New Jersey's Oldest State Park and It's Just a Day Trip Away

I love visiting parks here in New Jersey. We have fantastic local, county, and state parks here in the Garden State. We also have 12 national parks that you can enjoy.

12 New Jersey National Parks:

Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve
Morristown National Historic Park
Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River
Great Egg Harbor River
Ellis Island (Part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument)
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Gateway National Recreation Area (Sandy Hook)

Get our free mobile app

As far as state parks, New Jersey has many. According to Google "In addition to New Jersey's National Parks, the state's Division of Parks and Forestry operates approximately 31 state parks, 11 forests, 6 marinas and 48 historic sites that offer a wide variety of outdoor activities."

The very first state park here in New Jersey dates back over 100 years ago. This is a park I have not visited but will have on my list. According to Google "Swartswood State Park in Sussex County was established in 1915 as New Jersey's first state park. It was created to ensure public access to the state's third-largest freshwater lake. Swartswood Lake offers boating, fishing, and swimming."

Sussex County is located in the Northwest corner of New Jersey. Sussex is nestled between New York and Pennsylvania and is about a two-hour ride from parts of Ocean County and is a beautiful rural part of our state.

When you visit Swartswood State Park you are visiting a piece of history, our very first state park established in 1915. The nation's very first state park, according to Google, "The title of oldest state park in the United States is claimed by Niagara Falls State Park in New York, established in 1885."

Check out my series Hiking New Jersey and see our travels around the state visiting wonderful parks to hike and enjoy

If you have visited Swartswood, give us your review of our state's oldest park.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.