West Milford is a township in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 24,862, a decrease of 988 (−3.8%) from the 2010 census count of 25,850, which in turn reflected a decline of 560 (−2.1%) from the 26,410 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023. It is the largest in the county by total area, covering and more than 40% of the county.
West Milford was home to a Warner Bros.-owned theme park from 1972 to 1976 entitled Warner Bros. Jungle Habitat. The Jungle Habitat property, with of paved roads, was purchased by the state in 1988 for $1.45 million and remnants of the theme park remain until today.
History West Milford started out as New Milford in what was then western Bergen County in the 18th century, having been settled by disenchanted Dutch from Milford, New Jersey (later renamed by the British as Newark). These same Dutch also built a town of New Milford in eastern Bergen County. When both New Milfords applied for post offices in 1828, a clerk in Washington, D.C. is said to have approved the other application first and assigned the name "West Milford" to the New Milford in western Bergen County in order to distinguish between the two locations.Stewart, Holly. "Where we're at", Suburban Trends, July 19, 2012. Accessed January 15, 2013. "In the 18th century, West Milford was part of Bergen County; it was comprised of the westernmost areas of Franklin and Saddle River townships. It was settled by Dutch who moved north from the place we now call Newark; as they had called their former home 'Milford,' they wished to call the new place 'New Milford,' but another faction of the same migrants had already done the same in a community near the Hudson River. When both locales petitioned for a post office in 1828, a federal clerk is said to have applied the adjective 'west' to one in order to distinguish them."
West Milford became a municipality by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 10, 1834, when it was formed from the westernmost half of Pompton Township, while the area was still part of Bergen County. On February 7, 1837, Passaic County was created from portions of both Bergen County and Essex County, with West Milford as the western end of the newly formed county.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 211. Accessed May 30, 202. The township was named for Milford, Connecticut.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 25, 2015.
There are old place names in the township including Postville, Utterville, Corterville, Browns, Awosting, Echo Lake, Macopin, Charlottenburg (now under the Charlotteburg Reservoir, the community was named after Queen Charlotte), Clinton (or sometimes called Clinton Furnace, now under the Clinton Reservoir, and the furnace still stands), Moe Mountain, Oak Ridge (partly located in Jefferson Township), Newfoundland, Apshawa, New City, and Smith Mills. Newfoundland is divided by the Pequannock River, which divides Passaic and Morris Counties; a small part of Newfoundland lies within Jefferson Township. A large part of the township, including the New City Village area, is reservoir property owned by the City of Newark in Essex County for its water supply. Prior to the Second World War, the township was a resort area with trains coming from New York City to stations at Charlotteburg, Newfoundland, Oak Ridge in the south and Hewitt (also known as Sterling Forest station) and Awosting in the north. Railroad service in the south was from the New Jersey Midland starting around the 1850s and in the north around the 1870s from the Montclair Railroad, out of Montclair, New Jersey and later the Erie Railroad (before their merger with the Lackawanna Railroad).
Greenwood Lake is an interstate lake approximately long and covering , lying in both West Milford and Greenwood Lake, New York, across the New York state line. It was originally called Long Pond. It was dammed up to increase the size of the lake for water power down stream. During the resort era, several steamboats operated on the lake, the most famous and grand was the two deck steamer, Montclair. These steamboats met the trains and took passengers to the various resorts around the lake in both states.Greenwood Lake Tour Guide, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed October 25, 2015.
There is a seaplane area on Greenwood Lake, a few large marinas and lakeside restaurants with docks. A public airport called Greenwood Lake Airport is located just south of the lake on top of a mountain ridge; its runway is long enough to handle small jets.Airport Information, Greenwood Lake Airport. Accessed January 15, 2013. There is one private airport in the township on a private estate.
After World War II and for the next 20 years the area underwent a major change from a resort area to year-round residences. Before there were year-round houses, the summer residence of Cecil B. DeMille was West Milford. Road maps of the 1950s showing the population on the backside said 2,000 winter and 10,000 summer.Hagstrom Maps
In 1972, Warner Brothers opened up a wildlife theme park called Jungle Habitat, consisting of a drive-through safari and a small park with various shows. Initially, this brought many visitors to the township. Shortly after the park opened, a tourist being driven through the safari in a taxi was attacked by a lion on October 19, 1972, bringing negative publicity to the park.Laplaca, Bryan. "Back in the Day - Oct. 8, 1997: 'Hal from North Bergen' sued Bloomingdale", Suburban Trends, October 15, 2012. Accessed September 22, 2014. "The man in the picture is Abraham Levy who was in the intensive care unit of Chilton Hospital in Pompton Plains. He was bitten by a lion while visiting Jungle Habitat in West Milford.... Two eyewitnesses to the mauling of Levy on Oct. 9, 1972 blasted the Habitat management for allowing what they called dangerous conditions to exist." The park was plagued by problems, including reports of dangerous animals escaping into West Milford.Hudson, Edward. "Habitat Neighbors Fear Possible Animal Escapes", The New York Times, December 16, 1972. Accessed August 28, 2020.
