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    Wawayanda State Park

    4.0 (47 reviews)

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    Tiffany M.

    Happy weekend my fellow Adventurers! I got to camp out overnight here for the Ragnar (24 hour overnight race) relay over the fall and had a blast! The grounds themselves are beautiful, well kept, and great for hiking. We happened to be there at the perfect time for fall foliage while it was turning. The photos were spectacular and amazing to be in the wilderness. I would recommend going here during fall for nature and leaves overall. They have facilities on ground and trails that go for miles. The body of water is pretty cool from what we could see, since it was blocked off for the relay.

    Burning Bush (heat wave edition)
    Mick L.

    Great Park Mostly Unspoiled Nice Trails Place Is Huge I go in the fall, winter and spring when the place is empty, this is when I can really enjoy the outdoors in quiet. Keep The Parks Clean And Your Dog On A Leash!

    Great location to kayak
    Lisa A.

    We were looking for a good local spot to bring our kayaks for the day. A few things to note: Parking is free before memorial weekend. After that it's $10 for a NJ plate car, and $20 for any other state (on weekends.) During the week I believe its $5/$10. I called the number on google, and surprisingly, they answered and were very informative. They do offer seasonal passes which is around $30 for NJ resident. This is a great place to kayak- there are several "islands" to explore and just great scenery all around. We also noticed tons of fishers out there on their boats, so I'm assuming it's a good place to do that as well. This lake is huge, we were tired before we could even make it around the whole thing. I'm not sure how great this would be for swimming, when we were kayaking we noticed tons of seaweed type plants in the water that would probably get wrapped around your legs. There's nothing worse than something unknown touching your leg in the water. Also, while the sand near the water is nice and clean, the grassy area (see pic) was covered in duck poop. It was really gross. If you're planning to bring your kids here make sure they wear shoes on the grass. They have actual bathrooms- but the toilets are those you find in porta potties; a scary unknown dark hole.

    Little explorers at Lake Wawayanda!
    Paula L.

    Ok...I have mixed feelings about this one! The lake and the scenery is beautiful. The water was very clean. The sand and the beach however, had lots of poop. I guess they were geese poop but they looked bigger than what I would typically see in parks and fields. I don't get grossed out easily but if you decide to bring kids who want to play in the sand, it is pretty gross. I wish that they would clean it up every morning prior to opening. Besides, they open at 10 and the beach is not that big. So there should be enough time to scoop out the poop. Aside from that, the kids loved it and the lake was really fun for them. It doesn't go deep quickly and parents can enjoy watching their kids swim more as compared to going to an actual beach (ocean) where you worry about the waves. We went on a weekday and it wasn't crowded.

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    8 months ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great park. Park rangers are nice, lake is lovely and the woods are beautiful. Great place to hike.

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    7 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Fantastic spot to hike, walk, swim, and of course, take your doggies! The entire park is clean and kept extremely well!

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Absolutely stunning!! Nice and peaceful area..very laid back. Pleasant views and hiking trails!! Definitely worth visiting!

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    10 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Absolutely gorgeous. Love this place. Peaceful, interesting.

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    14 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    19 years ago

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    17 years ago

    This is one of my favorite hiking places. I usually go during the fall when the park isn't crowded.

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Great park! Kept clean and professional staff. The park wasn't packed on a Monday but I have heard it gets full on the weekends.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Wawayanda State Park

    Review Highlights - Wawayanda State Park

    Went to the park on a beautiful day at the end of September.

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    Franklin Pond - Cute swimming pond

    Franklin Pond

    4.8(5 reviews)
    9.9 mi

    Happy Sunday my fellow Adventurers!…read more This is a relatively new hidden gem that I just found. From what I know it was a swimming hole back in 1989 however they closed it down when it was used for a water resource until recently they decided to bring it back to its original roots. (Please fat check this) It has the brand new man made beach complete with what seems to be quarry sand that is course and not like beach sand. Its a beautiful white and lovely when the sun hits its crystalline in texture. The beach itself is small relatively compared to say a lake community beach. There are two lifeguard stations and several rotating guards. The small beach has four areas with noodle ropes in order for you to make sure you are swimming in the right spots. They offer swimming lessons which is really good for the local communities. They also have a platform in the middle which is about 11 feet deep which is reminiscent of the 'Blob' Movie. I half expected that the Blob would come especially if you sneak in after hours. (I don't recommend this lol) You basically pull in and park either on the grass or follow the road to the concession stand. You can purchase a day pass for $10 with no residential requirement for the area. I believe you can purchase an annual badge which I think runs $25-35 per person. You fill out a form that is all legalities and liabilities in order to get the badge or wristband for a day pass. The staff are really helpful and accommodating for any questions you may have. They have very clean porta-potties that are frequently serviced. As well as a concession stand that offered hotdogs, hang burgers, and various other carnival like foods. They sometimes run out of items like sauerkraut with no compensation of any sort which I get they can't help but it's a small area and was open at 11 am, we got there by 12. Always purchase back ups in order to provide for your customers. The hot dogs are pre-grilled and wrapped in aluminum so don't expect a fresh dirty water dog. The overall experience is a really nice one considering you battle tons of traffic going the shore versus the short ten minute drive from Hamburg and $10 fee. It's also really brand new and still working itself out.

