Living in Rockaway Township, NJ: Lakes, Trails and Neighborhoods

Calm lake reflecting a wooded shoreline, similar to the lakes and reservoirs of Rockaway Township, NJ

Short answer: Rockaway Township is a large, wooded Morris County township of about 25,000 people, built around lake communities such as White Meadow Lake and Lake Telemark, old iron-mining villages like Hibernia and Mount Hope, and thousands of acres of protected land. In 2025 the average residential tax bill was $11,797.

Rockaway Township is easy to confuse with its smaller neighbor, Rockaway Borough, but the two are separate towns with separate tax rates. The township is the big one: about 41.7 square miles of land, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, stretching from the Interstate 80 corridor north into the Highlands toward Splitrock Reservoir. Its 2020 population was 25,341, which works out to roughly 600 people per square mile.

Neighborhoods and Lake Communities

The township is a collection of distinct sections, some with their own lake associations.

  • White Meadow Lake. The township’s largest lake community is run by the White Meadow Lake Property Owners Association, whose clubhouse sits at 100 White Meadow Road. Each home owned carries one vote in the association, and members use the lake for swimming lessons, boating (with association boat tags) and a summer camp.
  • Lake Telemark. A lake community with a volunteer-run, member-based community club on Telemark Road.
  • Hibernia and Marcella. North along Green Pond Road (County Route 513), the houses spread out and the woods close in. The Marcella Community Club sits at the corner of Green Pond Road and Upper Hibernia Road. Hibernia’s 1869 church, built for iron miners, now houses a branch of the township library.
  • Mount Hope. The historic mining village gives its name to Mount Hope Avenue, home of Rockaway Townsquare, and to the county park described below.

If you are looking at a home in a lake community, ask early about association membership, dues, beach and boat rules, and whether membership is required or optional. These vary from lake to lake, and they affect both your budget and how you will use the home.

Lakes, Trails and Open Space

Few towns in North Jersey have this much protected land. Highlights include:

  • Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area. The state lists this preserve at 6,318 acres in Rockaway Township. Its best-known feature is the hawk watch: from I-80 exit 37, drive north on Route 513, then 2.7 miles up Upper Hibernia Road to the parking area, and walk 15 to 25 minutes to the overlook. Fall migration season is the time to go.
  • Farny State Park and Splitrock Reservoir. Farny sits beside Splitrock Reservoir, has no entrance fee, and offers a car-top boat launch (no gas motors), ice fishing in winter and wooded trails. The township notes that the park supports the endangered red-shouldered hawk and the threatened barred owl.
  • Mount Hope Historical Park. This Morris County park covers about 444 acres with 3.6 miles of trails through former iron-mining land. The 1868 Mount Hope Miners’ Church is now part of the park.
  • Park Lake (Lombardo Park). At 8 Mount Hope Road, Park Lake has a 0.7-mile paved loop and summer concerts at the gazebo. It is jointly owned by Rockaway Township and Rockaway Borough.

A Short History: Iron Country

Much of Rockaway Township’s character comes from its mining past. According to Morris County’s cultural resources survey, iron ore was mined at Hibernia as early as 1722, and the Hibernia furnace, built in 1765, supplied the Continental Army during the Revolution. Hibernia stayed a major iron center through the 1800s, and its mines were abandoned after World War II. In Mount Hope, ironmaster John Jacob Faesch ran the Mount Hope ironworks from the Ford-Faesch Manor House, built around 1772 and now owned by the township. The township’s motto, “Iron Spirit,” is a nod to that history.

The township is also home to part of Picatinny Arsenal. The Army’s history notes that the site began as a powder depot in 1880 and was renamed Picatinny Arsenal in 1907. Federal land is not available for homes, which is one reason so much of the township stays wooded.

Getting Around: I-80, Route 513 and Nearby Trains

For drivers, Interstate 80 is the main artery, and exit 37 (Rockaway/Hibernia) connects to Green Pond Road (Route 513), the road that runs north through the township. Rockaway Townsquare, the regional mall at 301 Mount Hope Avenue, sits right off the highway, anchored by Macy’s and JCPenney.

