India Brook Entrance Sign

Location: 270 Mountainside Road

India Brook Park Green SpaceDescription:

India Brook Park offers a serene escape into nature with its preserved natural area and various hiking trails to explore. You can follow the trails, some of which run alongside India Brook, leading to other nearby parks and reserves - most notably Buttermilk Falls and India Brook Natural Areas in Mendham Township. Whether looking for a leisurely stroll or a more challenging hike, India Brook Park provides a picturesque setting for outdoor enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the beauty of the surrounding landscape and enjoy a peaceful retreat from the bustle of everyday life.

India Brook Park has wide-open green space and access to the India Brook, which is a very popular trout fishing spot that runs all the way to the Mountain Valley Park Pond ("Mud Hole"). In June 2025, the Hacklebarney Trout Unlimited Chapter and the Borough of Mendham are partnering to remove overgrown invasive plants along India Brook and restore the brook with native trees and shrubs. These native plants are well-suited to the area, will enhance the local ecosystem, and offer essential food and habitat for native wildlife. Across the street from India Brook Park, you can find entry to the India Brook Natural Areas of Mendham Township with a trail that leads to Buttermilk Falls.

History:India Brook River

As the Indians had come to the area following the streams, so did the new settlers who were able to take advantage of the forests, fruits, and game. The Raritan and Passaic Rivers led them to Mendham. When it was determined that the black stone found in the area was iron, the settlers came in more numbers and began mining. Deposits of coal and lead were also found. Limestone, used in agricultural applications, was also found, and kilns were established in the area.

While there have been recorded Mendham land transactions dating from 1708, the first permanent settlers arrived in the 1720s and made their home along India Brook, along the west of Mendham Borough. A settlement was started by David Bainard, an Indian missionary, and Eliab Byram from Yale Divinity School. They conducted services in a log meetinghouse built in 1730.

Then during the expansion era of the 1960s, the proliferation of new housing drew an influx of many young men and women who were looking for ways to become involved in their new community. An outlet for these energies became available when a group of young men sought and were successful in obtaining approval to sponsor a Mendham Area Jaycee chapter. As the Jaycees grew, they threw themselves into a variety of community, social, and athletic projects. Perhaps the two most significant goals of the group involved the community’s young children and the environment.

Jaycees earned funds to contribute to charity by selling tickets for working at the Jaycee Classic football game between the Giants and a team from Philadelphia. Funds went to projects such as purchasing a picnic table and grills for India Brook Park in order to enhance the park experience.

 

Sources:

  • The Centennial Book Committee. Reflections on a Community: Mendham Borough - the Centennial 1906–2006. Online PDF

  • Various Photographs from Daniel Malikov through his Eagle Scout Project