This park is so big and beautiful , the sunset was so beautiful …read more They have bathrooms and awesome live entertainment. The town residents , park vendors and park management are all so nice and welcoming. Beautiful place to be on a nice summer day

Great park for kids nice slides place to run around pack a lunch and hang out by lakeread more

Now that I know DT better, I'm upgrading it to four stars. Most of my original comments are still…read morevalid but I've come to appreciate the historical stuff more, and I also recommend the hike to Sworden's Pond.

Although I grew up right around here, I just never went until today. All our municipal and county…read moreparks have been closed because of the Coronavirus, and I needed to get out. So, I came here. I promise I didn't touch anything, and I socially distanced from others. Definitely bring bug spray and check for ticks. This park is infested with them. The ticks here do not practice social distancing. I made sure to shower right afterwards too. Today I took the red trail. It passed by the dam and went along a creek. There were people launching kayaks. I also passed by a cemetery of the family who used to own the land when it was a mill. There's history here. I know somebody whose family used to work here on the mill a hundred years ago. Logging in the Pacific Northwest eventually put them out of business. But there's a surviving old village. Nothing wowed me altogether. Cattus Island Park in Toms River is way cooler with cool marshes, bay views, and more animals. But it had free admission just to walk around. I laughed at all the lazy people fighting for parking spots. Aren't you here for some exercise? I just parked hassle free across the street.

I'm generally not an advocate of hiking in the rain (or really whenever anything is falling from…read morethe sky), but this is definitely the place to do it if you're going to. The Millennial Chum and I made our Pine Barrens hiking debut here this past Saturday, which was rainy and hovering in the high 40s. Our itinerary was very straight-forward - it was an 8.5-mile hike along the white trail (my ye olde pre-Sandy NJ hiking book identifies it as the Penns Hill Trail, but the website for Wells Mills cites it as the Macri trail; regardless, it's the white one), which is basically one giant loop circling Wells Mills Lake, though it veers much further west than that at several points. Our book claimed this would take four to five hours, which we thought was a ridiculous overestimate and was - we did this in a little over three hours, though we're both in good shape and really didn't stop. We were both enormously impressed by the facilities and trail markings here. The Nature Center at the beginning of the hike looks and is pretty spiffy, with a toasty, clean bathroom and helpful kiosks with maps to grab (handheld maps are not a given in this day and age). They DID run out of hand soap, but I think any of us would take a warm, functioning indoor plumbing situation over what we usually have to deal with. There was one time late in the hike when we stopped to peer around for the next marking, but we literally found it about five seconds later. Given that a lot of the trails overlap, turn and often cut into or across non-hiking fire trails, I thought they did a great job denoting the specific routes. I expected the entire hike to be flat, which is my general/uninformed impression of the Pine Barrens, but it actually had a few ups and downs over dune-like, woody hills, especially in the first two miles. Nothing crazy, and while we stopped for a few water breaks at the top of those mounds, we never felt obligated to pause to catch our breaths. I'm at a point in 2023 where I'm gauging the strenuousness of an activity based on what my Fitbit says, and it claimed I had no zone moments, which is essentially high cardio activity. So take that for what you will. Regardless, I think this is also a selling point, as I've actually been reluctant to hike around here due to the lack of terrain; definitely adds some character. The viewpoint situation was not my favorite. On a rainy day like this, you're treated to an X-files-esque view of a lake right at the beginning, complete with Vancouver-like pine trees (if you know, you know), but this is not a hike where you're going to end up looking out over anything; even the tops of the hills are in the middle of the woods, so you're just looking at the same trees you were looking at when you were at the bottom, just...higher. The other downside (depending on your perspective) is that this is probably the best kind of weather for the Pine Barrens in many ways, but it's hazardous. This hike has many boardwalks throughout the damper/swampier areas, but they get very slippery when it's rainy. I don't believe either of us legit lost our footing but we both hollered, 'Careful!' a lot. I'd recommend some tread on the hindpaws. I suspect due mostly to the weather, the wildlife and canine chum situations were terrible. We saw a pooch in the parking lot getting ready for a walk, but never encountered one during the entire 8.5 miles (and only saw a miserable-looking boy scout troop and two other people). Hopefully others have better luck. There was also a bright pink port-a-potty about halfway through right where the trail brushes up against the scout reservation, so if nature calls and you're trying to avoid direct body contact with pine needles dot dot dot. A lot of the hiking intangibles are here, so it's hard not to recommend this for just about anyone, regardless of skill level. It's not the kind of hike I'd do for a real workout, but to just get some fresh air and steps in? It's a nice change of pace if you're in the area.

