Hopatcong Hills, NJ Outdoor Activities

While working with players ranging from toddlers to high-schoolers, the professional coaches at U.K. Elite Soccer, Inc. incorporate individual training and team-focused programs to create well-rounded athletes both on and off the pitch. Their game-based approach to teaching helps younger students learn motor skills, social skills, and coordination, and gives older students the chance to learn how to dribble in Morse code. The instructors also incorporate methods from football clubs around the world, borrowing tricks from footballers in England, Brazil, the USA, Holland, France, Italy, and Germany to augment training courses. Programs run throughout the year, allowing players and coaches to focus on continual development no matter the season.

Helmed by a team of passionate climbing coaches, both of The Gravity Vault's locations surround climbers with more than 13,000 square feet of climbing space. Walls tower past 35 feet, mimicking such natural rock formations as overhangs, keyhole arches, and slabs, and bouldering areas challenge climbers with a latticework of problems that—unlike most of life's—can't simply be solved with dynamite and a pair of roller skates. Visitors can choose from up to 60 top-rope stations, trusting either the trained staff or a certified fellow climber to man the ropes while they scramble to the summit. When not dangling from a hold or saving lost kittens from a rappel ledge, members can bulk up in the cardiovascular-training area.

A family-owned business of 11 years, Lockwood Farms blossoms with an ever-metamorphosing selection of plants and flowers. Owners Randi and Mark bustle around the garden center each day, overseeing the staff and offering assistance and gardening counsel to customers. Their gardens house more than 40 types of vegetables and herbs along with an eclectic mix of flowers, trees, and shrubs. An extensive selection of birdbaths, fountains, and pottery punctuates the grounds, and an onsite three-story gift shop stocks collectibles and decor from designers such as Jim Shore, Heritage Lace, and Willow Tree. The center's florists also snip fresh flowers into custom bouquets for a variety of occasions ranging from anniversary celebrations to birthdays.

Each year, the coaches from Kiddie Soccer introduce thousands of toddlers between the ages of 3-1/2 and 6 to the most popular team sport in the world—soccer—through safe, fun classes in a constructive environment. For the first 50 minutes of each session, groups of up to 12 kids engage in team-building games such as Red Light Green Light or Sharks and Minnows—similar to adults' Hot Potato Famine or Foxes and Attorneys—to build physical and cooperative skills and, above all, have fun. Kids then split off into teams for a 10-minute friendly competition, enjoying themselves while learning teamwork under the coach's watchful, supportive eye.

Spring Valley Equestrian Center has been family owned for four decades. Current owners Marie Cotton and Chuck McWhirter spearhead instruction in both English and Western horseback-riding techniques on the scenic ranch, which abuts the Appalachian Trail Ridge. A large indoor arena complements the center's three riding rings, allowing horses to gallop comfortably throughout the year and eliminating the need for them to fly south for the winter. Spring Valley’s saddle shop allows equines to suit up onsite. In addition to group and private lessons, the center hosts summer horsemanship camps that include a week of lessons and conclude with a student horse show.

With the distinction of Top Trainer from Today’s Equestrian, Heritage Stables, LLC owner Marc Harbers has come a long way since his days of training and growing up in the Netherlands. In his teen years, Marc began his pursuit of mares by working for a large show barn that allowed him to interact with more horses than it takes to fill a double-decker carousel. During this time, he developed the riding philosophies that he passes on to students today at his stateside facilities. His grounds house a large indoor ring and two outdoor rings—well-maintained spaces where Marc breeds champions by stressing balance and the importance of strong mental bonds.