a small park on the periphery of the artificial Peddie Lake. There is free parking on state route…read more33 by the falls of the dam next to the pleasant Tavern On the Lake bar/restaurant. A nice spot for pretty ladies to have their picture taken ))

Easily my favorite trail in the New Jersey area! Breathtaking views on both sides with canals and…read morerivers. Spectacular choice for fall foliage viewing! This is my hands-down winner for the best trail in New Jersey, I've hiked it, and I have biked it! I love all of the other trails in New Jersey, but this one rises to the top for a few reasons. Often there is water on both sides of the trail. There's a man-made canal on one side and sometimes either a river or a lake on the other side. Plus, it's lush with trees and vegetation. Also, the trail is really great if you wanna go biking. You can't go wrong wherever you decide to explore. I would recommend biking since it's such a beautiful trail and you'd want to see as much as you can. Also, the trail is very flat and easy to ride. It's not paved, but it is a wonderful easy riding surface without dust. I recommend parking either at Kingston, which is my favorite. Or at Rocky Hill. You could also park in Princeton along Washington Street near the kayak rental place. If you park at the Kingston trailhead, if you turn one way and head towards Rocky Hill you will see the most breathtaking views I feel the trail has to offer with majestic Streams and canals with cliffs and trees, and all directions. If you take this trail in the fall, you will be blown away by nature! If you ride in the other direction from Kingston towards the Princeton trailhead, you will pass a long and beautiful lake on your right hand side with beautiful views and trees on your left! If you love trails, this one put to the top of your list if you live in New Jersey or nearby Princeton! Super highly recommended! Going in October during the fall can be a transcending experience!

There are over 70 miles of paths/trails along the D&R canal, passing through many historic towns…read moreand landmarks in NJ with some pretty houses along the way, from near Frenchtown down to Trenton, then up to New Brunswick, in a V shape. The D&R runs parallel to the Delaware & Lehigh (D&L) trail on the Pennsylvania side, so you're also getting a view of the Delaware River on that part of the track. The trail is mostly flat and is suitable for walking or biking. We love riding this trail and exploring sections of it at a time and the surrounding towns. Some sections are more scenic than others. A favorite easy ride (or hike) of ours is to start in Lambertville NJ, ride up to Stockton, cross over Center Bridge to the PA side, grab a burger at Dilly's, then ride down to New Hope, PA, walk around town, and return to Lambertville via the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge. It's only about 8 miles roundtrip and makes for a leisurely day, and is very doable even for kids.

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.

Love this park and it's hiking trails. One of the trails has fitness stations which provide a great…read moreworkout. Plenty of bbq areas with grills and benches. If you want to have a gathering, they have a spot that you can reserve. Bathrooms are very clean and orderly. Playground has been updated with newer equipment.

This is my favorite park in the area, I absolutely love it. There are legitimate hiking trails, an…read moreexercise trail, several playgrounds, tennis courts, clean bathrooms and best of all, farm animals :). You can catch some wildlife as well. When I discovered it I was shocked I didn't find this gem sooner.

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.

REVIEW IS FOR CABIN CAMPING…read more Whenever we need a little glamping getaway, we rent a cabin here. It's an easy drive, the staff are all very helpful, and the cabins are well maintained. Our cabin came with two rooms. The front room came with a full? maybe queen sized bed with a mattress. The back room had two bunk beds to accommodate a total of four people. Plenty of electrical sockets if you want to add an extra heater or fan. The front room has an AC unit. No bathroom, no kitchen. You get a nice sized spot facing mostly forest with a fire pit and a picnic table, which is great for cooking and eating. They also provide an outdoor spigot for non-potable water and a garbage bin. Easy walk to the very clean bathrooms where you can grab a hot shower if you want. Definitely book ahead.

This is a hidden gem in Marlboro. Iykyk. Best place for sunsets, picnics, dog walks, adventures and…read morebike ride. In the winter the hills are nice to sled down. It's the best park

This park is a great little local gem. It's definitely not one of the most popular Monmouth county…read moreparks, so it never feels overcrowded, but it is also never deserted. At one time this park was a local ski spot and there are still some remnants of the ski buildings remaining. Part of it was also used by the Marlboro psychiatric hospital, that was located across the street before being demolished. There are some remnants from the pig farm remaining. You can also get to the psychiatric hospital cemetery from the trails. Currently the park is home to a portion of the Henry Hudson trail. There is a climbing wall that is used maybe once a year by the parks department, follow their page for the free event. There is a pool used by local camps. There is also basketball courts and a playground here. The county has recently been removing invasive plants and adding bird houses. In the winter this is a semi-popular local spot to sled (although there is a lot more brush beneath the snow and at the top of the hill than the sledding hill at Holmdel park). If you're in the area this is a great spot to wander around.

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

The Van Nest Wildlife Refuge is an underused, 98-acre area located at the edge of Hamilton Township…read moreand adjacent to Mercer County Park. The trails stemming from the parking lot there all eventually lead to Mercer Lake--specifically leading to the dam there that creates and holds back the lake itself. You can create your own loop, and the trails are all pretty manageable on foot or bike, but leave the stroller at home. The area is full of wildlife and native flora, and makes a great nature walk to observe the animals and birds. I've never encountered anyone along the wooded portions of the trail. However, the Long Trail that runs through Mercer County Park and into the refuge along the Assunpink is popular with trail bikers, and you're likely to see one or two come through on their bikes. The area is accessed by a dirt road off the North side of Hughes Drive right at the intersection with Quakerbridge Road. It's easy to miss, and with traffic it might be hard to enter unless you're driving South on Hughes to make an easy right turn onto the dirt road. I've never seen a good map of the area, but if you have the Strava, Komoot, or Footpath apps, you can see the trails there and use your phone to choose your route. The NJ Trails Association map of Mercer County Park can be used in a pinch, but I found my phone to be a better guide. That said, there are a number of criss-crossing trails in area, so it can be confusing without a map, but as long as you pay attention to where you've walked, I don't think the lack of a map would be a reason not to go. It's not a huge area, and unless you're directionally challenged, you'll eventually (probably) find your way out