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

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...""

POINT PLEASANT: Beaver Dam Creek County Park is a beautiful outdoor recreation area with a self…read moreguided nature trail on a boardwalk path that converts to a dirt path and meanders through wetlands and around an open play area (which is used as an on-leash dog park), soccer and baseball fields, tennis/pickleball courts, basketball courts, and a picnic area. Dogs must be leashed and there are baggie stations around the park. Be sure pick up after your pet.

I like it here, but a lot of people don't follow the leash laws. I also had a guy by the name of…read moreBill Scott, owner of the BJJ Academy in point pleasant, threaten me and my dogs lives because I was trying in a field 100 yards away from him and he insisted on getting within three feet of me. He insisted I follow him to the woods to teach me and my dogs a lesson. Bill Scott Shore Academy BJJ, point pleasant. Watch out for him.

Also knows as deal test site…read more I go to this park every weekend and walk my dog. We absolutely love it. The clean fresh air and the acres of preserved land is really great to have in the local community. There are lots of soccer and little league games going on here. There are kids learning to ride their bikes. Lots of dog owners walking and enjoying. I see people flying kites and playing catch. It's a wonderful place. If you pay attention on the trail you will see stations that are set up for different exercises. There is one particular one or you can do pull-ups I like to stop there and do 50 pull-ups on my walk it's great exercise and an awesome alternative to the gym. If you like you walk or jog outside this is it

Nice walking paths in a park in the middle of town. Lots of deer, that are so used to seeing…read morepeople, they don't immediately scatter. Even walked right up to 3 with my dog.

BEACHWOOD: it is love at first sight at Jakes Branch County Park! The woods along the trails are…read moreso pretty and just has a different feel than other parks we have been to. There are multiple hiking/walking/bike trails spanning from 0.2 to 3.8 miles, so something for every ability. Walk along berry bushes & plants, and "Jakes Branch" stream and over bridges and past picnic and play areas. Our photos do not do the park justice. The park borders Double Trouble State Park and we'll have to visit that another day. Be sure to grab a trail map or pull it up on your phone to have an idea of where you are going. Dogs must be leashed and cleaned up after.

Jakes Branch County Park is located on the other side of the parkway in Beachwood. It is a very…read morefamily oriented park and is good for general recreation. They have all different things to do, including fields for all types of sports fields up front and good playgrounds for kids. They have different length trails, too, so that you can get exercise walking through the woods. People walk on them, and I have also seen dirt bikers. There's no admission to enter. One thing that is creative about it is that they have these "play pockets". Most parks just have playgrounds up front near the entrance, but here you have to go down the trail to get to them. It's really suitable for children. The park in general has a safe feel. The woods are just basically pine forest. It's obviously not on the level of Yosemite. But it is a nice place to have locally. One cool thing they have there is a big mural done by a local artist over 30 years ago of the Hindenburg landing in Lakehurst. If you go up to the watchtower, you can even see the hangar all the way on the base in Lakehurst.

This review is for Winding River Park, as opposed to just the skating rink, which is only part of…read morethe park. Winding River Park is owned by the Township of Toms River, so it's a municipal one. It's located west of the Parkway and has an entrance near the hospital and also around the neighborhood. It's been here all my life, and most people don't know what it was originally. It had been a horse ranch called Winding River Ranch. There was also a facility on the ranch called Winding River Ranch Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, which closed in the 1950s or 1960's. Today you have facilities for kids to play baseball and go on the playground equipment. There are also trails here, but what makes them stand out is that they are paved. So, it's good for bike riding, and another benefit is that it is easier to avoid ticks. Remember that the ticks here do not practice social distancing. They actually have relatively new bathroom facilities and park benches. There is a relatively new children's Memorial Gardens in there as well. It generally has a safe feel, too. Just today walking through everyone smiled and said hi to me, which is often not the case in North Jersey. Three stars instead of four or five because there's really nothing extraordinary about it. Although you do have views of the Toms River as it winds through the park, it's just OK. But it's worth going to if you want to go for a walk, don't want to pay the entrance fee, want to avoid ticks.

I go here to ride my bike and the people here are nice and say hello and I feel safe when riding…read morealone totally recommend!!! Nothing amazing here but it's nice if you want to go on a bike ride or a walk

We used to frequent this dog park often but each time we've gone in this summer it seems to be less…read moreand less dogs. We arrived Saturday morning on an 85 degree day about 10:30am and there was only 1 other dog and his parents there. I love the fact that they have a water fountain that's easy to fill the dog bowls and they used to have doggie bags for easy waste pick up but lately not many dogs

Lovely park with great dog owners, these people know how to and should own a dog. They're…read moreresponsible and are extremely attentive to their dogs and to their surroundings. There's signs at the entrance of the park that warns people either that have dogs that are fixed or owners that are irresponsible can be reported (and should). They even provide the number and everything in case that should arise. Thankfully it didn't the day we went. While some parks also have some sparse water areas, this one has PLENTY. It has two really well functioning water fountains, and nearby are restrooms in case you need to go or they are shut off. For people, bring your own water. These are not recommended for your consumption. It is funny that most of the dogs congregate in one small area despite the fact there's a much larger to the park, but that's not the fault of anybody but the dogs. Check it out if you have a dog and live in the area.

TOMS RIVER: once you are done eating and drinking in Downtown Toms River, take a walk at Huddy…read morePark, a beautiful marina right on the Toms River. We had no idea that TR had so much history! There was a Revolutionary War battle right on the banks of the river and patriot Joshua Huddy was captured here and the town was left in ashes. This spot commemorates the history and in its modern days, has a farmers market and other events. It is really pretty and has a nice meandering path to walk around.

Huddy Park is one of the oldest parks in the region. It's named after Joshua Huddy, who was a…read morelocal militia commander during the Revolutionary War. The British actually attacked the village of Toms River because it was an important salt works village, and privateers from the village plundered British shipping vessels. Huddy Park has recently been all redone. It's a town park, as opposed to one with trails. There is a recreation of the blockhouse there which Joshua Huddy defended from the British. There is also a nice footbridge and a gazebo for concerts and weddings. They are trying to get more festivals to take place there.