Wow! As a mom of 3 littles and an avid park goer, I was impressed! This beautiful park is right in…read morethe bay, beautiful, and lots of fun. The slides are good and steep, there are plenty of swings, mini climbing wall, nice springy ride-on toys, and a tandem swing for toddler and mom or older sibling. There is a walking path and exercise equipment for parents with view of the playground and a nice picnic area in the middle of the park. The ground is spongy, so no scraped knees. I would recommend going in the morning or on a warm (but not too hot) day, since there is no shade. Also, bring a jacket if it is at all chilly, since the breeze blows from the bay into the park. Also, use the bathroom beforehand, since a portapotty is your only option once you are there. The park is free - definitely check it out! And then swing on over to the Popcorn Park Zoo when they open at 11.

One of the best parks in the area. Beautiful scenery, great atmosphere, clean, and a great change…read moreup from the normal park.

Great playground and beautiful lake views. Gazebo, Monday night concerts in the park and Rita's,…read morejust a short walk over the bridge.

I'm generally not an advocate of hiking in the rain (or really whenever anything is falling from…read morethe sky), but this is definitely the place to do it if you're going to. The Millennial Chum and I made our Pine Barrens hiking debut here this past Saturday, which was rainy and hovering in the high 40s. Our itinerary was very straight-forward - it was an 8.5-mile hike along the white trail (my ye olde pre-Sandy NJ hiking book identifies it as the Penns Hill Trail, but the website for Wells Mills cites it as the Macri trail; regardless, it's the white one), which is basically one giant loop circling Wells Mills Lake, though it veers much further west than that at several points. Our book claimed this would take four to five hours, which we thought was a ridiculous overestimate and was - we did this in a little over three hours, though we're both in good shape and really didn't stop. We were both enormously impressed by the facilities and trail markings here. The Nature Center at the beginning of the hike looks and is pretty spiffy, with a toasty, clean bathroom and helpful kiosks with maps to grab (handheld maps are not a given in this day and age). They DID run out of hand soap, but I think any of us would take a warm, functioning indoor plumbing situation over what we usually have to deal with. There was one time late in the hike when we stopped to peer around for the next marking, but we literally found it about five seconds later. Given that a lot of the trails overlap, turn and often cut into or across non-hiking fire trails, I thought they did a great job denoting the specific routes. I expected the entire hike to be flat, which is my general/uninformed impression of the Pine Barrens, but it actually had a few ups and downs over dune-like, woody hills, especially in the first two miles. Nothing crazy, and while we stopped for a few water breaks at the top of those mounds, we never felt obligated to pause to catch our breaths. I'm at a point in 2023 where I'm gauging the strenuousness of an activity based on what my Fitbit says, and it claimed I had no zone moments, which is essentially high cardio activity. So take that for what you will. Regardless, I think this is also a selling point, as I've actually been reluctant to hike around here due to the lack of terrain; definitely adds some character. The viewpoint situation was not my favorite. On a rainy day like this, you're treated to an X-files-esque view of a lake right at the beginning, complete with Vancouver-like pine trees (if you know, you know), but this is not a hike where you're going to end up looking out over anything; even the tops of the hills are in the middle of the woods, so you're just looking at the same trees you were looking at when you were at the bottom, just...higher. The other downside (depending on your perspective) is that this is probably the best kind of weather for the Pine Barrens in many ways, but it's hazardous. This hike has many boardwalks throughout the damper/swampier areas, but they get very slippery when it's rainy. I don't believe either of us legit lost our footing but we both hollered, 'Careful!' a lot. I'd recommend some tread on the hindpaws. I suspect due mostly to the weather, the wildlife and canine chum situations were terrible. We saw a pooch in the parking lot getting ready for a walk, but never encountered one during the entire 8.5 miles (and only saw a miserable-looking boy scout troop and two other people). Hopefully others have better luck. There was also a bright pink port-a-potty about halfway through right where the trail brushes up against the scout reservation, so if nature calls and you're trying to avoid direct body contact with pine needles dot dot dot. A lot of the hiking intangibles are here, so it's hard not to recommend this for just about anyone, regardless of skill level. It's not the kind of hike I'd do for a real workout, but to just get some fresh air and steps in? It's a nice change of pace if you're in the area.

