The Top Three Choices Offer Opportunities to View a Luxurious Country Estate, Wildflowers in Bloom, and Mating Pairs of Osprey.

Ringwood State Park

Ringwood State Park is home to a luxurious country estate, an English mansion, and the State Botanical Gardens. The spring-fed waters of the 74-acre Shepherd Lake are brisk and invigorating and offer visitors the opportunity for swimming, boating, canoeing and fishing.

A network of trails surrounds the lake leading to rocky vistas. In the spring, the gardens explode with colors with a wide variety of flowers, plants and shrubs. The extensive vistas of the garden and view of Ramapo Mountains frame this botanical showplace.
The present day 4,044-acre Ringwood State Park represents some of the original land and buildings of the once flourishing iron industry of the 1740s. Home for a succession of well-known ironmasters for nearly 200 years, Ringwood Manor sits comfortably on a low hill overlooking a landscape that appears to have escaped from a painting. In the mid-19th century this country house was owned by Abram S. Hewitt, America's foremost ironmaster. Today, this historic house museum displays Hewitt's collections of art, furniture, firearms and memorabilia.

Skylands Manor features English Jacobean architecture that was common in the English countryside 400 years ago. Built in the 1920s, the weathered stone facade of this rambling 44-room mansion blends into the landscape.

The mansion contains rooms with antique paneling and large windows, some of which include 16th-century stained glass medallions. Moulded plaster ceilings and an elaborately carved staircase add the finishing touches to this impressive house. The castle-like rooms and sweeping halls make for a romantic escape and the ideal setting for a wedding.

Washington Crossing State Park

Probably most noted for General George Washington?s Christmas night crossing of the Delaware River into New Jersey, today the park is a popular retreat offering spectacular views of the Delaware River. The 3,126-acre park is well known for its trails and wildlife habitat. A wide variety of migrating birds use the stream and ravine as a resting place and for nesting. Popular activities include birdwatching, picnicking, wildflower viewing, and group camping.
In the springtime, visitors can catch a piece of the history at Spirit of the Jerseys History Fair, held on the first weekend in May at the park. Just as the dogwoods and wildflowers burst into full bloom, visitors can stroll the park and experience four centuries of New Jersey?s history all in one place. Fun for the whole family, New Jersey's history comes alive with open-hearth cooking, an antique car display, a vintage baseball game and a variety of music and dance. For further information on the park, call 609-737-0623.

Cheesequake State Park

Situated on 1,569 acres amid the bustle of the Garden State Parkway in Middlesex County, Cheesequake State Park is a haven for wildlife and nature lovers alike. Spring is the ideal time for hiking one of five trails that journey through a pineland forest, a freshwater swamp and a hardwood forest.
The park?s salt marsh is one of the largest in the region. People from all over come to see the mating pairs of ospreys, who live on platforms above the salt marshes. The park also features several picnic areas, 53 campsites in wooded settings, and an Interpretive Center, which includes exhibits on wildlife information on the Native American and early colonization of the area. Other visitor activities include swimming, fishing and crabbing. For further information, call 732-566-2161.

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click for more images Ringwood State Park - photo courtesy of New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry The Top Three Choices Offer Opportunities to View a Luxurious Country Estate, Wildflowers in Bloom, and Mating Pairs of Osprey.

Ringwood State Park

Ringwood State Park is home to a luxurious country estate, an English mansion, and the State Botanical Gardens. The spring-fed waters of the 74-acre Shepherd Lake are brisk and invigorating and offer visitors the opportunity for swimming, boating, canoeing and fishing. A network of trails surrounds the lake leading to rocky vistas. In the spring, the gardens explode with colors with a wide variety of flowers, plants and shrubs. The extensive vistas of the garden and view of Ramapo Mountains frame this botanical showplace.
The present day 4,044-acre Ringwood State Park represents some of the original land and buildings of the once flourishing iron industry of the 1740s. Home for a succession of well-known ironmasters for nearly 200 years, Ringwood Manor sits comfortably on a low hill overlooking a landscape that appears to have escaped from a painting. In the mid-19th century this country house was owned by Abram S. Hewitt, America's foremost ironmaster. Today, this historic house museum displays Hewitt's collections of art, furniture, firearms and memorabilia.

Skylands Manor features English Jacobean architecture that was common in the English countryside 400 years ago. Built in the 1920s, the weathered stone facade of this rambling 44-room mansion blends into the landscape. The mansion contains rooms with antique paneling and large windows, some of which include 16th-century stained glass medallions. Moulded plaster ceilings and an elaborately carved staircase add the finishing touches to this impressive house. The castle-like rooms and sweeping halls make for a romantic escape and the ideal setting for a wedding.

Washington Crossing State Park

Probably most noted for General George Washington?s Christmas night crossing of the Delaware River into New Jersey, today the park is a popular retreat offering spectacular views of the Delaware River. The 3,126-acre park is well known for its trails and wildlife habitat. A wide variety of migrating birds use the stream and ravine as a resting place and for nesting. Popular activities include birdwatching, picnicking, wildflower viewing, and group camping.
In the springtime, visitors can catch a piece of the history at Spirit of the Jerseys History Fair, held on the first weekend in May at the park. Just as the dogwoods and wildflowers burst into full bloom, visitors can stroll the park and experience four centuries of New Jersey?s history all in one place. Fun for the whole family, New Jersey's history comes alive with open-hearth cooking, an antique car display, a vintage baseball game and a variety of music and dance. For further information on the park, call 609-737-0623.

Cheesequake State Park

Situated on 1,569 acres amid the bustle of the Garden State Parkway in Middlesex County, Cheesequake State Park is a haven for wildlife and nature lovers alike. Spring is the ideal time for hiking one of five trails that journey through a pineland forest, a freshwater swamp and a hardwood forest.
The park?s salt marsh is one of the largest in the region. People from all over come to see the mating pairs of ospreys, who live on platforms above the salt marshes. The park also features several picnic areas, 53 campsites in wooded settings, and an Interpretive Center, which includes exhibits on wildlife information on the Native American and early colonization of the area. Other visitor activities include swimming, fishing and crabbing. For further information, call 732-566-2161.

Return to Best of the Best Spring State Parks page