NEW JERSEY STATE PARKS And Forestry
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Division of Parks and Forestry
CN 404, Trenton NJ 08625
609/984-0370
800/843-6420
From the scenic Appalachian ridge to the historic village of Allaire, New Jersey provides great destinations for cabins and lodgings, lean-tos and attractions.
State park cabins are enclosed structures with living room, sleeping quarters, kitchens, bathrooms, running water, electricity. Group cabins accommodate up to 30 people. Shelters are small cabins without kitchens, bathrooms, or electricity, but have only outside cooking facilities and centralized toilet and shower facilities. Closed four-side lean-tos are equipped with picnic tables, outside cooking facilities and centralized toilets and showers. Open lean-tos are located along the Appalachian Trail.
Reservations: Contact the park direct to reserve a cabin. An application will be necessary, so ask for it and fill it out and mail it back to the park of your choice. Applications acted upon after November 15 for the coming year. But many cabins are rented on a first-come, first served basis. Note: Applications must be postmarked after January 2 of the same year you want the cabin. To reserve a group cabin the application must be post-marked after December 1.
Applicants receive a confirmation by mail. Reservations are not confirmed until you get them in writing. A separate application must be submitted for each facility or time period. More than two consecutive applications will not be valid.
Payment: Full payment required with applications, plus a reservation fee of $7 at least five days in advance of arrival. Telephone reservations not accepted. Checks or money orders should be made payable to the Treasurer, State of New Jersey. A full refund is granted if a facility is not available. Senior Citizen and Totally Disabled Discounts apply at all parks for cabins.
ATSION RECREATIONAL AREA
Open from April 1-Oct. 31. The park offers fishing, picnic tables, boating, showers, trailer dumping station, playgrounds, boat launch ramp, canoe and boat rentals, hunting and hiking.
BASS RIVER STATE FOREST
P.O.Box 118
New Gretna, NJ 08224
609/296-1114.
The park office is located on Stage Road, 6 miles W of Tuckerton.
This forest offers camping, swimming, and hiking on the Absegami Trail, a self-guided interpretive trail. Fishing is allowed, with license, and there is a marina and private canoe rentals nearby.
There are 9 seasonal cabins in the park.
The cabins within the forest are located along the N. shore of Lake Absegami. Each cabin has a living room furnished with table, 2 benches, 2 small seats, 1 double-deck bunk and a fireplace. The main sleeping quarters consist of two adjoining bunkrooms, each with a double-deck bunk. Foam mattresses are provided, but no linen or bedding. There is hot and cold water, electric stove, refrigerator, showers, toilet, and sink (no charge for electricity). The screened porch faces the lake, and firewood is furnished. No more than 8 to the cabin are allowed, and no extra cots are provided. Two vehicles per cabin are permitted. Payment should be made at time of reservation. Cabins are rented by the week in the summer, and not less than 2 days in the spring. Applications for out-of-state reservations taken after March 1.
There are also 9 lean-tos, 6 seasonal shelters in the park.
HIGH POINT STATE PARK
1480 State Route 23
Sussex, NJ 07461
201/875-4800.
Park office is located on Route 23, 8 miles NW of Sussex.
The park is in the NW corner of the state on the crest of the Kittatinny Mountains. The 14,000-acre park, created in 1923, adjoins Stokes State Forest. The highest mountain in NJ is High Point at nearly 2,000 feet, within the park. A monument on top of the mountain offers a panoramic view. The highest lake in the state, Lake Marcia, is also a part of the park. Visit the Dryden Kuser Natural Area overlooking a cedar swamp. The park offers camping at Sawmill Pond, fishing, and boating. A portion of the Appalachian Trail winds through the park, and there is nice hiking in the virgin woodlands.
There are 2 cabins in the park, located on the E shore of Steenykill Lake. Each cabin has a living room that is 16' x 24', with fireplace, and 3 bedrooms. One room has a double bed, and 2 rooms have twins. There is a small kitchen in each cabin, with sink, electric range, oven, and refrigerator, and a bathroom with sink and tub (electricity is free). No more than 8 to a cabin, and no more than 2 cars per cabin. Firewood and mattresses are furnished, but no linens or utensils. Cabins are closed from Oct. 15—May 15. Reservations accepted after January 2 only for NJ residents or after March 1 for out-of-state persons.
