Adventure Awaits: Explore NJ’s Top State Parks!

Historic Allaire State Park
Farmingdale, NJ
An historic 19th-century iron making town, Allaire Village, and its antique steam trains on the Pine Creek Railroad. The Manasquan River, which winds through the park, attracts canoeists and fishermen. The river's floodplain provides habitat for over 200 species of wildflowers, trees and plants as well as habitat for birds and other wildlife. Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders enjoy the many trails in the park.

Cheesequake State Park
300 Gordon Road
Matawan, NJ
This park is unique in that it lies in a transitional zone between two different ecosystems. Open fields, saltwater and freshwater marshes, a white cedar swamp, Pine Barrens, and a northeastern hardwood forest are the main characteristics of the park.
Recreational activities include swimming in Hooks Creek Lake, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, picknicking, hiking, and camping.

 Forest Resource Education Center
495 Don Connor Boulevard
Jackson, NJ
This facility consists of eight miles of trails with learning stations with informational kiosks on environmental topics. Some kiosks have "talking trees." At these kiosks, the visitor can push a button and hear more about the featured topic.The visitor, with the trail booklet as a guide, can stop at stations along the trail to look at features and identify plants and trees. ABC Arboretum, Sensory Awareness, Swamp Life and Forest Discovery trail guide booklets are available at the interpretive center. Use the booklet as a guide while exploring the trail.

 Island Beach State Park
Seaside Park, NJ
The park is located on a narrow barrier island stretching for 10 miles between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay. Island Beach is one of New Jersey's last significant remnants of a barrier island ecosystem that once existed along much of the coast and is also one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches on the north Atlantic coast. Over 3,000 acres and 10 miles of coastal dunes remain almost untouched since Henry Hudson first described New Jersey's coast from the ship, the Half Moon, in 1609.
Recreational activities include biking, hiking, fishing, swimming, sunbathing, picknicking, and horseback riding.

Monmouth Battlefied State Park
16 Business Route 33
Manalapan, NJ
The site of one of the largest battles of the American Revolution took place here.  A reenactment of the June 1778 battle is held every year with authentically dressed troops camped out in the park and situated in the fields for fighting. The park preserves a splendid rural 18th-century landscape of hilly farmland and hedgerows that encompasses miles of hiking and horseback riding trails, picnic areas, a restored Revolutionary War farmhouse and a visitors center.

 Washington Crossing State Park
355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road
Titusville, NJ
This location provided the setting for one of the pivotal events of the American Revolution. The Continental Army had little to celebrate that Christmas and seemed beat by hunger and cold. After crossing the rough winter river at night, General George Washington and the Continental Army landed at Johnson's Ferry, at the site now known as Washington Crossing State Park.
Originally preserved for its historical significance, the park is also well known for its trails and wildlife habitat. The park also is popular for picnicking, camping, hiking, and in the winter, for cross-country skiing on existing hiking trails. There are also a number of buildings to tour including Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre, Washington Crossing Visitor Center Museum, Swan Historical Foundation Collection, Johnson Ferry House, Nature Center. and the observatory.