I am a local of this area and went to Allaire for the Duck Derby this past weekend. I must say: I loved 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! read more

Allaire State Park - Blacksmith shop - Parks Near Me - Farmingdale, New Jersey

See all

Been there a couple of times taking the grandkids on the train ride and explored the little town with 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. read more

Such a beautiful trail for hiking and biking we just so happened to pass it and go back to venture! The beautiful little bridges and such are so pretty! The pathways are nice and clear and it's not very buggy! I can't wait to go back to do the whole trail! read more

See all

Learned about this park through Yelp's promotion of the 2019 BBQ and Brew festival. What a cute hidden gem, with historic buildings and various trails. The volunteer interpreters bring life to the historic buildings and provide perspective on the everyday life of the people in this era. We were there on a day with rain in the forecast. This certainly contributed to the lack of attendance at the event. While the admission was pretty high ($12 for adults), this was a fundraiser for the historic village. Unfortunately the food trucks probably lost money on this day. We had the BBQ brisket from Big Barlow's BBQ - delicious although I wish the meat was hot. The cole slaw was so tasty. We had a beef empanada from el Lechon de Negron from Union - so good. We also had a freshly made funnel cake - made to order. Lots of yummy treats. In each of the historic buildings, there were volunteer interpreters who provided perspective to the buildings and their use back in the day. So much to see and do! The park has a carry in carry out policy - and they provide garbage bags for your use at the entrance. You didn't need that on the day of the event, but normally you would use that to ensure you don't litter. Great way to keep it clean and keep costs down. read more

See all

Allaire State Park is huge. There's more than one entrance and can be confusing. There are also access points here and there along a couple of the trails as well. We ended up parking at an access point thanks to our GPS and had to walk to the main entrance, which we didnt mind, but we were just unsure of our location in the park. It was actually a bike trail. Not just a bike trail but a bike trail that runs 5 1/2 miles one way. Where that may be nothung to some folks, surely the scenery is beautiful. The trees, swamps and rivers are something to take in. I wish I was a bike rider sometimes. We followed the bike path for a stretch and came across the sign for the visitors center. We walked into what felt like a cabin from a Friday the 13th movie. Even the smell of the visitor's center was of ancient years ago. The lady there was great to speak with! We spoke of the effects of Storm Sandy and also the ticks and of bears. She had never seen a bear at this park but I wouldnt have been surprised. A couple areas had me stopping to look and listen. Please find the visitors center and check that out. The paths were great. Passing by swamps and ending at a great picnic area. Each trash can had a recycle container hooked to it! There were a couple people fishing but overall not very populated. The village was very interesting. What was an ismdian ceremonial location turned into a sawmill and self sustaining comunity before the civil war era that didn't hold. Good info on all this at the village center there. Who knew? We liked the park after getting further into it. read more

See all

I have been coming to this park since I was little and cannot say enough good things about it. This past month my boyfriend and I went camping here. The camp office is located a little further down the road past the camp sites. You can pay in advance (which I recommend for the cabins), pay when you get there, or pay the next day if you arrive late. It is $10 a spot and I believe around $60 for a cabin. We pitched a tent and used the fire pit for s'mores and hot dogs. It was nice to have easy access to restrooms. If you cross the main road from the camp site there is a marked trail that will take you straight down a path into Allaire village. Of course along the way there are other more challenging hiking paths you can choose to take. Every single camp site was filled - we actually took the last spot. Personally I think there was plenty of room in between your neighbors and everyone minded their own business. What a wonderful experience for my first time camping! We will definitely be back and possibly try out one of the cabins. read more

See all

A wonderfully maintained iron-producing historic town from the early 19th century along with almost 3,200 acres of land to bike, hike, camp, picnic, and more. The historic village is really the star here - the bakery, general store, and blacksmith are must visits. Buildings are open with actors and actresses dressed in period clothing and actually doing the tasks that they would have been doing. There's also a steam train, named the Pine Creek Railroad, that rides around in a big loop here that you can purchase tickets for. It's very popular around Christmas time for rides with Santa. This is the park I grew up going to on a regular basis since I'm from the area, and it really is a great place to visit. read more

See all

Winter time is probably not the best time of year to get a complete idea of what this park has to offer but I'll comment on what we did see in an hour or so on the RED trail. It's obviously a well-used park by people walking their dogs. There were also hoof prints so horses are also being ridden on the same paths at some point. Overall it looks rather in need of some care and upkeep. Missing trail markers are a big annoyance when you're not familiar with the place. We had to ask other dog walkers how to find our way out when we came to intersecting trails that weren't marked. The only wildlife that were visible midday were a few birds. Several large ponds looked stagnant and had zero ducks, geese or any other water fowl swimming although it was a bright sunny day near 50 degrees. The buildings were all closed for the season but outwardly looked sad and neglected. Summer will probably bring in the local crowds here at which time it'll most likely be too noisy and crowded for a peaceful trek through the woods. We're not planning on going back again. read more

