My family and I had a wonderful weekend camping at Turkey Swamp. This park offers well maintained…read morehiking trails, an archery area, playgrounds, and affordable boat rentals. The campground is quiet and also well maintained. The bathrooms are spacious and clean. There is no camp store, but they do sell firewood and ice at the office. There is a Walmart in town about 10 minutes away if you need any supplies. This may become one of our regular getaways.

This is a very cute place to go fishing!…read more They have a very large dock area for fishing with tons of benches. Even if a good amount of people are here to fish there is still plenty of space to spread out. I also love that there is a large playground area and very clean bathrooms. The park ranger was extremely friendly and had bandaids for us when my 3 year old clipped her finger with a fish hook (ooof). Plenty of parking and overall a fun and easy way to take my little kids fishing for the first time.

LAKEWOOD: a beautiful park, Lake Shenandoh County Park is part of the Ocean County Parks &…read moreRecreation system. There is a dog friendly walking path/bike trail that goes around the lake with some truly stunning lookout points. Some parts of the trail have vehicles, so be careful. Zoey the maltichon was a good sport to join us for a walk on a very steamy day, and we ended up taking a short route to see a man-made waterfall and some wooded areas. If you walk around the whole lake, there is a section where you have to walk on the road (Clover St.) since the trail seems to end, but picks up again a short ways down. FYI, as of 6/10/20, "Due to construction the main bathrooms at Lake Shenandoah County Park in Lakewood will be closed for the remainder of 2020. Bathrooms are available at the Soccer Complex in the park. "Go Before You Go...""

JACKSON: as we continue to explore the parks of Jackson, we are impressed with how beautiful the…read moretown is. We call it rural suburbia; a bit more into the woods, but close enough to civilization! Bunker Hill Bogs aka the Purple Heart Trail is another park that has a nice nature trail. The trail is mostly flat and dirt covered and meanders over vernal ponds and you can see former cranberry bogs. There is also signage along the way pointing out nature and history of the area. Horse riding is also allowed along with fishing, boating, and cross country skiing! Dogs are welcome. :) The entrance and main parking lot is located near intersection of Whitesville Road and East Veterans Hwy.

This center was adorable. I went on a play date with my daughter and her 5 friends , ages 10 months…read moreto 4 years old and it was perfect for them. When you enter you add a donation & go on your way. All the rooms are themed. It was a small center we were in and out within 30 min but they had a blast. As we were leaving there was a field trip from a school coming in. The kids looked about 10 years old. They quickly visited the center then headed for the canoes. I will definitely visit again before summer ends.

Beautiful, relaxing, quiet get away spot…read more There is something to be said about Jersey and the beautiful parks, reservoirs, acres and acres of trees and paths you can enjoy anytime of the year. Manasquan Reservoir is definitely my go to place for my weekly exercise, walking my pup and in general getting "lost" in my thoughts while I sit on one of the many benches donated for visitors to sit and watch the ripples of the water. As you walk along the few paths you see people out for their daily jog, power walking, biking or just leisurely strolling with their dogs. (on a leash of course). Mom groups with baby strollers, kids on nature walks with their school, its seriously just a wonderful place you can visit for free. I especially like that it is about 7 miles around from beginning to end and has lots of spots to rest and catch your breath. Because the summer can be warm and muggy here in NJ I try to do my walks early AM like everyone else- no joke its can get muggy nasty here..... in the fall and winter even with the cold air or light snow is not a problem I'll walk anytime. Hubby joins me on my walks and afterwards it's off to Meemon's for breakfast There are "johnny on the spot" bathrooms and I have yet to use one- but I see the staff cleaning them now and again. I just use the rest room in the visitor center- which by the way- the visitor is somewhere you should bring the kids, really informative and fun.

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.

I am a local of this area and went to Allaire for the Duck Derby this past weekend. I must say: I…read moreloved it!!! The blacksmith shop was so interesting and the employee was super knowledgeable when I asked question. I felt really welcomed and I learned a lot. The event itself was fun and well organized. I enjoyed bringing my dog, the free glitter tattoos, and the atmosphere. I loved watching the ducks race down the creek, it was so fun!

Been there a couple of times taking the grandkids on the train ride and explored the little town…read morewith bakery and blacksmith and a couple of buildings carriage House ,school house, residence house, church and gift shop .Pack a lunch for a picnic or barbecue using one of the grills with picnic tables or walk one of the trails.

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!

I wish there were longer trails to walk along the water and the lake, but it's nice for a short…read morewalk to get out with the dogs

Love, Love Love this pretty little lake. The park is located on the edge of Lake Horicon in…read moreLakehurst. A primo spot for a picnic, laying out, or watching the sunset. There are benches for two around the lake area to have a conversation, fish, or share some ice cream. The views of the lake and the ducks & geese provide wonderful scenery. The sand and cool water make for a refreshing respite. A previous review has outlined all the things you can do here so I won't repeat them. Except for on holidays, when it is quite busy, it is a tranquil place if you want some relaxation from a busy world