LAKEWOOD: a beautiful park, Lake Shenandoh County Park is part of the Ocean County Parks &…read moreRecreation system. There is a dog friendly walking path/bike trail that goes around the lake with some truly stunning lookout points. Some parts of the trail have vehicles, so be careful. Zoey the maltichon was a good sport to join us for a walk on a very steamy day, and we ended up taking a short route to see a man-made waterfall and some wooded areas. If you walk around the whole lake, there is a section where you have to walk on the road (Clover St.) since the trail seems to end, but picks up again a short ways down. FYI, as of 6/10/20, "Due to construction the main bathrooms at Lake Shenandoah County Park in Lakewood will be closed for the remainder of 2020. Bathrooms are available at the Soccer Complex in the park. "Go Before You Go...""

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.

BEACHWOOD: it is love at first sight at Jakes Branch County Park! The woods along the trails are…read moreso pretty and just has a different feel than other parks we have been to. There are multiple hiking/walking/bike trails spanning from 0.2 to 3.8 miles, so something for every ability. Walk along berry bushes & plants, and "Jakes Branch" stream and over bridges and past picnic and play areas. Our photos do not do the park justice. The park borders Double Trouble State Park and we'll have to visit that another day. Be sure to grab a trail map or pull it up on your phone to have an idea of where you are going. Dogs must be leashed and cleaned up after.

Jakes Branch County Park is located on the other side of the parkway in Beachwood. It is a very…read morefamily oriented park and is good for general recreation. They have all different things to do, including fields for all types of sports fields up front and good playgrounds for kids. They have different length trails, too, so that you can get exercise walking through the woods. People walk on them, and I have also seen dirt bikers. There's no admission to enter. One thing that is creative about it is that they have these "play pockets". Most parks just have playgrounds up front near the entrance, but here you have to go down the trail to get to them. It's really suitable for children. The park in general has a safe feel. The woods are just basically pine forest. It's obviously not on the level of Yosemite. But it is a nice place to have locally. One cool thing they have there is a big mural done by a local artist over 30 years ago of the Hindenburg landing in Lakehurst. If you go up to the watchtower, you can even see the hangar all the way on the base in Lakehurst.

I wish there were longer trails to walk along the water and the lake, but it's nice for a short…read morewalk to get out with the dogs

Love, Love Love this pretty little lake. The park is located on the edge of Lake Horicon in…read moreLakehurst. A primo spot for a picnic, laying out, or watching the sunset. There are benches for two around the lake area to have a conversation, fish, or share some ice cream. The views of the lake and the ducks & geese provide wonderful scenery. The sand and cool water make for a refreshing respite. A previous review has outlined all the things you can do here so I won't repeat them. Except for on holidays, when it is quite busy, it is a tranquil place if you want some relaxation from a busy world

Perfect hiking spot for you and your dog…read more 2-4 miles of clean, easy, safe trails. Many trash cans to chuck your dog's poop. All the trails are in loops so you won't get lost. Also, great spot to trail run. I will be back.

Great little piece of peace and quiet! Easy trails for a bike. Few people and enjoyable. Explore…read moreit, it's local and under appreciated!

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.

BRICK: not only does the Brick Reservoir provide a water supply to over 100,000 Ocean County…read moreresidents, it is also a popular park all-year-round with a paved and flat walking 1.6 mile path around the reservoir. Leashed and friendly dogs are allowed to take a walk, enjoy a view from a bench or gazebo, and have lunch in a picnic area. There are doggie baggie stations dotted throughout the park. Due to weather conditions, the park may close without notice. The Brick Reservoir will be open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The hours of operation will be as follows: Reservoir Summer Hours Effective March 1st Tuesday through Sunday 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Reservoir Winter Hours Effective November 1st Tuesday through Sunday 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Reservoir will not be open on any Federal or State holidays. Due to inclement weather, the reservoir will be subject to intermittent periods of closure during the winter seas.

One of the best passive recreation spots in the area. In nice weather, it is a great place to get…read moresome air and exercise while walking around the reservoir on the pathway. Long enough to say you are getting your steps in but also short enough that you shouldn't run out of steam before doing a full lap.

This beach has fee to be paid upon entry but gets open after 5pm. See images below for pricing.read more

$20 season beach pass for Seaside Park which is awesome, beaches are pretty nice and right next to…read moreseaside heights to hit the board walk. I enjoy it,