Nice place to camp especially for the value. Pretty small and simple. There's only 45 sites and a couple cabins. The restrooms are well kept and there's a playground. Didn't have any animal problems either which is always a plus. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Allaire State Park! Whether you are in the mood to take your dog for a walk, go jogging through some beautiful trails, have a picnic with the family, or visit the living history museum this is the place! Some History- Allaire State park was founded by James P. Allaire in 1822 and became an industrial iron producing town throughout the 19th century. Most of the iron made at Allaire was sent to New York to build steamship engines and boilers. The name of the company at the time was called "hollow works" (I believe). The town also produced a variety of hollowware, which are you traditional cast iron kettles, pots, baking equipment, stoves, etc. Allaire was a busy place! Things to do and more History- Allaire Park has preserved 13 buildings of the original village, including the general store, bakery, backsmith shop, saddlery, a church, etc. If you come during the week and during the holiday season, you will see the village in full swing! More specifically, since alliare is a "living history" museum the employees all dress in period clothing and you can watch the blacksmith forge items in the fire (lots of tools, and horse shoes of course haha). You can also walk into the general store and bakery and purchase some yummy baked goods from the period. You can walk inside all of the buildings and interact with the historical actors.... which makes it great for kids and even adults like me! Allaire was also home to the Pine Creek railroad established in 1953. You can walk along the tracks and look at the old train cars at you leisure. When the village is in open, you can also take a ride on one of their rail cars. If you LOVE trains as much as myself, you need to come here! If you visit during the week most of the buildings are closed, but you can still walk around with your dog or family and enjoy the sites. It's a great date spot in my opinion if you LOVE history and nature! :) Besides the village, Allaire State Park is enormous and there are a number of wooded trails that are great for walking, jogging, hiking, etc. I've taken my dog here a number of times (both the village and the trails). Some of the trails can get a bit woody, so I would load up on the tick spray or essential oils! Regardless, the solitude is amazing.Very soothing. It is important to note that Allaire State Park and the Living History Village is NOT funded by the state of New Jersey. In order to preserve all buildings, grounds, and the museum, the Park relies on donations, memberships, and many of the events that they put on throughout the year. The events they put on are wonderful and for 5 or 10 dollars (depends on the event) you cannot go wrong! If you choose to donate, it is tax deductible for you penny pinchers of the world ;) Other events- Alliare holds antique flea markets, where you can find yourself AUTHENTIC german beer steins, period tea sets, china, etc. I picked up some beautiful Red Depression Glassware the a few months ago, along with a FULL tea set made in Japan occupied Japan, amongst other items! I also have a friend who has quite the collection of german steins and he managed to find some rare ones to add to his collection! If antiques are not your thing, they also hold craft fairs, have beer and wine festivals, haunted hay rides, walking ghost trails, and lots of upcoming holiday events! I went to a wine festival a few years back and it was fantastic. All the wines were from local vineyards in New Jersey and the entire park was covered with tents of wine! Good times! One minor drawback (that can be overlooked!) If I have to criticize something, it's there new "carry out" policy. There are no garbages. They provide huge bags to carry out your trash.... and well, our dog's potty. Ugh. I have a Great Dane so this is a little...hmm... annoying. I understand that they want to keep the park clean and without state funding, it is hard to maintain such a large park. Last Remarks!!! That said, stop wasting time reading this review and make plans to visit Allaire State Park!!! Be kind to history and it will be kind to you :) read more

See all

There's must be 100 miles of trail prolly more. I've been hiking / biking / camping out here for like 15 years at least and still find new trails every once in a while. It's a great mix of single track for mountain bikes and you can choose your level of difficulty and there's access roads or fire roads that kind of encircle the whole thing so you can shoot around pretty easily. Terrain is sand and rock and deciduous. Highlands and lowlands. Bridges etc some mud lots of fun. read more

See all

Really nice place to walk around and see some of the old buildings in the park Cool little museum and general store are also located inside It is a great place for easy hiking read more

Super cute experience.. everyone is very knowledgeable of all the exhibits. Interesting history.. bakery on site as well as cchristnas themes events... wreath making as well as carolers you have no good reason to be a Scrooge.. great for families and single and you can bring your dogs read more

This park is very nice, lots of good trails here with cool old historic buildings to look at

Took my kids camping here. We had an amazing time. Quiet, great trails for hiking, and well-maintained. Would have given it a five star but the bathroom situation was pretty bad. That said if you're looking for a local, camping experience I highly recommend. read more

clear marked trails, with points of interests are marked of trees and plants. The highlight was many birds, and turtles . They have bbq stations too. There are historical buildings, unfortunately they were closed when we went there but 19th century town buildings . Clean bathrooms. read more

Always a great day. Today was dog appreciation day. Gus had a blast. Can't wait to go back. Love the Lindser tarts they are brilliant. Knocked my dog out. read more

The village does not follow state Covid guidelines. They let a large family group enter, all maskless, including many small children too young for the vaccine. It was not an oversight, as the group asked if they could go in without masks, and were told they could. Other buildings also had unmasked visitors. Why have guidelines, and clearly post them, if they are not going to be followed? It ruins it for those counting on the protections those guidelines provide, as well as those following rules. read more

Such a cute place to visit. Really beautiful park and neat little historic town. They do have rest rooms and picnic areas, and there's usually some food trucks/concessions on site. The village itself has a general store as well as demonstrations of iron works. Make sure you call ahead or check the website before events to make sure they are in fact open! Last time I went the main gate said the general store was open but when we got inside it was closed. I see a lot of dogs here too - I don't have one but it seems to be a good spot for your furry friend. read more

Allaire State Park - Village - Parks Near Me - Farmingdale, New Jersey

Allaire state park is beautiful and kept up very well. Considering there are no garbage cans, it's very clean. Every time I go there's no one around, but I tend to go in fall and winter when not much is happening in Allaire Village. There are multiple trails with varying difficulties and the space is very vast. Avoid being near the lake in the summer time because you will be DESTROYED by mosquitos, they don't play around. There are public restrooms, picnic tables and vending machines. Sometimes, when the train is running and people are visiting the village, there is a food truck outside that serves funnel cakes and other treats. Ample parking. Friendly park rangers! read more

The child's playground near the picnic grounds has been removed. Not a good thing. It sends messages that families seeking a cost free place to picnic and have family get togethers are not welcome. This area of Monmouth County remains as it was. read more

Absolutely beautiful! The ground are amazing. Such a peaceful place to walk around and a great spot to take pictures !