Below are some sites the Jackson Pathfinders are either affiliated with or recommend:
Author: Ken Beyer
Parks in Jackson Township
The Jackson Township offers several parks for athletic activities and recreation. It has 5 athletic fields, several playgrounds, and quiet areas for hiking, riding and biking. Except for Patriot’s Park at Bowman Road which is an Ocean County Parks and Recreation facility, all these parks are maintained by the Township’s Recreation Department.
Parks open at regular hours except when there are programs being held by the Township’s Recreation Department.
For more information, please contact Park, Playground and Athletic Field Maintenance at (732) 928-1200.
Athletic Fields(open 6 am – 9 pm)
|
Name |
Location |
Size |
Facilities |
|
John F. Johnson, Jr. Memorial Park |
Cooks Bridge Road and Manhattan Street |
95 acres |
soccer, baseball, tennis, fitness trail, picnic area with grills, playground |
|
Patriot’s Park |
Bowman Road |
88.23 acres |
soccer, softball, basketball, playground |
|
Camp Joy |
New Prospect Road |
26 acres |
baseball, basketball, sand volleyball |
|
Woodlane Park |
Woodlane and Forest Drives |
11.5 acres |
soccer |
|
Jackson Township Justice Complex |
West Veteran’s Highway |
soccer, baseball, playground (The Jackson Jungle) |
Neighborhood Parks (open 9 am – 6 pm; 9 am – 8 pm Memorial Day through Labor Day)
|
Name |
Location |
Size |
Facilities |
|
Harfield Park |
Andover Drive |
3 acres |
basketball, playground |
|
Flair Ridge Park |
Buckingham Drive |
1.8 acres |
softball, basketball, playground |
Other Parks for Recreation (open 6 am – 9 pm)
|
Name |
Location |
Size |
Facilities |
|
Gil Putnam Memorial Park |
West Veterans Highway (Route 528) |
2+ acres |
basketball, playground, picnic |
|
Lake Enno Recreation Facility |
Lakeview Drive |
2.5 acres |
fishing, boating, nature trail, picnic area with grills |
NJ State Parks (in our area)
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Ten miles of pure white sand beach attracts swimmers, sunbathers, anglers and surfers. Modern bathhouses, beach access ramps, a mile of beach with lifeguards, historic buildings, trails, naturalist programs, bike paths, wild foxes and facilities for people with disabilities combine to make Island Beach a popular place.
The state’s largest osprey colony, as well as peregrine falcons, wading birds, shorebirds, waterfowl and migrating songbirds, are found here. Island Beach is nationally known as a unique resource with over 300 plants identified, including the largest expanses of beach heather in New Jersey.
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Allaire State Park consists of 3,035 acres located in Monmouth County. 25 miles of multi-use trails in Monmouth County: 21.5 miles are suitable for day hikes, 17 for mountain biking, 17 for horseback riding and five for canoeing. Info: (732) 938-2371. Within the park, there are facilities for picnicking and camping. The park has a nature center that is staffed by a naturalist in the summer.
Allaire Village, which is inside the park, is a 19th Century village listed on the NJ and National Registers of Historic Places. It is named after James P. Allaire, who owned Howell Iron Works Company in the 1830s. Located within the village are a museum and gift shop, a carpenter shop and working blacksmith, a general store, a bakery, a carriage house, a church and row houses
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Monmouth Battlefield State Park
Located north of Jackson in Manalapan, the Monmouth Battlefield offers year-round activities. There are interpretive and visitor centers, as well as picnic tables, a playground, and food concessions. There are trails for horseback riding and hiking; winter sports include sledding and cross-country skiing.
Information/links on other parks
- New Jersey State Parks, Forests, Recreation Areas and Marinas
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The New Jersey Pinelands Recreational Guide A complete listing of parks in our area which offer historic sites, fishing, canoeing, hiking, and other activities.
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Plants of the Pinelands This Pinelands Alliance website will help you put some names to the plants you’ll see in the Jackson area.
Forests, Streams & Bogs: exploring Jackson trails!
Saturday, June 6, 2015(10:00AM at the FREC -or- 11:15AM Purple Heart or Silver Stream trails)
Celebrating National Trails Day, the Jackson Pathfinders hosted hikes at multiple locations. Three guided hikes were offered. Started at the Forest Resource Education Center (495 Don Connor) for the Forest Discovery Trail led by a FREC naturalist (10:00 a.m.), then departed by your vehicle to the Purple Heart Trail (805 East Vets, 11:15 a.m.) and the Silver Stream/Steve Kitay Trails (255 Frank Applegate, 11:15 a.m.) led by Jackson Pathfinders. Directions to subsequent hikes were provided at the FREC. Alternative was to go directly to Purple Heart or Silver Stream trail heads at 11:15 a.m.
Trail Beatification Day at Purple Heart Trail
Sunday, April 12, 2015 – 9AM-noon
The Pathfinders held a trail beautification day and hike at Purple Heart Trail.
We met at the main entrance off East Veterans Hwy, but then drove over to the Butterfly Road entrance as we wanted to focus on trimming around the East Cranberry Bog which needed some widening and brush cutting. We also cleaned some trash, but there are 2 areas that require further work to remove some heavier and stuck items. All-in-all it was great day. The sun was shining and and spring was finally in the air!
Sample Eagle Scout Project
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Alex Eisenschmied completed his Troop 82 Eagle Scout Project in December 2014, and was awarded the Eagle Badge at an Eagle Court of Honor on March 29th. For years people will enjoy the resting benches along the Steve Kitay Trail. Congratulations Alex on your fantastic achievement! — The Jackson Pathfinders