Monmouth County Park System facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Monmouth County Park System |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Public |
| Location | Monmouth County, New Jersey |
| Established | 1960 |
| Status | Open all year |
The Monmouth County Park System is a special group that takes care of over 30 parks and fun places in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It started in 1960. These parks cover about 5.73% of all the land in Monmouth County.
The biggest park is Crosswicks Creek Park, which is huge at 2,346 acres. In 2018, the most visited park was Manasquan Reservoir, with over 1.1 million visits! Overall, the park system had more than 6.4 million visitors in 2018. That's a lot of people enjoying nature and outdoor activities!
Contents
Exploring the Parks
The Monmouth County Park System has many different parks for everyone to enjoy. Some are great for hiking, others for playing sports, and some are perfect for just relaxing.
Popular Parks and What to Do
Here are some of the parks and what makes them special:
- Bayshore Waterfront Park: This park is right by the water in Port Monmouth. It's a great spot to enjoy the bay.
- Deep Cut Gardens: Located in Middletown Township, this garden is a beautiful place to see many different plants and flowers.
- Dorbrook Recreation Area: In Colts Neck Township, this park is very popular for recreation. It had over 659,000 visits in 2018.
- Hartshorne Woods Park: Found in Middletown Township, this park offers beautiful wooded trails and views.
- Henry Hudson Trail: This long trail stretches from Highlands to Freehold. It's perfect for biking or walking.
- Holmdel Park: A very popular park in Holmdel Township, with over 830,000 visits in 2018. It also includes the Historic Longstreet Farm.
- Manasquan Reservoir: This park in Howell Township was the most visited in 2018. It's a fantastic place for boating, fishing, and walking around the reservoir.
- Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook: In Atlantic Highlands, this spot offers amazing views of the ocean and surrounding areas.
- Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park: Located in Long Branch, this park is right on the ocean. It's a great beach spot.
- Thompson Park: In Lincroft, this park is another highly visited spot, with over 717,000 visits in 2018.
- Turkey Swamp Park: This large park in Freehold Township is great for camping and outdoor activities.
Some parks are still being developed, like Baysholm Tract and Freneau Woods Park.
Golf Courses for Fun
The Park System also manages several golf courses. These are great places to practice your swing and enjoy the outdoors.
- Bel-Aire Golf Course in Wall Township.
- Charleston Springs Golf Course in Millstone Township.
- Hominy Hill Golf Course in Colts Neck Township.
- Howell Park Golf Course in Howell Township.
- Pine Brook Golf Course in Manalapan Township.
- Shark River Golf Course in Neptune Township.
Park System Facts and Figures
As of 2018, the Monmouth County Park System manages a total of 17,284 acres of land. That's a lot of space for nature!
- About 57% of this land is forest.
- 26% is open fields.
- 6% is water areas.
- 3% is wetland.
- The rest is developed areas or other types of land.
There are 43 parks and golf courses in total. You can explore 141 miles of trails! Some trails are paved for easy walking or biking. Others are more challenging for experienced hikers.
The park system offers many fun activities. In 2018, they had 6,230 different programs. Over 110,000 people attended these programs. They also hosted 5 big events, with nearly 95,500 attendees.
The park system has a dedicated team of staff. This includes full-time workers, seasonal staff, and instructors who lead programs.
How the Parks are Funded
The Monmouth County Park System gets money from different places to keep all these parks running.
Most of their income comes from the county government. They also earn money from golf courses and visitor services. A special "Open Space Preservation Tax" helps protect natural areas.
The money is spent on things like paying staff, running the parks, and continuing to preserve open spaces. This helps make sure everyone can enjoy the parks for years to come!
