Byram Township

If you dream of living surrounded by water, Byram Township, nicknamed the "Township of Lakes," may be the place for you. This Sussex County municipality has roughly two dozen lakes and ponds within its 22.72 square radius. Byram Township is also home to many trails, a Wild West theme park and an authentic historical village. It's safe to say Byram Township has a lot going on.

Before you explore everything Byram Township has to offer, be sure to check out the homes. Around Cranberry Lake, you can find many year-round neighbors and summer vacationers. There are plenty of opportunities throughout the township to live lakeside, some with the lake in the front yard, others the lake in the backyard. "A lot of the homes in Byram used to be seasonal summer homes that have since been converted into year-round living," says Realtor Patrick Bolger with The Holmquist Group of Keller Williams Metropolitan. You can have Lake Lackawanna in the backyard of your three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath ranch-style home for roughly $525,000. Or, if you prefer to step outside and immediately jump into water, a four-bedroom, two-a-half-bath contemporary split level with an inground pool for nearly $525,000 could fulfill your dreams. Enjoy private trail access and over 2 acres of property in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom, treehouse-influenced colonial with a wrap-around deck for about $575,000. For even more space, you can find an updated colonial with five bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms on 3.5 acres for roughly $900,000; or a five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath estate with an inground pool on 10 acres for around $1.3 million.

With all the lakes and ponds, you can bet this community had many water activities. At the Cranberry Lake Community Club, you can swim at the two lake beaches, jump off the floating docks, or take your boat out on the water. Once summer hits, the community's clubhouse is chock full of activities like yoga, sand castle tournaments, talent shows and swim meets. Neighbors gather daily at the Forest Lakes Club to swim and hang out during the dog days of summer. For a bit more excitement, head to the Tomahawk Lake Water Park, where you can ride waterslides all day long, play mini golf or get out on the water in a paddle boat. If golf is your game, spend your day on a public lake course. "Lake Lackawanna has a fun, little nine-hole course. It's a great place for people to learn or practice," Bolger says. Kids can have fun all summer long at Jeff Lake Camp, a long-established day camp. From late spring through Halloween, don your cowboy hat and spurs and head to the Wild Wild West. The Wild West City creates an authentic Western experience through stagecoach rides, historical reenactments, panning for gold and visiting the blacksmith. For more history lessons, visit Waterloo Village, an authentic village along the Morris Canal. During the 19th century, the village had a working mill, a general store and a blacksmith. Besides being known as the "Township of Lakes," Byram is also the "Gateway to New Jersey Trails." Some pathways include the Sussex Branch Trail, the Cranberry Overlook Trail and Tamarack Park Trail. You can enjoy the township's several parks, like C.O. Johnson Park all year round. Here you can play football, try out new skateboarding tricks and play tennis. Riverside Park has a playground and picnic tables but also the Musconetcong River runs behind it, where you can fish and canoe.

After a fun day outside, sit down and have a good meal. Sip on a bloody mary or a cold beer at the Alibi Beach Bar & Grill. As you indulge in some mac and cheese and mozzarella sticks, take in the views of Lake Lackawanna. Enjoy elevated pub fare at the Stonewood Tavern, like grilled salmon, seafood risotto or a New York strip steak. If you enjoy sushi, order rolls from Halulu, like the popular spicy tuna, Philadelphia and avocado rolls.

Local kids can attend the Byram Township School District for kindergarten through eighth grade. At Byram Intermediate, students take field trips to the Liberty Science Center, New York City and Washington D.C. After eighth-grade graduation, students go to Lenape Valley Regional High with kids from Stanhope and Netcong. According to Niche, Lenape Valley Regional is the third-best high school in Sussex County and has an overall B+ rating, including an A for teachers and a B+ for sports.

If lake life is calling your name or you want to live in a happening place, come to Byram Township and discover your new home.

Written By

Jess Nocera

Photography Contributed By

Brendan Rogers

Video By

Jonathan Bradley