Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • s p r i n g 2 0 1 5 22 22 MONMOUTH COUNTY PARK SYSTEM 805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, (732) 842-4000, www.monmouthcountyparks.com Over 14,500 acres of preserved open spaces are available for your fitness and relaxing pleasure. From hiking trails and campsites to golf courses and historic sites, there are opportunities for all. Visit us on-line or call for brochures and directions. OCEAN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION 1198 Bandon Road, Toms River, 1-877-OC PARKS, www.co.ocean.nj.us/Parks/Default.htm Of Parks & Recreation offers adults' and kids' programs, classes, sports events, trips, festivals, and more! All of the parks have at least a few picnic tables, and some parks are able to accommodate large groups. Two parks current- ly offer swimming facilities: Ocean County Park in Lakewood and A. Paul King County Park in Stafford Township. Both have beautiful, freshwater lakes and sandy beaches and are staffed with lifeguards from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM daily from mid-June until Labor Day (conditions permitting). Both locations also have playgrounds, restrooms, and picnic facilities. There is no charge to use any of the county facilities. Call for brochures and directions. PLACES TO GO & THINGS TO DO continued from page 21 A. PAUL KING COUNTY PARK 2 West Bay Avenue (Junction of Routes 9 and 72), Stafford Township, (609) 296-5606 Situated on lovely Manahawkin Lake, this 48-acre park lies nestled in the heart of Stafford Township. It offers a variety of recreation possibilities, including beach volleyball, a brightly colored children's playground, a large picnic area shaded by a stand of pines, and a protected sandy swimming beach open from mid-June through Labor Day in September. Basketball court, horseshoes, fishing, handicap accessible, restrooms. ALLAIRE STATE PARK THE HISTORIC VILLAGE AT ALLAIRE Route 524, Wall, (732) 938-2371 www.allairevillage.org This park boasts a restored early-nineteenth-century bog iron mining community. You'll find picnicking, playgrounds, campsites, riding trails, a nature center, and the Pine Creek Railroad steam trains. See also "The Historic Village At Allaire" under "Historic Sites & Mu seums." BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE STATE PARK Route 72, Long Beach Island, (732) 494-2016 www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/ barnlig.html A one time hideout of Captain Kidd and his pirates, this panoramic beach now offers fishing, swimming, and picnicking. Historic "Old Barney" light house is here, too. Park open daily 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM. Lighthouse open daily Memorial Day to Labor Day 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM. $1. BAYSHORE WATERFRONT PARK 719 Port Monmouth Road, Middletown (732) 842-4000 www.monmouthcountyparks.com Views of Raritan Bay and the NYC skyline. Beach access and 227 acres including a fishing pier. BEAVER DAM CREEK COUNTY PARK 3430 Bridge Avenue, Point Pleasant 1-877-OC PARKS This expertly groomed 40 acre park has something for everyone! Take a leisurely stroll along Beaver Dam Creek's boardwalk through tidal wetlands, seemingly miles from civilization. Enjoy a picnic under the pavilion while the kids cavort on one of two playgrounds. Or, engage in your favorite sport on six acres of playing fields. Two superb ten- nis courts and a basketball court are also available for use. CATTUS ISLAND COUNTY PARK AND COOPER ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER 1170 Cattus Island Boulevard (off Fischer Blvd.) Toms River, (732) 270-6960 The unspoiled beauty of nature is the main attraction at Cattus Island County Park. For nature lovers, this 497 acre park offers panoramic bay views, hiking trails, a boardwalk through the wetlands, a conservation area, bird watching, crabbing and fishing, picnic areas, a playground, and cross-country skiing in the winter. This environmentally sensitive park boasts miles of trails, many offering lovely vistas of the adjacent Silver Bay. Cattus Island is home to the Cooper Environmental Center, where visitors of all ages can enjoy the many displays and collections of snakes and reptiles, as well as numerous programs and presentations. CHEESEQUAKE STATE PARK 300 Gordon Road (GSP Exit 120, off of Morristown Road), Matawan, (732) 