Kinnelon's two big county woods, Silas Condict County Park and Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area, are both listed in the Morris County Park Commission's 2026–2027 deer management program. The guided hikes, the orienteering morning, the library evenings and the tree lighting all fall inside that season. A few county rules decide which days the woods are fully open. Sunday is the one day hunting is never allowed in any county park.
Both parks are on the 2026–27 bow-hunt list
The Park Commission's deer management page lists bow-hunt maps for Pyramid Mountain and for Silas Condict under its 2026–2027 season. The county's Maps and Apps page also labels those bow-hunting areas as part of the 2026–2027 program. The Pyramid Mountain bow-hunt map, dated August 13, 2026, shows the preserve spanning three towns: Kinnelon Borough, Boonton Township and Montville Township. The visitor address is 472 Boonton Ave. in Boonton, but part of the preserve lies in Kinnelon.
The county describes the program as a controlled hunt meant to protect forest health from too many deer, with a focus on harvesting does. Permits are issued for one park at a time and allow access only on the dates and times printed on them. Each park has a cap of about one hunter per 15 acres of huntable land.
The county rules that shape your week
The Park Commission's guidance for non-hunters comes down to a few rules.
- Sundays are hunt-free. By state law, no hunting is permitted at Park Commission facilities on Sundays.
- Bow-hunt days usually leave the parks open. Unless the county says otherwise, parks and trails stay open on scheduled bow-hunt dates. Visitors must stay on the trails, and hunters must keep their distance from them.
- Firearm-hunt days close parks. Parks and trails close to the public on scheduled firearm-hunt dates. Those hunts run five to 10 days between December and February, and the county always schedules the closures on weekdays.
- Signs are only on official trails. Notices go up in parking areas and at major trailheads on official blazed trails. If you walk in on an informal path from a backyard or side street, you may never pass a sign.
The county tells people who live next to a county park to check its website or call to find out whether hunting is scheduled. The full 2026–2027 Hunting Season Schedule is posted as a PDF. The county also says the list of parks in the program and their schedules can change from year to year. This is general information, not legal advice. The county's posted schedule and trailhead signs are the final word for any given day.
Sunday, November 22, at Silas Condict
The orienteering event at Silas Condict County Park, 100 Kinnelon Road, falls on the hunt-free day. On Sunday, November 22, the SILAS Map Adventure runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine. You can arrive any time in that window.
According to the borough's October 26, 2026 notice, Kinnelon Boy Scout Troop 277 started the event 13 years ago with the Hudson Valley Orienteering Club. It honors Bjorn Waalberg, a Kinnelon resident and assistant scoutmaster, and was created to bring the sport to residents who have the park close by.
You use a map and a compass to find checkpoints marked on the map in the woods. This year the courses run from a new beginner level up to advanced. The organizers lend compasses, maps and electronic e-punches, and volunteers are on hand to teach first-timers. The notice asks only for "a spirit of adventure and clothing/shoes appropriate for a walk in the woods." Registration is open online through Orienteering USA. More details are on the event's Facebook page.
The ranger hikes at Pyramid Mountain run on Fridays and one Saturday
The Park Commission's guided programs at Pyramid Mountain fill the weeks around the holidays. Three of the four dates are Fridays. Firearm closures happen only on weekdays, and the county's program starts those in December. That makes the November dates the simplest, and it makes the December dates worth checking against the schedule PDF before you go out on your own on another weekday.
| Date | Program | Time | Cost and ages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Hiking through History, autumn edition | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | $15 per person, adults |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Turkey on Turkey on Turkey | 11 a.m. to noon | $8 per person, ages 8+ with an adult |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Hiking Adventures | 10 a.m. to noon | $8 per person, ages 8+ with an adult |
| Fri., Dec. 18 | Hiking through History, autumn edition | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | $15 per person, adults |
The history hike is a ranger-led walk about how Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area came to be. It is the only program on this list that allows dogs. The county says "well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome too." At three hours it is also the longest.
The day-after-Thanksgiving hike goes up Turkey Mountain, which sits right across the street from Pyramid Mountain. The Park Commission pitches it as a way to "work off that post-Thanksgiving fatigue." At one hour, it's the easiest program here to fit around family visits.
Hiking Adventures on December 12 is the one Saturday program. The route covers about three miles over rocky, steep ground. All four programs meet at 472 Boonton Ave. For questions, the Park Commission's number is 973-334-3130. The event pages ask hikers to bring water and wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots.
Evenings in town are on a different schedule
The indoor calendar doesn't depend on the deer schedule, and it starts on the day this post goes up. Tonight, Thursday, November 19, the Kinnelon Public Library at 132 Kinnelon Road holds its Artistic Delight auction reception from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The pieces are open for bids through that evening.
The library has two more programs during Thanksgiving week, both listed on its November 2026 calendar:
- Tuesday, Nov. 24, 5 to 6 p.m.: Tw/een Craft, making mini felted cats.
- Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1:30 to 2:15 p.m.: Pre-Thanksgiving Storytime and Craft, for younger children.
Two days after the Turkey Mountain hike, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is open for a walk in either park with no hunting allowed.
On Thursday, December 3, the Community Church of Kinnelon holds its Christmas Tree Lighting at 38 N Road from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The evening includes hot chocolate, children's crafts and storytime, a selfie station and holiday jazz. It's an evening event in town, so the hunt schedule doesn't affect it.
Sundays through New Year's
Here is the trail calendar from now to the holidays, sorted by those rules:
- Sundays (Nov. 22 and 29; Dec. 6, 13, 20 and 27): no hunting in county parks by state law. November 22 is also the SILAS Map Adventure at Silas Condict.
- Fridays with ranger hikes (Nov. 20 and 27, Dec. 18): the Park Commission is running its own programs at Pyramid Mountain on these dates.
- Saturday, Dec. 12: Hiking Adventures, about three miles over rocky, steep ground.
- Any other weekday from December on: check the 2026–2027 schedule first, because any firearm closures will fall on weekdays.
If you drive Route 23 toward Butler or West Milford to reach a trailhead, the bridge replacement over the Pequannock River on the West Milford–Kinnelon/Butler border is still a long-term job. In a January 2026 release, the New Jersey Department of Transportation valued the project at $78.2 million and estimated completion in fall 2028.
Living next to Silas Condict or Pyramid Mountain means keeping the county's hunt schedule in mind each winter. If you own a home that borders either park and want a clear number for it, Fast Track Real Estate Company can give you one, prepared by an owner-led team that has worked North Jersey for four decades. Get Your Home Valuation.