There is no NJ Transit station inside the township. Commuters typically use one of these nearby stations:

Station Location NJ Transit lines
Dover Dickerson & N. Morris Streets, Dover Morris & Essex; Montclair-Boonton
Denville Estling Lake Road off Route 53, Denville Morris & Essex; Montclair-Boonton
Mount Tabor Station Road near Route 53, Denville Morris & Essex

Which station makes sense depends on where in the township you live and where you work, so test the drive at rush hour before you commit. Our guide to Morris County towns with an NYC commute compares the options in more detail, and our Denville guide covers the town next door.

Schools

Public schools are split between two districts. The Rockaway Township School District serves pre-K through grade 8, with 2,473 students in 2023-24 according to the New Jersey School Performance Report. It runs Birchwood, Catherine A. Dwyer, Dennis B. O’Brien, Katharine D. Malone and Stony Brook elementary schools, plus Copeland Middle School.

High school students attend the Morris Hills Regional District, which serves Rockaway Township, Rockaway Borough, Denville and Wharton through two high schools, Morris Hills and Morris Knolls. Assignment depends on your address, so confirm it with the district before you buy. For performance data, go straight to the state’s School Performance Reports linked in the sources below.

Property Taxes in Rockaway Township

According to the NJ Division of Taxation, Rockaway Township’s 2025 general tax rate was 2.463 per $100 of assessed value, and its effective tax rate (adjusted for how close assessments are to market value) was 2.209. The average residential assessment was $478,957, and the average residential tax bill was $11,797.

One local detail matters when comparing towns: Rockaway Township’s assessments sit relatively close to market value. The state’s average ratio for the township, used for 2027 tax appeals, is 88.51%, compared with about 61% in Denville and 64% in Boonton Township. That means the township’s general tax rate is not directly comparable to its neighbors’. Compare effective rates or actual tax bills instead. Our Morris County property tax rates by town post lays these out side by side.

2025 Rockaway Township figure Amount
General tax rate (per $100 assessed) 2.463
Effective tax rate 2.209
Average residential assessment $478,957
Average residential tax bill $11,797

What Homes Cost

Rockaway Township’s housing ranges from lake cottages and capes to colonials on wooded lots and townhouse communities. For the county as a whole, NJ REALTORS data shows a median single-family sale price of $773,000 in October 2026, up 3.8% from a year earlier, with homes spending a median of 31 days on market. Year to date, the county’s single-family median was $795,000, up 7.1%. Townhouses and condos had a median of $497,500 in October.

Prices inside the township vary widely by section, lake rights, lot size and condition, so countywide numbers are only a starting point. For a specific street or lake community, ask us for recent comparable sales.

If lake living is the draw, our guide to lake communities in Sussex and Morris counties compares Rockaway Township’s lakes with others nearby, and our Kinnelon guide covers the town on the other side of Splitrock Reservoir.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rockaway Township the same as Rockaway Borough?

No. They are separate municipalities with their own governments, tax rates and assessments. Rockaway Borough is a small downtown-centered town surrounded by the much larger township. Both send high school students to the Morris Hills Regional District.

Does Rockaway Township have a train station?

No. The closest NJ Transit stations are in Dover, Denville and Mount Tabor (in Denville), which serve the Morris & Essex Line and, at Dover and Denville, the Montclair-Boonton Line.

How much are property taxes in Rockaway Township, NJ?

The average residential tax bill was $11,797 in 2025 on an average assessment of $478,957, according to the NJ Division of Taxation. The 2025 general tax rate was 2.463 per $100 of assessed value.

What high school do Rockaway Township students attend?

Students attend either Morris Hills High School or Morris Knolls High School in the Morris Hills Regional District, depending on where they live in the township.

Sources

Talk to the MorrisAgent Team

Thinking about buying or selling in Rockaway Township? We have helped sellers get up to $130,000 over asking. Call (973) 200-4800, email [email protected], or stop by our office at 518 Main Street, Suite 102, Boonton. No pressure, and no surprises.