Wells Mills County Park is the largest county park in Ocean County. It's substantial actually. It…read moreactually feels more like a state park because the trails are longer and more involved. There's no admission fee to enter, which is great. You can just hang out closer to the main entrance by the lake. You can also go down the trails for just a little bit and come back. So, it can be what do you make of it. They have trails of all different lengths, however. The trails interconnect, so you can "cheat" and don't have to go down the full length of them. The green trail takes about an hour and a half to walk around. The white trail is windier and a little bit more scenic. The white trail also goes down much closer to the lake and through the cedar or swamp next to the lake. The yellow trail is very long. I've been on parts of it, but I've heard that it's relatively boring. One day I will want to walk the whole distance of it because it's close to 10 miles long. While most parks in Ocean County tend to be flat like a pancake, there's a little bit more elevation here. Some parts of the green and white trail would be easy to moderately difficult. But the trails are well blazed, and it's not terrible. Be careful because the trail map that I found online is old, and they have since updated it. When you come in there's a board that has a map posted. You can pick up an updated trail map there. It's also recommended that you sign in if you are going to be hiking for a distance. You don't want to get stuck in there and have the gates close on you. It's for your safety. There is a canoe launching dock on the lake, as well. When my friend comes next summer, who is a big kayaker, then I'll try it out. But I mostly go just for exercise and to go on the trails now. The park has a very safe feel, and I feel comfortable walking there. People generally say hi to you when you pass them on the trail. The only thing you need to worry about is ticks that may cause Lyme disease. So, make sure that you check for ticks, and take a shower as soon as you get home from there.

Ocean Acres Lake Park is one of those local gems that reminds you why simple outdoor spaces matter…read more It's peaceful, clean, and such a pretty spot to walk, relax, or let the kids burn off some energy. The lake view is beautiful year-round -- whether it's summer sunshine or fall colors, it always feels calm and inviting. The walking path is easy and kid-friendly, and there's plenty of room for families, fishing, stroller walks, or just taking a breather from the day. It's the kind of neighborhood park you end up appreciating more and more because it's reliable, safe, and genuinely enjoyable.

Service was friendly, the river was pretty quiet (they sent us to a different part of the river…read morethan a camp full of teenagers), the water was pretty low on the river. There were a couple of places where we needed to get out and walk. I would compare Micks with the Palace on the Black Horse Pike. Micks is better if you are looking for something really quiet, but I tend to like the river better at the Palace. The prices are about what I have come to expect renting a kayak or canoe.

Friendly and helpful staff. The store had lots of relevant and useful stuff at a decent price. The…read morebathrooms are really nice and super clean . We went in the wadding river. Flow was easy but there is a lot of twist and turns and shallows areas so I feel like this river is more for intermediate people . No guide . No one else helped us get the kayaks to the water

This historic carousel in Seaside Heights, NJ is one of the greatest treasures in New Jersey, and…read moreit should not be missed upon a visit here. It originally sat in an island park in the Delaware River near Burlington, NJ, until a fire damaged most of the park. It was built around 1910. The carousel was only partly damaged and then transported over the Seaside Heights in 1932, which was rapidly growing at the time. They built a structure to house it. Somehow the carousel miraculously survived Sandy in 2012, although the newer one at the other end up the boardwalk did not, which succumbed in the subsequent fire. There had originally been a historic carousel there, too, but it was dismantled and replaced in the 70's and again in the 90's. This one was restored by Dr. Moreland in the 80's. Each horse is hand-carved and hand painted. There is an original Wurlitzer organ that goes with the carousel, although they often just play the taped organ music through speakers. It only costs $2 to ride. You have to get your Casino Pier card loaded up, which is good for the other rides on the pier.

A beautiful Bay side beach - a place to rinse your feet (outdoor showers) and a free rest room…read more We love LBI and especially the northern end.

FREE PARKING at the beach!! Well actually on the bay side, but you can walk across the street and…read morebe at the beach. We parked here two days in a row, both times walking over to the ocean side beach...they are doing beach restoration, so we saw some bulldozers and workmen (which frankly didn't bother me as the sound was washed out by the wind and crashing waves). They offer public restrooms, as well as some playground stuff (all on the bay side). Beach badges were $6 per adult, a fine rate for the day as well as the parking and the facilities.

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.