Wells Mills County Park is the largest county park in Ocean County. It's substantial actually. It…read moreactually feels more like a state park because the trails are longer and more involved. There's no admission fee to enter, which is great. You can just hang out closer to the main entrance by the lake. You can also go down the trails for just a little bit and come back. So, it can be what do you make of it. They have trails of all different lengths, however. The trails interconnect, so you can "cheat" and don't have to go down the full length of them. The green trail takes about an hour and a half to walk around. The white trail is windier and a little bit more scenic. The white trail also goes down much closer to the lake and through the cedar or swamp next to the lake. The yellow trail is very long. I've been on parts of it, but I've heard that it's relatively boring. One day I will want to walk the whole distance of it because it's close to 10 miles long. While most parks in Ocean County tend to be flat like a pancake, there's a little bit more elevation here. Some parts of the green and white trail would be easy to moderately difficult. But the trails are well blazed, and it's not terrible. Be careful because the trail map that I found online is old, and they have since updated it. When you come in there's a board that has a map posted. You can pick up an updated trail map there. It's also recommended that you sign in if you are going to be hiking for a distance. You don't want to get stuck in there and have the gates close on you. It's for your safety. There is a canoe launching dock on the lake, as well. When my friend comes next summer, who is a big kayaker, then I'll try it out. But I mostly go just for exercise and to go on the trails now. The park has a very safe feel, and I feel comfortable walking there. People generally say hi to you when you pass them on the trail. The only thing you need to worry about is ticks that may cause Lyme disease. So, make sure that you check for ticks, and take a shower as soon as you get home from there.

A beautiful Bay side beach - a place to rinse your feet (outdoor showers) and a free rest room…read more We love LBI and especially the northern end.

FREE PARKING at the beach!! Well actually on the bay side, but you can walk across the street and…read morebe at the beach. We parked here two days in a row, both times walking over to the ocean side beach...they are doing beach restoration, so we saw some bulldozers and workmen (which frankly didn't bother me as the sound was washed out by the wind and crashing waves). They offer public restrooms, as well as some playground stuff (all on the bay side). Beach badges were $6 per adult, a fine rate for the day as well as the parking and the facilities.

Cool and nice place to be wish it was a little bit cleaner from trash but nice off-road trailsread more

Truly enjoyed the serenity and bliss of walking the paths. It is good for an intimate stroll with…read morekin or romantic escape for lovers. Definitely Recommend.

Awesome park that's kept incredibly clean! The splash pad for the kids is well-maintained, free to…read moreuse, and open seasonally. There's a small playset with a fun rope-climbing area, plus a short walking path along the bay where you'll often see people crabbing off the dock. The park has plenty of picnic space with barbecue grills, as well as clean public restrooms. It's also an amazing spot to catch both the sunrise and sunset!

A small but experience-packed park. It's right on the water (views, but no swimming) with a…read moresheltered pavilion, grills, fishing, crab cleaning stations ( yes, you can crab here), bring your corn hole bags to try out the granite "boards", a mini spray park and unique playground experiences. A very different park.

Love this place! Different entrances, beautiful scenery and wildlife, very well maintained. Great…read moretrails, nice place to be in touch with nature & our dog loves it as much as we do. Warning--it's very wet after snow & rain.

My favorite place to walk through. So peaceful and well maintained. Occasional water views and easy…read moreto follow trails.

Happy Mother's Day! Went to the Azeala Festival today and…read moreboy oh boy it was so beautiful outside. The festival had live music who were awesome. Yes, I did dance in my chair. Couldn't help it when they played and sang some popular disco tunes. The craft and food vendors were there full strong with lots of unique things, (hint, my daughter surprised me with beautiful flowers.

Only had time for superficial exploration. It's very pretty. The parking lot is a nightmare! I'd…read moreadvise trying to figure out whether you can park outside and walk in. Inside the park there were an endless stream of people taking prom pictures. I don't begrudge them that. However their blocking the walkways and acting like it would be an imposition on them to at some point move is a bit tiresome. Look people are rude and self centered. What can you do!

Oceanport: when we meet people out and about with Brie, so many of you have told us to visit Wolf…read moreHill Recreation Area and we finally made it! Part of a bigger recreation area with softball fields, a disc golf course, and a sledding hill, the off-leash dog park offers two areas: One for pups 35 pounds or less One for 36 pounds and over There are picnic tables and doggie waste bags and the property is well maintained by Monmouth County Park System. "Please note that the Wolf Hill Recreation Area Off-Leash Dog Areas are closed until 9 a.m. on Wednesdays, April through November, to allow for facility maintenance."

A dog park, disc golfing, softball fields and Cross Country meets in the Fall season beget this…read morebeautifully open-spaced park in Oceanport, NJ. Check it out

Decided to visit a different part of the beach in ocean city and saw these markings in the sand…read more Thought they were so cute and clever I had to take a picture. Corson's inlet was a beautiful beach and mostly empty as it was after Labor Day.

We took a day trip here in August. Loved the area, it was quiet. Nice place to relax and watch…read morepeople fishing or boating. I do recommend bug spray, green head flies can be an issue.