New Jersey Parks & Outdoor Venues

Hacklebarney State Park Craigmeur Picnics National Wildlife Refuge Watchung Reservation Bird Rehabilitation Center Frelinghuysen Arboretum

Northern New Jersey boasts a diversity of beautiful national, state and county parks, a national swamp refuge, a raptor rehabilitation center, miles of hiking and biking trails, tranquil gardens and historic arboretums, flowing freshwater rivers, and many recreational areas for adventure and fun. From kayaking to ice skating to fishing, the Garden State is an outdoor playground.

Morris County Parks. The Morris County, New Jersey Parks include 17,000 acres, 38 facilities and 150 miles of mixed use trails. The Morris County Park System includes: Craigmeur Recreation Complex, Fosterfields Living History Farm, Historic Speedwell Frelinghuysen Arborteum, as well as many beautiful and recreational open spaces, farms and golf courses. Visit www.morrisparks.org or www.parks.morris.nj.us.

Hacklebarney State Park. A long stone staircase is your entrance into Hacklebarney State Park, 892 acres of beautiful, serene, and rocky woodlands and glacial valley, with beautiful gorges carved by the Black River and two tributaries - the Rinehart and Trout Brooks - which cascade around boulders in the hemlock-laced ravine. Tucked between Chester and Long Valley, this spectacular park in New Jersey’s Northwest Skylands features a majestic mixed forest, steep ravines, more than 100 bird species, rare and endangered plant species and wildlife, and 5 miles of scenic hiking trails. The trails along the Black River are narrow and rocky, while the majority of the trails are gravel. Even in midsummer, the temperature of Black River gorge is refreshing. Head down into the woods and feed your soul. For information, visit http://www.stateparks.com/hacklebarney.html.  [Top]

Craigmeur Picnics. Located in Rockaway Township, Craigmeur Picnics is the premier recreation complex in the Metro New York/New Jersey area - 38 miles from New York City and 20 miles from Morristown, NJ. Craigmeur offers relaxing picnics and specializes in corporate outings, company picnics, business meetings, team building, church socials, and family reunions. Reward your employees, associates, and friends with the finest in outdoor recreation, food, and festivities. ITT, New York Life, Getty Petroleum/Lukoil, and Kean University reward their employees annually with a picnic or outing at Craigmeur. Visit www.craigmeur.com.  [Top]

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Located in Morris County, New Jersey, 26 miles west of New York City, the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is one of more than 544 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge was born in 1960 of a grassroots effort to protect the Great Swamp from development. The refuge consists of 7,600 acres of varied habitats - mixed hardwood freshwater swamp, interlaced with slow-moving streams, grasslands and five small impoundments - for fox, deer, muskrat, turtles, fish, frogs and a variety of wildflowers and plants. Over the years, the Great Swamp Refuge has become a resting and feeding area for more than 244 species of birds, and has the largest breeding populations of wood ducks and bluebirds. The refuge was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1966, and Congress designated it as the first wilderness in the National Wildlife Refuge System in 1968. Visit www.fws.gov/northeast/greatswamp.   [Top]

Watchung Reservation. Liven up your summer with a day of trail hiking through canopied woods and learning about New Jersey's Lenape Indians at Watchung Reservation, a beautiful 2000-acre park in Mountainside with miles of marked hiking trails, streams, and scenic picnic spots. Popular destinations within the reservation include the Trailside Nature & Science Center, Deserted Village, the Butterfly Garden and Lake Surprise, which is an excellent place to fish and boat. Enjoy family activities such as scavenger hunts in the woods, canoeing lessons on the Rahway River, observing constellations in the planetarium or a weekend barbeque. Visit www.purdes.com/njhiking/watchung/index.html.  [Top]

Raptor Trust Bird Rehabilitation Center. The Raptor Trust is one of the premier wild bird rehabilitation centers in the United States. Located in central New Jersey, the Trust features a hospital with state-of-the-art medical facilities, exterior housing for several hundred birds, and an education building. A stalwart advocate for birds of prey for three decades, it is now recognized as a national leader in the fields of raptor conservation and avian rehabilitation. The public is afforded a unique opportunity to view at close range the many hawks, eagles, falcons and owls that are permanent residents at the facility. Visit www.theraptortrust.com.  [Top]

Frelinghuysen Arboretum. New Jersey's premier public garden, the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown offers 127 acres of beautiful gardens with woody trees and shrubs and native and exotic plants cultivated and labeled for educational and scientific purposes. The Arboretum is a serene green space to relax and learn about the plants of Morris County. Surrounding a magnificent Colonial Revival mansion, the woodlands, meadows, beautiful gardens, distinctive collections of trees and shrubs and interpretive nature trails are the ideal setting for leisurely strolls and summer concerts. Frelinghuysen Arboretum is also a regional center for horticultural activities, including educational programs, tours, special events, guided nature walks, plant shows, exhibits, music concerts, and a collection of botanical literature. Haggerty Education Center and Home Demonstration Gardens offer services to the gardening public. Self-guiding trail booklets from the reception desk enrich your journey. Visit www.arboretumfriends.org.  [Top]