Monmouth County’s Park System offers several fantastic parks to visit. From Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park in Long Branch to Historic Walnford in Upper Freehold, the park system offers over 30 parks to choose from. All parks are open from 7 a.m. to dusk, and change seasonally or depending upon special activities in a park.
Turkey Swamp Park, located in Freehold, is a 2,263-acre wooded park that was acquired and developed with campers in mind. The major attraction of this park is the 17-acre lake which is great for fishing, boating, and ice-skating. The park also features miles of trails, an archery range and playgrounds for the kids! Much of the park is forested by pitch pine and oak trees with an understory of bracken fern, pepper bush, blueberry, and catbrier. Many of the plants and animals associated with the NJ Pine Barrens can be found at Turkey Swamp Park.
Manasquan Reservoir, located in Howell, is a source of water for municipalities and utilities for Monmouth County. However, it is a great park with a ton of activities to do. The 770-acre reservoir is part of a larger 1,208 acre site that includes wood and wetlands, a 5-mile perimeter trail, fishing and boating areas, and a visitor center. In addition, there is also a 1-mile nature trail, playgrounds, ice-skating in the winter, and kayak and rowboat rentals. Spend the day fishing, boating, or walking the trails at this beautiful spot in southern Monmouth County. The Manasquan Reservoir is now the most visited site in the Monmouth County Park System, over one million visitors come to the Manasquan Reservoir every year.
These are only a couple of the parks that Monmouth County has to offer. To learn more about the parks, visit the Monmouth County Parks website. The parks are a great way to explore on nature walks, as well as meet new people and explore different interests with a handful of activities to choose from. Get out and take advantage of the park system today!