566-2161 www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/ cheesequake.html Cheesequake State Park's uniqueness lies in its geograph- ical location. Not only is it situated in the middle of urban north and suburban south New Jersey, it lies in a transi- tional zone between two different ecosystems. Open fields, saltwater and freshwater marshes, a white cedar swamp, Pine Barrens, and a northeastern hardwood forest are the main characteristics of the park. CLOVERDALE FARM COUNTY PARK 34 Cloverdale Road, Barnegat, 1-877-OC PARKS or (732) 506-9090 Get acquainted with this tucked away, 80-acre jewel. Join a park naturalist for a one-hour nature and photography walk. Each week offers a different theme designed to educate participants on the interesting history and natural diversity of the park. Registration is required. DEEP CUT GARDENS 152 Red Hill Road, Middletown, (732) 671-6050 or (732) 842-4000 www.monmouthcountyparks.com Deep Cut Gardens is dedicated to the home gardener. The fifty-four acres of gardens and greenhouses are planned as a living catalog of cultivated and native plant materials to be observed through the seasons. Whether identifying the specimens in the gardens, questioning the horticultural staff, or perusing the books and magazines in the horticul- tural reference library, you will discover ways to improve your home garden. While there, visit the Home Compost Demonstration Area. Views of the surrounding countryside; shade, seating, and picnic tables. DOUBLE TROUBLE STATE PARK Double Trouble Road West, Berkeley (732) 341-6662 www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests You won't have any trouble enjoying this 4,000 acre park with restored village, sawmill, and cran berry bogs. EDWIN B. FORSYTHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Barnegat Division: Great Creek Road Barnegat Headquarters: Brigantine Division Route 9, Oceanville, (609) 652-1665 forsythe.fws.gov Established to protect tidal wetlands and shallow bay hab- itats for migratory water birds, the refuge's location is one of the Atlantic Flyway's most active flight paths. Its value for the protection of water birds and their habitat contin- ues to increase as people develop the New Jersey shore for our own use. Wildlife drive and trails are open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset. Headquarters is open week- days, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. ENO'S POND COUNTY PARK 330 East Lacey Road, Lacey Township 1-877-OC PARKS Eno's Pond County Park, the newest addition to Ocean County's parks, opened in the Autumn of 1998. Its 28 acres and surrounding area have a long and colorful his- tory dating to the Colonial period. The observation decks overlook Eno's Pond (which was once used as a source of ice for a hotel on the site) and are a good vantage point for viewing some of the pond's residents and visitors. Eno's Pond County Park is adjacent to part of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Lacey Extension, and both entities are working to develop a trail system between the two properties. Conservation area, handicap accessible, open playing fields, nature trails, picnic area/grills, play- ground, restrooms, volleyball. GULL ISLAND COUNTY PARK AND CONSERVATION AREA 419 Broadway, Point Pleasant Beach 1-877-OC PARKS or (732) 506-9090 All but a small parcel of land of this 48 acre tract is an island conservation area in the Manasquan River, and it's a great place for a picnic lunch or fishing the rich waters of the area. HARTSHORNE WOODS PARK 300 Navesink Road, Middletown and 1402 Portland Road, Highlands, (732) 842-4000 www.monmouthcountyparks.com You'll feel many miles away from civilization as you trav- el the trails of this park. Features include group cabin camping (by reservation), cross country ski trails, fishing in the Navesink River, and trails for walking, hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Trails include three miles of paved paths closed to vehicular traffic in the Rocky Point Section. Adventure, exercise, and relaxation await you on the nine- teen-mile trail system of this 787-acre park. It's the perfect place to escape the sounds of suburbia. For more Parks, please visit www.jerseyshorevacation.com. PARKS and Recreation Areas in Monmouth and Ocean Counties Hartshorne Woods Park in Middletown. Paul Scharff

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