Jungle Habitat added summer and weekend traffic into this rural area made up of small two-lane roads. Jungle Habitat wanted to expand and add an amusement park, but residents concerned with excessive traffic led the township to reject the needed variances combined with declining attendance as the novelty wore off, led the company to announce the park's closure in November 1976."'Jungle Habitat' Plans to Close Zoo in Jersey.", The New York Times, November 1, 1976. Accessed April 17, 2026. "'Jungle Habitat', the Warner Brothers $10 million 'drive‐through' zoo in West Milford, N.J., which opened in 1972, says it will not reopen next spring.... Mr. Needleman said that more than six million people had visited the zoo, which is almost adjacent to the New York border in Passaic County, N.J. in its four‐year history. However, attendance fell off to only about 500,000 last year.... Warner Brothers asked for a zoning variance last summer to construct a small amusement park at the south end of the property. Residents about 500 feet from the area raised objections and the variance was denied." Some of the animals in the wildlife park were subsequently moved to the then-recently established drive-through safari at Great Adventure in Jackson Township. The former site of Jungle Habitat in recent years has become a location for various Township activities such as the annual Fourth of July Fireworks display and is a popular regional mountain biking destination.Jungle Habitat, Jersey Off Road Biking Association.Accessed May 17, 2023."Jungle Habitat Trail Revitalization Project Begins", New York–New Jersey Trail Conference, December 1, 2020. Accessed May 17, 2023."The New Jersey Park Service is revitalizing the trail network at the former Jungle Habitat in West Milford. The project will improve trail conditions and connectivity, as well as contiguous trails in Long Pond Ironworks State Park and northern Norvin Green State Forest. Project partners include the Trail Conference and the Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association (JORBA)."
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 81.06 square miles (209.94 km2), including 75.93 square miles (196.66 km2) of land and 5.13 square miles (13.28 km2) of water (6.32%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Apshawa, Awosting, Bearfort Waters, Beaver Pond, Boy Scout Lake, Browns, Buckabear Pond, Camp Hope, Cedar Pond, Charlotteburg, Clinton, Clinton Reservoir, Cooper, Dunker Pond, Echo Lake, Forest Hill Lake, Fox Island, Gordon Lakes, Green Valley Park, Greenwood Lake, Greenwood Lake Glens, Hacks Pond, Henion Pond, Hewitt, Himes Pond, Lake Lockover, Lakeside, Lindy Lake, Littletown, Lower Mt. Glen Lake, Macopin, Matthews Lake, Moe, Mount Laurel Lake, Newfoundland, Oak Ridge, Pettets Pond. Pine Crest Lake, Pinecliff Lake, Postville, Shady Lake, Smiths Mills, Surprise Lake, Terrace Pond, Upper Greenwood Lake, Upper Macopin, Upper Mt. Glen Lake, Uttertown, Vreeland Pond, West Milford Lakes, West Pond, Wonder Lake and Zeliff Pond.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015. According to Mayor Bettina Bieri, the township is "a larger geographical area consisting of numerous towns" and that "the massive territory covered by the township warrants the distinction" in place names commonly used in the township, with the four primary communities in the township being the township center, Hewitt, Newfoundland, and Oak Ridge.Zimmer, David M.; Sheingold, Dave.; Shkolnikova, Svetlan; and Fagan, Matt. "Sorry, your New Jersey hometown may not be a town at all", The Record, June 15, 2018. Accessed July 3, 2023.
The township borders the municipalities of Bloomingdale and Ringwood in Passaic County; Butler, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon and Rockaway Township in Morris County; Hardyston Township and Vernon Township in Sussex County; and Warwick in Orange County, New York.Areas touching West Milford, MapIt. Accessed March 12, 2020.Passaic County Map, Coalition for a Healthy NJ. Accessed March 12, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Highlands Preserve is a county park that is located off Union Valley Road and adjacent to Abram S. Hewitt State Forest.Highlands Preserve, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 15, 2017. "This county park, located in the Township of West Milford, is largely undeveloped. It contains multiple hiking trails.... The hiking trails meander through the Preserve and are connected to the A. Abram S. Hewitt State Forest."
Pequannock River Watershed