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.

JACKSON: The Silver Stream & Steve Kitay trails are part of the Metedeconk Preserve, a special…read moresection of nature that is forever preserved by New Jersey Conservation Foundation. It is a really beautiful and peaceful park where at some points it is so quiet that it is wonderfully eerie. Leashed dogs can go on a nature walk with you! In the summer, the park is very rooty, muddy, and overgrown with green leaves from the many trees. In the winter, the conditions are pretty much the same, but with a lot less green! Turns out this park's purpose is to hold flood waters, so that explains the mud! It is a fun place to walk with many bridges and boardwalks to cross over and nice views of the Metedeconk River and little streams. I recommend wearing hiking boots as there are many roots and your feet might get stuck in mud! The 2-mile trail is well-marked and you can find your way back out! (I get lost easily, so good signs are important to me)! There is a bonus 1-mile "Steve Kitay" trail that goes even deeper into nature with more views of the river. It is interesting comparing the park between the winter and summer. With less leaves on the trees, you can see more nature and better views of the river! The entrance is located near 255 Frank Applegate Road, Jackson, NJ 08527

JACKSON: we've really been exploring the town of Jackson and enjoyed a nice walk at Patriots County…read morePark. It is a big park with soccer and softball fields with a dog friendly trail around the perimeter. The 1-mile-ish trail changes from paved to dirt to lightly rocky going passed the fields and through a wooded area. It was very pretty! We believe there is a shooting range nearby as we heard controlled gunshots in the distance, so this park may not be good for some dogs. There is a human bathroom on-site near the entrance, and no porta potties along the trail. Bring a baggie to clean up after your pet.

This is a nice large park with trees and benches, BUT BEWARE THIS PLACE IS DANGEROUS!…read more I went to the large dog part with a friend from Toms River to let his 65 lb. Husky run free Tuesday 12/8/25. The danger is that there are BIG dogs running off leash at top speed, some that think they are poodles and will jump up on you suddenly and knock you down to the ground! Two large dogs entered the park as I was looking in another direction, started running and one raced up to me, jumped on me and knocked me to the ground. The owner was kind enough to help me get back up on my feet, and ask if I was O.K. But I was stunned and have injuries. This is not a safe place! Keep away.

I used to take my son's dog to this dog park years ago before my son moved away. There are separate…read morespaces for large and small dogs. Owners should remain at the dog park, sitting on a bench. It's not advisable to leave your dog there alone. You need to keep your eyes on your dog to make sure there's no chance for any mishaps. My son's dog used to love it there, especially to be able to run off leash, and interact with the other dogs. Sometimes an owner might put their larger dog in the area of the small dogs. You need to be there to keep a watchful eye on your dog.

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.

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.

JACKSON: Brie had a fun walk on the trail at Gil Putnam Memorial Park AKA Jackson Forest! Leashed…read moredogs are allowed to explore the pretty dirt path through the woods. It was very peaceful and refreshing! We got so excited when Brie jumped over a log! Jackson Township plans to build a second off-leash dog park here too! As soon as we hear more information, we'll pass it along! (The current and popular dog park is located at Johnson Memorial Park.) There is no exact address, but putting the name of the park into your GPS should get you there. It is about 1-mile east of Cassville Rd.

This is my family's favorite spot for a leisure stroll. We'd almost always come for a walk when the…read moreweather is nice, especially after a big meal. It allows for all sorts of activities in a compact 71 acre space. This is also a great spot to view the fall foliage. There are 2 entrances. The main entrance is off Pond Rd. There is a side entrance off Robertsville Rd but that parking lot can accommodate only about half a dozen cars. A typical walk is a round trip from between the 2 entrances and you'll rack up about 2 miles. There is an excursion trail around the outside boundaries of the park beginning at the Robertsville entrance. With that you can make up 3 miles which was what I used to do when I was training for the varsity cross-country team. The pond is good for boating and fishing and is stocked with trout every year. The playground is right by the pond and is a great photo spot for your kids. There is a stage and a nice-sized pavilion in front of it. Perfect for a summer concert or play. There are benches and picnic tables throughout. In my most recent visit (Oct'21) I was pleasantly surprised to find that they've added a large number of brand new benches and picnic tables made with recycled material. Also, the parking lot at the main entrance has been redone and doubled the capacity. For these surprises I'm bumping the rating up to 5 stars. PS. If you're into mountain biking, I'll let you in on a local secret. There is a technical course adjacent to the southeast side of the park and you can access it at the end of Brookwood Dr.

Definitely not the best maintained park in the area but still a hidden gem. Tucked away just behind…read morethe hustle and bustle on route 9 lies this picturesque little park. There is something for everyone to enjoy here. Bring your canoes or kayaks. There is a boat launch near the entrance. You can fish here, the lake is stocked with fish. We have yet to catch anything but plants and a snapping turtle. There is a nice trail along the lake to walk or bike. There is a little playground too but this is probably the worst maintained area of the park. There are no bathrooms here but there are porta potties. Every time I've been here when it's warm the ice cream truck has come in here. Other than that there are no concession stands. Just pack a lunch and enjoy at one of the picnic tables.

LAKEWOOD: Brie's mission to find more fun parks is going well and that includes finding Lakewood…read morePine Park! There is a multi-use paved path that meanders through the property with views of the Lakewood Historical museum (not dog friendly), sports fields/courts, and a lot of picnic areas! This path is also used for vehicles, so be careful. A portion of the Metedeconk river flows through and it's very picturesque. In nicer weather, you can enjoy a meal at Maggie's Bar & Grill's outdoor tiki bar!

Was here recently for the Brick House Softball Tournament with my daughter. Let me start with a…read morefull disclosure statement-the fields were an absolute mess because of some significant rainfall on the friday before the tournament so we weren't able to use all of the fields we were supposed ot use, we weren't happy that the fields hadn't been prepared for play, and we even had teams drop out from the tourney because of the mess. That said, you can't fight Mother Nature and we made due with what we had. This is a VERY nice park, located in Lakewood, NJ with multiple ballfields (baseball and softball); walking trails; basketball, handball, and tennis courts; camping and picnic areas; playgrounds; and HUGE open and wooded areas. I love that in a state that gets killed for it's urban areas and dirtiness by comediens and jackasses who don't know better we have so many beautiful parks, recreational areas, forests and open areas throughout the state (for those that don't know, NJ is more than 40% forested). Off my soapbox and back to Pine Park...This park is really quite beautiful, and I was here when there were no leaves on the trees. Located adjacent to the Lakewood Country Club Golf Course the park is a wonderfully quiet area once you turn off of the main road. I will say that if you're here for softball/baseball and you don't know the park well-the signage is simply terrible or non-existent. You'll have a tough time finding the specific field you are looking for so make sure you know ahead of time that you may need to drive deep into the park to find your location. A big Thank YOU to the town of Lakewood for providing such a beautiful park to it's residents and for letting us beat up on the fields a little bit.

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.

Lake Riviera Park and the lake are well taken care of, but my complaint is by the shoreline on the…read moreadjacent lake behind the retention pond. It is littered with beer cans, empty cases, litter and broken glass. I am an avid fisherman and an environmentalist and conservationist, and I have picked up over ten Home Depot buckets worth of garbage. Would be fantastic if attention would be given to this matter by the Parks and Recreation Department. Thank you

Came here because I wanted to eat my breakfast! Such a beautiful relaxing park!…read more It has two playgrounds which look very new and in Greta condition! It has benches , picnic tables and a nice little path around the park. It also has a basketball court with 4 basketball hoops! Along with a nice lake with plenty of space to play in the sand ! Definitely a nice hidden park !