Turkey Swamp Park
Welcome to the third installment of my series - Parks of Monmouth County. I have come to fall in love with Turkey Swamp Park over the past few years. The park is rather unique from all the others in the Monmouth County Park System in that it is the only park to post warnings about black bear. I don't recall reading about any bear sightings at the park but the brochure and park bulletin board issue warnings.
Turkey Swamp Park is a wooded park just under 2,300 acres in size located in Freehold with something for everyone. There is a 17-acre lake for fishing, boating and ice skating; you can bring your own boat or rent a boat, canoe or kayak. Please note that there is no boat ramp and you must carry your boat from the parking lot; no gas motors, electric motors are permitted. If you plan on fishing and are between the ages of 16 and 69, you must possess a valid New Jersey Freshwater Fishing License. If camping is in your future, Turkey Swamp is a great place to stay. They have two (2) different camping areas, one for Family camping and another for Group camping. I have camped a few times in the group area when my son was in Cub Scouts and had a great time. The main attraction, for me at least, are the trails. There are seven (7) trails of EASY and MODERATE difficulty ranging in length of about a mile to 2.5 miles. I have hiked the three EASY trails more than once and hope to get to the other three trails in the coming months. Lastly, there are a number of picnic areas, a couple playgrounds and the main Shelter Building. The Blueberry Path & Metedeconk Trail are accessible from the Nomoco Activity Area while all others are directly accessible from the Main Entrance on Georgia Road. The northern trail head for the Metedeconk Trail is accessible via the Link or Fitness Trail. I will have links to brochures you can view or download at the end of this post.
The Trails
Turkey Swamp Park, like most (all?) of the other parks, offers a Fitness Trail. I am not going to write about it as I haven't used the trail but wanted to mention it. It is a 1 mile trail along the outside of the big field on the west side of the park. There are 20 stations, each representing a different exercise or stretching regimen. I've also not hiked the Metedeconk Trail (1 mile MODERATE) or Blueberry Path (1 mile MODERATE) so I won't be writing about them. I will, at some point, hike and write about both. Stay tuned!
Alder Trail
The Alder Trail is a 1.6 mile EASY trail that takes you all around the lake. This is the trail I hike most often - if you can only hike one trail, make it this one. The trail takes you thru the Sandy Run Picnic Area which is where you would have found the boat dock shown in the image above (
see Endnote below.) While the trail is rated as "easy" you need to be vigilant while hiking thru the wooded sections and keep your eyes on the trail in front of you - roots and stumps litter the trail and it is easy to trip over one. While hiking the trail you will come to a few spots that afford a wonderful view of the lake, if you approach quietly and keep an eye open you might catch a glimpse of a great white egret or great blue heron. Of course, spotting deer on any of the trails is always a possibility, particularly when you get to the big field on the east side of the lake.
Old Lenape Trail
The Old Lenape Trail is another 1.2 mile EASY trail, this one is entirely wooded and takes you around the Family Campground. The trail is named for the Lenape Indian tribe who were indigenous to the area. As with the Alder Trail, keep a lookout for rogue roots, stumps and rocks that can trip you up along the way. I have hiked this trail a few times and always found deer along the way; the woods can get a bit thick at times and often I didn't know the deer were there until I caught a fleeting glimpse of them running deeper into the woods. As you can see from the image to the left, the woods are a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees and most of the area is covered in a lush carpet of leaves and needles. I love finding intimate scenes like this while hiking, landscape photography isn't always about the grand vistas and sweeping panoramas. To me, this image captures the essence of being in the woods in autumn - no better place nor better time of year.
Link Trail
The Link Trail is a .7 mile EASY trail that allows you to extend the length of your hike by acting as a "link" between Old Lenape Trail and Metedeconk Trail or Fitness Trail. The second time I hiked Old Lenape I took the Link over to the field, followed the Fitness Trail to Alder Trail and back to the parking lot. It made for a nice, long hike with a varied environment.
Manasquan Trail
The Manasquan Trail is a 2.5 mile MODERATE trail that starts on the Alder Trail, runs north and connects with the Old Lenape Trail on the way back. Though the trail itself is 2.5 miles, the entire hike is considerably longer - I hiked it for the first time this week and I covered just over 4.3 miles. I started at the Shelter, took the Alder Trail to Manasquan Trail and then back to the shelter via Old Lenape Trail. This is another heavily forested trail which runs along the Manasquan River in sections. The trail definitely deserves it's MODERATE rating due to some of the terrain and it's length. There are a couple small uphill grades but they are gradual and not very long. The trail, for the most part, is well defined and wide but it does become nothing more than a narrow passage shortly before you get to the river at the furthest point of the trail.
Metedeconk Trail
The Metedeconk Trail is a 1 mile MODERATE trail beginning at the Nomoco Activity Center. I haven't hiked this trail yet so I will refer you to the brochure for more information about it.
Blueberry Path
The Blueberry Path is a 1 mile MODERATE loop at the southern most section of the Nomoco Activity Center. I haven't hiked this trail yet so I will refer you to the brochure for more information about it.
Endnote: The wooden dock shown in "Early Fall Panorama from Boat Dock" is no longer there. It has been replaced by a larger, fiberglass dock and the trail leading to it has been enlarged.
For a full list of the series, with links, check out the "Parks of Monmouth County" page.
Brochures
How to get there
- NJ Turnpike to Exit 7A to Interstate 195 east. Follow I-195 east. Follow I-195 to exit 22. Turn left onto Jackson Mills Rd. north. Follow Jackson Mills Rd. to Georgia Rd., turn left and follow 1.7 miles to main park entrance.
- Garden State Parkway to Exit 98 to Interstate 195 west. I-195 west to Exit 22. Turn right onto Jackson Mills Rd. north; follow Jackson Mills Rd. to Georgia Rd.; turn left and follow 1.7 miles to main park entrance.
- State Hwy. 9 to route 524 west. Follow 524 west to Georgia Rd., turn left and follow Georgia Rd. 1.7 miles to main entrance.
- Nomoco Activity Area Is located 1.5 miles past the main park entrance. Continue south on Georgia Rd. to Nomoco Rd.; turn right and follow signs to Activity Area.
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