek Point Park is located at 300 Mill Ridge Road in Secaucus, New Jersey. You will drive through a residential area to get to the park, but don't let that fool you. This is not a little neighborhood playground. There is lots to explore here.
When you first enter Mill Creek Point Park you will see some sports fields and a playground on the very right. That is not the playground you want. Keep driving till the road ends and you will come to the parking lot with a playground on each side.
The park is part of the Secaucus park system.
Mill Creek Point Park offers 2 main playground areas. Usually, when that happens one playground is for toddlers and preschoolers and the other is for older children. However, in this case, we think older children will enjoy both playgrounds.
Since one playground is at the bottom of the hill and the other is at the top of a small hill, I'll refer to them as the bottom-of-the-hill playground and the top-of-the-hill playground. Both playground spaces are completely different as you can see from our photos.
There are only swings at the bottom-of-the-hill playground. It has 2 baby swings.
There are slides at both playgrounds. The bottom of the hill playground has two slides. One is curvy, while the other is straight. Both slides are open.
The top-of-the-hill playground has the more adventurous slides. They are higher and twist and turn. Of the 5 slides, 2 twist, 2 are straight, and one is curvy. Some are tunnels to the bottom. Some are tunnels part way, and one is completely open.
Bottom-of the hill Playground
The bottom of the hill playground has climbing walls, rope bridges, tunnels, spinners, monkey bars, animal sculptures, and more. The nature trail we describe below sits between this play space and the waterfront.
Top-of the hill Playground
The top-of-the-hill playground offers thrill-seeking kids climbing ladders, structures, and webs. There is an impressive rope bridge that extends between the two ends of the playground towers. Sensory play areas just add to the excitement of this playground structure.
The ground surface under the baby swings and play area adjacent to the bottom-of-the-hill playground was composed of tire mulch. Both playgrounds have turf under the playgrounds.
While the walking paths are paved, the playgrounds are not accessible. Wheelchairs and strollers could make it across most of the ground surface, but there are no ramps onto the equipment. There were no accessible swings.
There are some sensory play areas on the playground at the top of the hill.
There are some shady areas on both playgrounds. The bottom-of-the-hill playground has an umbrella that extends over a portion of the playground equipment. There are some benches for the grownups who aren't playing but they would have full sun on a sunny day. There is a pavilion, along the water, just a short walk from the playgrounds.
There is a large parking lot at the bottom of the hill. It is adjacent to the lower playground and a short distance from the playground on the hill.
There was one port-a-potty in the parking lot that we saw.
In addition to the playgrounds at Mill Creek Point Park, there are additional amenities available for visitors.
We saw two main walking pathways. The first was a nature trail with sculptures of insects and educational signage.
The second path was part of the Secaucus Greenway, a 2.2-mile out-and-back trail in the park. AllTrails refers to it as a popular trail for birding, trail running, and walking. The Secaucus Greenway trail map is available on their site.
We came across some fields, including a baseball field, as we entered the park, but it wasn't clear if they were a part of this park system.
Mill Creek Point Park does offer a dog park and archery ranges.
Mill Creek Point Park offers visitors 3 acres of green space along the Hackensack River. There is a pavilion, picnic tables, and a paved pathway that overlooks the river. Combine that with the fact that the park is part of a 43-acre marsh and you may just see some wildlife during your visit. We saw at least one turtle that we helped get across the parking lot, out of the sun, and back on his way through the marsh.
We provide these details about Mill Creek Point Park as a service to our readers and the park. However, Jersey Family Fun is not directly involved with this park. It's not exactly clear how families should go about reserving Mill Creek Point Park for a birthday party or private event. The website doesn't list a whole lot of information but the best starting point would be to contact them directly by calling (201) 330-2000 or visiting their website.
Visit Hudson County parks and playgrounds to learn more about playgrounds near this one. Visit our series on New Jersey Playgrounds and Parks to learn more about the great playgrounds across our state.