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Mantoloking Bridge Fishing Pier
30 Mantoloking Road, Mantoloking
With great views of the Barnegat Bay, this is sure
to be one of the best fishing or crabbing spots in all of
Ocean County.
Beaver Dam Creek County Park
3430 Bridge Avenue, Point Pleasant
Take a leisurely stroll along Beaver Dam Creek’s
boardwalk through tidal wetlands, seemingly miles from
civilization. This expertly groomed park has something
for everyone! Enjoy a picnic under the pavilion while
the kids cavort on one of two playgrounds, or engage
in your favorite sport on six acres of playing fields, two
superb tennis courts and a basketball court.
Gull Island County Park/Conservation Area
419 Broadway, Point Pleasant Beach
This diminutive park is a perfect spot for bird-watching
or a lazy day of catching fish. Bring lunch and relax on
a bench along the busy waters of the Manasquan River
just across from the island conservation area.
A. Paul King County Park
2 West Bay Avenue, Stafford Township (Manahawkin)
This park lies nestled in the heart of Stafford Township
on lovely Manahawkin Lake. It offers a variety of
recreation possibilities, a brightly-colored children’s
playground and a large picnic area shaded by a stand
of pines.
Ocean County Parks Department Administrative
Offices
1198 Bandon Road, Toms River, 732-506-9090
This beautiful site on the Silver Bay is the home of the
Ocean County Parks Department Administrative Offices.
Parks activities include recreational and educational
programs, a summer concert series, environmental
programs, sports programs, arts and crafts classes
and trips to a variety of events and locales. Additionally,
many programs and classes for adults and children are
held in the spacious and fully accessible program room.
During summer months, the Ocean County Parks boat,
the “Bay Cruiser,” is docked on site for ecological tours
of the Silver and Barnegat Bay area.
Riverfront Landing County Park
71 East Water Street, Toms River
732-506-9090
This “pocket” park is in a beautiful and tranquil
environment on the Toms River in downtown Toms River.
For those employed in and around the town, a picnic at
this meticulously manicured park overlooking the river is
a great lunchtime alternative.
E. B. Leone County Conservation Area
Hooper Avenue & South Shore Drive, Toms River
These pristine wetlands on the northern shore of Silver
Bay can be visited via the Parks Department’s pontoon
boat tours.
Stanley H. “Tip” Seaman County Park
120 Lakeside Drive (Route 9), Tuckerton
609-296-5606
“Tip” Seaman County Park on the shores of Pohatcong Lake is probably bestknown
as the site of the Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show. This two-day
event draws exhibitors and visitors from the entire eastern seaboard and beyond
and has been named as one of the top 100 events in North America. “Tip”
was also the home of the first Barnegat Bay Decoy Museum, and the recently
constructed and expanded museum is just across Route 9 at the site of the
Tuckerton Seaport.
Wells Mills County Park
905 Wells Mills Road (Route 532), Waretown
609-971-3085
Wells Mills is the largest park in the Ocean County Parks system with over 900
acres of pine and oak forest within southern New Jersey’s environmental marvel,
the Pine Barrens. Miles of hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty can be
found here, including a “VIP” (Visually Impaired Persons) Trail. Beautiful Wells
Mills Lake has trails meandering around it, and canoe rentals are available at a
nominal cost. The three-story Nature Center offers a great display floor, a library,
and Elizabeth Meirs Morgan Observation Deck on the third floor, dedicated
in honor of a very active local naturalist and conservationist. Environmental
programs and classes are held regularly at Wells Mills, with experienced
naturalists available to answer questions about the ecology of this area. The
annual “Pine Barrens Jamboree,” a day filled with music, piney vittles and handmade
crafts, is held at Wells Mills each October.
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