South Jersey Parks & Recreation

In the heart of the region, Camden County's park system provides recreation opportunities as well as a variety of music, art and food festivals. On the Camden Waterfront, Wiggins Park features a 50-slip marina, promenade along the Delaware River and outdoor concerts on the Riverstage - all adjacent to the new Adventure Aquarium and Battleship New Jersey.

Nearby, Cooper River Park is a 346-acre oasis that spans Pennsauken, Cherry Hill, Collingswood and Haddon Township. A favorite among both locals and visitors, the park hosts numerous festivals and special events throughout the year, including concerts, major regattas such as the Intercollegiate Rowing Championships, the Starlight Classic Movie Series featuring family-oriented films an outdoor screen, and of course, an all-day July Fourth celebration that ends with a major headliner and fireworks. With a full-service restaurant and three hotels edging the Park, it is a peaceful and relaxing place to begin a weekend getaway. A few miles away, the Berlin Park boasts 151 acres and includes the Great Egg Harbor River and Environmental Studies Center.

Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville combines history and wildlife. You'll share the trails and wildlife habitat with whitetail deer, fox, screech owl, red-tailed hawk, and Eastern bluebirds. The park is also ideal for picnicking and, in the winter, for cross-country skiing on existing hiking trails. Each Christmas, the park hosts a reenactment of Washington crossing the Delaware, complete with fully-costumed General and troops. History buffs will also want to visit the nearby Princeton Battlefield State Park, an 85-acre park, home to the Thomas Clark House museum, Quaker Meeting house, Revolutionary War firearms, and sword display.

Also in the area, recreation abounds at the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park with canoeing, jogging, hiking, bicycling, fishing and horseback riding. The park's canal and towpath are part of the National Recreational Trail System. In West Windsor, families can enjoy tennis courts, playing fields, nature trails, boating and an indoor ice skating rink at Mercer County Waterfront Park, also home to the Trenton Thunder minor league baseball team.

Farther south, at 940 acres, Scotland Run Park in Franklinville features a nature center, a self-guided nature trail, arboretum, boating and fishing on the 80-acre Wilson Lake, and playground and picnic facilities, so you can be as active or relaxed as you like. Also, the Glassboro and Winslow Fish and Wildlife Management Areas provide large outdoor tracts for fishing and hunting. If you like a little history mixed with your outdoors, the Red Bank Battlefield in National Park, features battlefield displays as well as observation decks and picnic facilities overlooking the Delaware River.

One of the most pristine and unspoiled areas in New Jersey, Salem County provides an excellent setting for parks and recreation. Hidden in the southwestern part of the state in Pittsgrove is Parvin State Park, a park whose history is as varied as its wildlife. Situated on the edge of the Pine Barrens, the park not only has pine forests typical to the area, but also a swamp hardwood forest. Thundergust Lake, Parvin Lake and Muddy Run are popular for fishing and boating. A short drive away is Fort Mott State Park, part of a three-fort defense system that features its gun replacements, shot rooms and structures erected over 100 years ago. Hop aboard the Three Forts Ferry for a 15-minute ride that connects Fort Mott with Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island and Delaware City in Delaware.

Pictured: Cooper River Park
Courtesy South Jersey Tourism Corporation