FREEHOLD, NJ – The first days of spring and warm sunny weather are perfect reasons to get out and enjoy the trails, gardens and playgrounds of the Monmouth County Park System. 

 

 “The welcome mat is out all year long at the entrances of the county parks, but the spring is a refreshing time of year when you can take in the beauty of trees budding, birds chirping and flowers emerging,” Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry said. “The park trails provide some of the best spots to take in all the wonder of the season.”

 

Take to the trails of Clayton, Hartshorne Woods, Holmdel, Huber Woods, Shark River, Tatum, Thompson, Turkey Swamp, and the Manasquan Reservoir. Be sure to stay on the designated, marked trails.

 

If you are taking your dog along for a walk or run, be sure to use a leash at all times. The county provides off-leash dog facilities at Thompson Park and Wolf Hill Recreation Area.  

 

Watch your children have fun at one of the nine county parks that have playgrounds, including Shark River Park, Turkey Swamp Park and Tatum Park.

 

 

Most parks are open for use during regular park hours of 8 a.m. to dusk. A few parks and some facilities have more limited hours. Visit the Park System Web site or call 732-842-4000 for more information. For persons with hearing impairment, the TTY/TDD number is 711.

 

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2010, the park system began in 1960 when the Board of Chosen Freeholders acquired the first county park. Today the park system stretches over 14,500 acres and has 38 sites of parks, forests, gardens, wetland/marine habitats, golf courses, historic sites, recreation areas and conservation properties.

  

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