    Nice, clean park. Dog friendly place to walk. Fun local events. Very nice children's area.read more

    Photos
    Franklin Pond - #intenselypassionatephotography

    #intenselypassionatephotography

    Franklin Pond
    Franklin Pond - #intenselypassionatephotography

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    #intenselypassionatephotography

    Apshawa Preserve - Water Lilly

    Apshawa Preserve

    3.6(7 reviews)
    11.8 mi

    This is one of my favorite local hikes. Its not too far of a drive if you are coming from Bergen…read moreCounty like myself. Upon arrival there is a pretty decent size lot with a good amount of parking. I have never had an issue finding a spot. The hikes are pretty calm with nothing being too strenuous. But you can still get a good hike in. There is a huge lake, a waterfall, some old foundations, a few old tanks, and a dam. So there is a lot to see here. There is even one point where you can see what appears to be an old jeep off one of the trails. This is a good hike if you want to get a good walk in without it being to tough. There is also plenty to see throughout the hikes.

    This is our first hike that we took in NJ and although we did not see any bears (thankfully!!) - my…read morehusband did pull out a huge dog tick which was making its way into my skin!! This was absolutely my nightmare come true and I am partially to blame for because I did not spray an insect repellant. I also did not wear clothing that covered my stomach (it was hot!). Anyways, apart from that little scare, it was a beautiful hike. There are a few different trails (based on difficulty) which are detailed on a billboard at the entrance. There are a ton of squirrels and chipmunks running around...like A TON! So don't get scared and think it's a bear. The Butler Reservoir is a beautiful scenery and you can take some awesome pictures! Also, the trail itself is pretty rocky. TIPS: *Wear good hiking shoes, there are some steep/slippery areas and it's rocky most of the way. *Spray insect repellant, inspect your exposed skin for ticks AND take a shower right after you get home. Remove the tick very slowly to prevent the head from breaking off. *If you see a bear - DO NOT RUN! Scream and make yourself appear bigger/more scary by waving hands. *Take a lot of beautiful pictures! *Plan and follow the trail. The trail is available on google maps if you ever get lost and there are color coded markings on the trees throughout the hike. And most importantly - HAVE FUN!

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    Apshawa Preserve
    Apshawa Preserve - Thinking about my next adventure LOL

    Thinking about my next adventure LOL

    Apshawa Preserve

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    Surprise Lake ll

    Surprise Lake ll

    4.4(5 reviews)
    5.1 mi

    For an inexperienced party of hikers, this trail might not be the best choice, but we had a…read moregrueling and fulfilling hike. With ample breaks (~10 short water breaks and 3-4 longer breaks to admire scenery), we finished in 5.5 hours. If a short but rough bit of rock scrambling will be a challenge, make sure to bring gloves and proper hiking footwear, and durable fitted clothing. The path we took had varied terrain and tended to go up and down in elevation. Definitely download a hiking app that works without good phone service since there are multiple trails and we had multiple instances where we had to choose the correct direction. We brought 2 bottles of ice water each, but decidedly towards the end we should have really brought 4-5. Didn't see any wildlife except a hawk/falcon, plenty of millipedes, and a weird alien-like squirming worm sticking straight out of a tree looking like a stubby branch. Pathing: we started at the parking lot and followed the blue state line trail (which apparently leads to Maine, informed fellow hikers). We probably missed any views until we changed to the yellow trail (the beginning is denoted by three yellow squares, as well soon learned). On the yellow trail, we were soon treated with a small, private feeling view of a pond next to a campfire pit. The next viewing area consisted of a closeup experience of the same pond from the ground level. After another hour of hiking, we had our best view yet, a canopy high view of the river and small houses across, with trees as far as the eye can see. Seemed worth it after four hours of rocks and mud. Terrain: Short easy walking portions are split between rocky paths with the occasional climb up or down. Having a stick really helped during both parts. Watch out for slick mossy rocks. Weather: matters! We luckily came on a cloudy cool summer day (70-80F) and with shade and breeze it was very pleasant. I could imagine running out of water in the first two hours if it was sunny and hotter. Unluckily, it rained during the last hour as it became afternoon. It will be very hard to hike this trail without sunlight. It also became frigidly cold. Crowdiness: crossed about 10 hikers during the five hours, could be due to the rain warning, but still much less crowded compared to any other spots I've been to. Also saw almost no trash, thumbs up to all the hikers here. Danger: heard about snakes, never saw any. Most dangerous thing on the trail is probably the dwarves that surely live in the trees with the little doors, and slick rocks along with unsure footing. Few scrapes and bruised backsides can be expected for amateur hikers like us, especially when it rains. Feels amazing after we finished, my last hour of the journey nearly blank with desperation to reach the end. Good meal and foot massage ahead! tl;dr fairly difficult trail with ups and downs and rock scrambling, bring more water than you think you need, a hat, gloves, sunscreen if you like, a stick, good shoes, and a tested hiking app. Views depend on the trail you take, we got the best views on the yellow trail. Be careful and enjoy being nearly alone on the trail. Don't stay til dark, and run from the rain.

    Medium level hike with great scenery. Not much elevation but part of the trail is rocky. Wear your…read morehiking shoes instead of sneakers, otherwise you will get a foot massage like I did today =) It's a good 3-4hours hike. Parking lot is 50 meters away from the entrance. Hiking might require hands at some points but overall it's smooth and agreeable. Following white trail, then at the crossing of white trail and yellow trail (2.5hours hike), you will enjoy the great view from the top of the mountain. Then follow the yellow trial for 30mins, surprise lake is right in front of you. It's surrounded by the forests with the branches of the trees touching the water. A soft breeze from the lake is very refreshing after a long hot hike. Follow the orange trail, you will get to the entrance nicely and easily. Def worth a visit if you like hiking.

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    Surprise Lake ll
    Surprise Lake ll - Beautiful and peaceful lake

    Beautiful and peaceful lake

    Surprise Lake ll - The eagle in the sky

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    The eagle in the sky

    Wawayanda State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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