"An important resource." -Newark Star-Ledger

"For those Turnpike habitués who've never understood why New Jersey is called the Garden State, Michael Brown has assembled a guide to the over 250 national, state, and county parks and recreational areas, with particular emphasis on family-oriented sites and programs."-Mid-Atlantic Country

Want to know where in New Jersey you can go fossil hunting? How about cranberry harvesting? Perhaps you'd like to find the most accessible Garden State fishing areas for people with disabilities? Or maybe you've just been wondering how Double Trouble State Park got its name?

Now in its third edition, this updated guide-the first of its kind for New Jersey-lists over 250 parks, forests, and natural areas in the Garden State, from national, state, city, and county parks to nature preserves run by non-profit groups, arboretums, and undeveloped wildlife management areas. Wherever you live in New Jersey, you can find a beautiful place nearby for picnicking, hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, boating, and a host of other outdoor activities. All are open to the public, and most are free or charge only a small fee. Michael Brown divides the state into six regions along county lines and includes helpful maps, so outdoor enthusiasts can easily plan excursions.

For each park, the guide provides up-to-date, practical information about locations and phone numbers, fees, hours, seasons, acreage, regulations, handicap access, special facilities and activities, campsites, swimming and boat launching sites, restrooms, playgrounds and picnic sites, hunting and fishing, and hiking. Also included in this edition is broadened coverage of mountain biking and horseback riding.

Michael P. Brown is a school librarian who lives in Kendall Park, New Jersey. He has visited many of the parks he describes in this book.