JENNY JUMP STATE FOREST
Box 150
Hope, NJ 08744
908/459-4366
The park office is located on State Park Road, 3 miles N of CR-519.
This NW New Jersey park is great for hiking, either on the Orchard Trail, or the Swamp or Summit Trails. There is camping, a nature area, and beautiful scenic views.
There are 8 camp shelters in this park in a protected cove near the top of Jenny Jump Mountain. Each shelter has 2 bunkrooms, with 2 double-deck bunks. A small living room in each has a woodstove, and there are 2 closets, table and 4 benches. Toilets are out back. No more than 6 persons to the shelter, and 2 vehicles to the shelter. After June 15 reservations for 2 nights minimum until Labor Day.
LEBANON STATE FOREST
P.O. Box 215
New Lisbon, NJ
609/726-1191
The park office is located on Route 72 at milepost #1, one mile E of Four-Mile Circle.
This Pine Barrens Forest is 30 miles E of Camden. There are nearly 30,000 acres of wilderness and recreational forest for hiking, camping, horseback riding and fishing. The forest gets its name from the Lebanon Glass Works founded in 1862. Pakim Pond is a former cranberry reservoir; the name comes from the Lenni-Lenape Indians’ word for cranberry. Hike in the cedar swamp natural area, and watch for rare orchids, pitcher plants and other plants. The streams in the area are covered with Atlantic White Cedar. The trailhead for Batona Trail begins at Oag’s Hat and ends 40 miles later in Wharton State Forest. The park offers swimming, hiking on the Batona Trail, a nature study area, boating, and canoe streams at nearby Wharton Forest and at Raccoon State Park.
There are 3 cabins in the park, in a wooded area adjacent to Pakim Pond. Each cabin has a living room with fireplace, 2 double-deck bunks, table, benches, and a kitchen with a sink, running water, electric range with oven, and electric refrigerator. Two cabins have half-baths. Showers are available at the camp area bathhouse. No linens, bedding or utensils, only mattresses provided. Cabins are closed from Nov. 1—March 31. In the spring the rentals are on a 2-day minimum basis.
PARVIN STATE PARK
701 Almond Road
Pittsgrove, NJ 08318
609/358-8616
The park office is located on Almond Road.
This park, a former prisoner of war camp during World War II, is 40 miles W of Atlantic City. Maurice River meanders through the park, emptying into the Delaware Bay. Many small dams in the park once powered gristmills and sawmills, owned by the Parvin family. Hike on 8 miles of trails and bridges across the cedar swamps. There is also a main beach and bathing area, fishing, boating, and camping.
The park offers 17 cabins along the NW shore of Thundergust Lake. Cabins #1-#4, #7, #14 and #15 have fireplaces; the rest have woodstoves (firewood is furnished). Each cabin has a living room, with table, benches and 4 chairs. On one side of the living room there are 2 bunkrooms, each with double-deck bunks. There is a kitchen, shower, and hot and cold water; electricity is free. Each cabin has a terrace with picnic table and grill. Cabins have a capacity of 6 persons per cabin. Cabins are closed Nov. 1—March 31.
STOKES STATE FOREST
1 Coursen Road
Branchville, NJ 07826
201/948-3820.
The forest offers 12 cabins, all sleeping 4 and all located in a wooded area near Lake Ocquittunk. The main living room has a fireplace, table with benches, 2 chairs, and 2 single and 1 double-deck bunks. The kitchen has a sink with cold running water, electric refrigerator, gas range and free electricity. The toilet is attached to the cabin, but is outside. One cabin (#15) will accommodate 8, but is located at Flatbrook RD., 1/2 mile from the lake. The cabin is similar to the other cabins. One cabin (#16) sleeps 12 and is located on Grau Rd., 3/4 mile from the lake. This cabin has a first floor with a main room with fireplace, large table, benches and chairs, bunkroom, kitchen and screened porch. The second floor has 2 bunkrooms. Electricity and bottled gas are provided. The toilet is outside. The park also has 10 lean-tos. All firewood is provided at the cabins. Two vehicles per cabin are allowed. Cabins are closed from Dec. 15—March 31.