NOTE: As of July 4, 2017, all parks are back open!

So New Jersey has shut down its state parks until… well, we don’t know when (see the full list of closures ).  My only comment about this is “Ladies and gentlemen, your state government at work!”  And we’ll leave it at that.

The good news?  County, local, and private parks to the rescue!  Below is a sampling of parks and trails that are open for business as usual (note that this list is not definitive, just some of my favorites).  So shake your fists collectively in anger toward Trenton, then work out that anger by going for a beautiful hike this weekend anyway!

Camden County

Saddlers Woods

Barclay Farmstead Trail – Cherry Hill, NJ – 1.5 miles
Croft Farms Trails – Cherry Hill, NJ – up to 2 miles
Blueberry Hill Trail – Gibbsboro, NJ – up to 2 1/2 miles
Timber Creek County Park – Glendora, NJ – 5 miles of trails
Hopkins Pond Trail – Haddonfield, NJ – 3/4 of a mile
Saddler’s Woods – Haddon Township, NJ – up to 2 miles
Blue Hole Trail – Winslow, NJ 1.6 miles

Burlington County

Parker Preserve

Taylor Farm Preserve – Cinnaminson, NJ – 3.5 miles
Franklin Parker Preserve – Chatsworth, NJ – many miles of trails, but our favorite is the 6 mile long Red Trail
Black Run Preserve– Evesham, NJ
Eagles Walk – Vincentown, NJ – 1.7 miles
Amico Island County Park – Riverside, NJ – 2 1/2 miles
Historic Smithville Park – Eastampton, NJ – 4.1 miles
Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge – Medford, NJ – several miles (entrance fee, goes to help the animals!)
Boundary Creek Park – Moorestown, NJ – 1.3 miles
Palmyra Cove Nature Park – Palmyra, NJ – many miles of trails (our favorite is the Cove Trail, about two miles total out-and-back
Michael Huber Prarie Warbler Preserve – Woodland Township, NJ – 11 miles of trails (Treat for ticks ahead of time!)

Gloucester County

Floodgates Road

Old Pine Farm – Deptford, NJ – over 1 mile
Floodgates Road – Gibbstown, NJ – 2 miles
Red Bank Battlefield Park – National Park, NJ
Ceres Park – Sewell, NJ
Wenonah Trails East of the Tracks and West of the Tracks – Wenonah, NJ – 6 miles of trails
And this is NOT on the closed list – Tall Pines State Preserve – Sewell, NJ – 4 miles or more of trails

Salem County

Elephant Swamp Trail

Elephant Swamp Trail – Elmer to Elk Township, NJ – 6 miles (one way)
Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge – Pennsville, NJ – 2 1/3 miles of trails

Cumberland County

Glades Wildlife Preserve

Maurice River Bluffs Preserve – Millville, NJ – 5 miles of trails
Bivalve Nature Trail – Bivalve, NJ – 4 miles round trip
Glades Wildlife Preserve – Dividing Creek, NJ – many miles of trails
Eldora Nature Preserve – Delmont, NJ – 3 miles of trails
Peek Preserve – Millville, NJ – 3 miles of trails

Cape May County

Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve

Cameron Wildlife Sanctuary – Palermo, NJ – 1.2 miles
Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve– Cape May Courthouse, NJ – 3 miles
Cedar Swamp Trail – Cape May National Wildlife Refuge – Dennis Township, NJ – 1.2 miles
Two Mile Beach Unit – Cape May National Wildlife Refuge – Wildwood Crest, NJ – 2 miles

Atlantic County

Mill Pond Trail – Port Republic

Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge – Galloway Township, NJ – 4 miles of trails
Estell Manor County Park – Estell Manor, NJ – 18 miles of trails
Egg Harbor Township Nature Preserve – Egg Harbor Township, NJ – 6 miles
Port Republic Trail System – Port Republic, NJ – many miles of trails

Ocean County

Wells Mills County Park

Wells Mills County Park – Ocean Township, NJ – 14.5 miles of hiking trails
Jakes Branch County Park – Beachwood, NJ – 8.6 miles of trails
Cloverdale Farm County Park – Barnegat, NJ – 1.5 miles of trail
Lochiel Creek Park – Barnegat, NJ – 2.3 miles of trail