STATE PARKS
Middlesex County is home to three state parks
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CHEESEQUAKE STATE PARK L5–M6
Old Bridge
state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/cheesequake.html
Cheesequake State Park’s uniqueness lies in its geographical
location, situated between the urban north and the suburban
south of the state. It offers open fields, saltwater and
freshwater marshes, a white cedar swamp, Pine Barrens, and a
northeastern hardwood forest. The park has 53 tent and trailer
campsites for up to six people, and six group sites for up to 25
people each, with fire rings and picnic tables. Flush toilets and
shower facilities are within walking distance. Available in spring,
summer and fall for a small nightly fee.
Swimming is permitted in Hooks Creek Lake while lifeguards
are on duty from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day
weekend. A beach complex offers a changing area, restrooms,
a first-aid station and a concession offering refreshments,
novelties and beach supplies. Canoeing, kayaking and boating
are permitted the day after Labor Day through the Friday before
Memorial Day, with facilities for car-top boat launching only;
electronic motors only. The six-acre lake offers opportunities for
freshwater fishing and crabbing.
DELAWARE AND RARITAN CANAL STATE PARK H3–I4
Piscataway
www.dandrcanal.com
With a 36-mile main canal linking New Brunswick and Trenton,
the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park is the longest and
narrowest recreation area in the state, meandering more than
60 miles through Middlesex and into Somerset, Mercer and
Hunterdon counties. A graded natural-surface trail along the side
of the canal, once the tow path used by mules to pull barges, is
popular for hiking, jogging, bicycling and horseback riding, with
canoeing, kayaking and fishing in the canal. Running alongside
many historic buildings, locks, spillways and towpath, the park is
described as "a greenway that snakes through one of the most
heavily populated regions in the world."
PIGEON SWAMP STATE PARK H7
South Brunswick
732-329-4000
A National Natural Landmark in South Brunswick Township,
Pigeon Swamp State Park is an undeveloped park. An inner
coastal plain lowland, the park features a mix of habitats
including open ponds and uplands deciduous hardwood forests.
At one time, it was a major nesting site for the now-extinct
passenger pigeon.
Photo courtesy Middlesex County
/DiscoverMiddlesex2021
/cheesequake.html
/www.dandrcanal.com
