UPPER FREEHOLD: Historic Walnford is an industrial village dating back to the 1700's and known for…read moreits bright blue gristmill. It also happens to be dog friendly property and such a unique experience for you and your dog. Pick up a map/brochure at the entrance and take a self-guided tour around the property! Dogs are allowed in the buildings that are open-air, which is an update since the last time we posted. Crosswicks Creek Greenway flows through the property and at one time provided energy to run the mill. You can also see the grist mill, carriage house, and peak into smaller structures that house historic equipment.

Such a wonderful stop! I had actually discovered this place on accident, but I'm glad I did! Aside…read morefrom a few other people walking around, it's a hidden jem. They have events throughout the year, but I encourage you to visit even when it isn't busy. The history of this park and buildings in it are amazing to discover.

Lovely park. My boo and I wanted to head outside and enjoy the last day of May with the feel of…read moretrue Spring in the air. Still a little pollen, but not too much. Warm and sunny, but not ungodly muggy. Despite residing in Bordentown for over a year, we'd never taken the ride over to historic Allentown. After driving through this historic and bucolic town, trust me when I say we kicked ourselves for waiting so long!!!! Heritage park is large. A nicely level, paved trail encircles a wide open and verdant space for folks to picnic, dogs to play, and I guess children too. Benches are fairly abundant to have a respite from any physical exertion or to simply slow down and enjoy some nature. Parking lot was tight, so we parked in the dead end street that leads you to the park entrance and had no trouble. Beautiful weather, beautiful park in a great town. Combine that with some wonderful company and you've got what makes for a perfect day! We shall return.

Decent sized park in the heart of cranbury. Quiet place for meditation and relaxation. There's a…read moresmall eclectic garden with seating that's slightly off the beaten path in the park

Beautiful afternoon spent at winery. Amazing food trucks. Time spent with Drea, Matt ,sloane and…read moreFallon. Would differently come back. Beautiful here.

Finally went to the Horse Park of NJ & the place was really beautiful. There are acres of land to…read moreexplore as well as several arenas where horses are trained, compete & shown. A friend & I went there for the wine fest which had been moved from previous years at Allaire State Park. Despite the threatening weather, we had a fabulous time. There were perhaps 20 wineries, each with several types of wine to try. The area is large enough that you are not 6 deep waiting to taste wines. It seemed even our favorite wineries had a nice turnover going with patrons & we had very short waits. Some of my favorite NJ wineries were on hand including Plagido, Cava, DiMatteo, & Wagonhouse, just to name a few. They had plenty of food trucks to choose from with a great variety of food. I chose one I had never seen, Mexiflip. I ordered mango tacos that were delicious! 2 tacos for $6, very reasonable for this type of venue. Admission price was the same as Allaire had been, a very reasonable $25-$30 depending when you bought your ticket. There were also plenty of port-a-johns on site. Parking is extensive & with being a spread out as the park is, there was room for an additional 2 bands to play, alternatively, on opposite sides of the area. I wish had had gotten the names of some of the entertainers as all was very good. If was a fabulous day & I will definitely be returning for the next one. Next time however, I will bring lawn chairs, as seating is not provided.

Outstanding must see attraction for those into the outdoors, nature and animals. This place is…read morelike Horse heaven - absolutely beautiful. Given that there is no admission fee and no parking fee, was shocked to see how well maintained and beautiful the overall park was. Huge ground with several arenas for various events. The day that we went they had a horse shoe going on - saw equestrian event that one would normally see on TV live. It was really breathtaking to see the animals in action. Was amazed and in awe of how disciplined the horses were and the riders were. They have a really wonderful and huge outdoor canopy where you sit under the shade and can watch events occur. They have stables, refreshments and various Everyone was really friendly as well. Would HIGHLY recommend to take kids and families here - great way to spend a portion of the afternoon. Great experience and something totally different. PROS - Free admission, free parking ( huge parking lot ), nice outdoor seating under canopy, indoor warehouse like stadium, horse rinks are adjacent wide range of horses, events every other weekend, beautiful landscape & well kept field given it is free, food vendors during events, very nice & welcoming staff CONS - Walking areas along the rinks are not clearly marked ( need to be very careful, especially with kids, when walking alongside horses ), shabby stalls, watch out for horse manure TIPS - Visit their website and see calendar of events (i.e. barrel racing, horse shows) so that you can see full range of activities - park towards the canopy - Can visit here before heading towards great adventure or Assunpink Wildlife area ( located very close to to both )

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.

Hamilton Square, NJ - this is a sweet little 30-acre botanical garden and park that's free to…read morevisit, featuring specimens collected by gardening enthusiast Frederick Sayen from his world travels. The garden was created in 1912 when Sayen purchased the land with his wife Anne Mellon (of the Mellon family) and built a home in the Arts and Crafts style. The azaleas and rhododendrons are especially magnificent. We visited during the Azalea Festival over Mother's Day weekend, and the flowers were in full colorful splendor. There are ponds, gazebos, and walking trails around the property. My favorite are the wooded trails at one end of the park, but they aren't marked so you could end up wandering around trying to find the exit. Tip: you can find GPS map tracks in AllTrails and Gaia to stay oriented.

