Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossoms · cherry blossom
Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossoms
Branch Brook Park in Newark and Belleville bills itself as holding the largest and most varied collection of Japanese flowering cherry trees in the United States: 5,300 trees across 18 varieties, more than the Tidal Basin's headline grove. The 360-acre Essex County park was the nation's first county park, and its long ribbons of pink draw crowds every April. For an RV trip it is a day-use stop near New York City, so you base at a nearby campground and drive or take transit in. The variety mix means bloom unfolds in waves rather than a single burst.
Bloom window
Peak bloom typically early to mid-April (in 2026 the park projected a peak window of April 3-12); BloomFest is held in mid-to-late April. Timing varies with weather.
Trees & variety
5,300 cherry trees · 18 varieties · Largest & most varied U.S. collection (per the park) · Essex County's 360-acre park
Where
Branch Brook Park, Newark and Belleville, Essex County, New Jersey
Nearest RV base
Branch Brook Park is a day-use county park with no camping. The nearest RV bases are Liberty Harbor RV Park in Jersey City, NJ (closest, urban, transit to NYC and Newark), or Cheesequake State Park campground in Matawan, NJ to the south.
Plan it honestly
Peak bloom is weather-driven and never fixed to a date; it usually lands in early to mid-April but shifts year to year (the park projected April 3-12 for 2026). Because the park spans 18 varieties, early and late kinds (the Kwanzan being among the last) stretch the color over a couple of weeks, and the annual BloomFest is scheduled in mid-to-late April. Branch Brook Park is day-use only with no camping, so plan your RV base nearby and check the official bloom updates before visiting.
Track peak bloom with the official source: Branch Brook Park Alliance / Essex County (official park steward) .