JACKSON: The Silver Stream & Steve Kitay trails are part of the Metedeconk Preserve, a special…read moresection of nature that is forever preserved by New Jersey Conservation Foundation. It is a really beautiful and peaceful park where at some points it is so quiet that it is wonderfully eerie. Leashed dogs can go on a nature walk with you! In the summer, the park is very rooty, muddy, and overgrown with green leaves from the many trees. In the winter, the conditions are pretty much the same, but with a lot less green! Turns out this park's purpose is to hold flood waters, so that explains the mud! It is a fun place to walk with many bridges and boardwalks to cross over and nice views of the Metedeconk River and little streams. I recommend wearing hiking boots as there are many roots and your feet might get stuck in mud! The 2-mile trail is well-marked and you can find your way back out! (I get lost easily, so good signs are important to me)! There is a bonus 1-mile "Steve Kitay" trail that goes even deeper into nature with more views of the river. It is interesting comparing the park between the winter and summer. With less leaves on the trees, you can see more nature and better views of the river! The entrance is located near 255 Frank Applegate Road, Jackson, NJ 08527

Grew up very close to Colliers Mills and had the enjoyment of exploring when ever we had the…read morechance! The property is miles and miles mixed with hunters, lots of wildlife and who ever wants to be in the wilderness! In the winter you can find most of the ponds frozen and accessible for ice skaters! We like to bring our dog here when we are in the area!

This place is pretty wild. Went blueberry picking here and got a great group of ripe, fresh…read moreberries. It's a mixed use park so there are hunters, fishermen and people who train hunting dogs. If you love the outdoors and like any of those things, this place is for you.

I visit the Assunpink Lake. I visited it with my friend. It was such a nice view. Peaceful. I loved…read morehow the trees looked. Greenery! I think you should go to Assunpink Lake because I love the view, it's so peaceful, and there is a lot of open spaces.

I visit the Assunpink lake primarily in the warmer weather months to enjoy some stand up…read morepaddleboarding. Its an awesome lake and rarely crowded. Along with our paddleboards, you will find kayakers, canoers, and fisherman in the lake. There is plenty of room for everyone! There are two differnet sides of the lake you can park on. There is the main paved parking lot area, where all the fisherman usually can be found. I prefer the lesser used dirt road side, which is almost like a private beach. To get there you need to make a left turn off Eldridge (check out a map). There are also unmarked trails for those interested in hiking or mountain biking.

This park is filled with wonderful treasures! They have held so much within this park, I don't know…read morewhere to begin but I will say, there is something for everyone! They have a great field for baseball. Please note, Freehold Little League is held here so if there is a game, parking will be hard. They also have many playgrounds for kids. They seem to have themed playgrounds so that if you are meeting other parents, just say, "we'll convene at the blue or pirate ship playground" and everyone will find it. They have a fenced in skateboard ramps for tweens and up which I personally think is a fabulous idea. The ramps are spaced and curved only for skateboards. Longboards should definitely stay only on the paved paths where they belong. Speaking of trails, their trails are mixed between paved and dirt. You can safely go on a light walking trail here either solo or as you are walking your dogs. They also provide a few stations with plastic bags for the owners to clean up after their dogs. They also have basketball courts, dog runs, picnic areas, a spray ground on hot summer's days and my favorite, a sports field with obstacle courses. Perfect for the bigger kids with lots of energy and to build coordination. I went in March where things are just somewhat starting to bloom. I can only imagine the splendor in late June where everything will be fully bloomed and the grass will be lush. I look forward to revisiting this park, especially when it's Freehold Township Day where there will be plenty of fireworks, rides and the Vets car show!

FREEHOLD: Take your dog for a walk on the fitness trail that loops around the park for about 3…read moremiles and alternates between pavement and dirt with views of baseball and soccer fields and plenty of greenery. The path is mostly flat with a mix of sunny and shady areas with water fountains to cool down. Also, check out the baseball field on the east side of the park that is popular for some off-leash play in a fenced area (be sure to make sure all gates are shut).

I grew up at Etra Lake Park! I played soccer there multiple times a week and the home base for my…read moresummer travel camp was here. They have a great running trail with workout equipment along the way and a great park, picnic area and open space. While visiting NJ this weekend I took my dog here. He loved the opportunity to burn off some energy and play ball. The only complaint about this park which hasn't changed much is all the goose poop! Other than that, I will continue to bring my dog here when I visit and take the occasional run on the trail.

Nice local park. There's a playground, basketball court, soccer fields, picnic areas, grills for…read morebarbecuing, and a trail. Great for nature walks and biking. The trail even leads to the backside of Twin Rivers. A lot of people enjoy fishing at Etra Lake which is a decent sized lake adjacent to the park. There's three parking areas: one adjacent to the lake, one near the fields, and another large parking lot across the street. During non-Covid times, they usually host the East Windsor Fourth of July fireworks every summer and there's fun entertainment and food vendors. Overall a nice place to enjoy the outdoors!