National Park Service
A Study of the Park and Recreation Problem of the United States
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NEW JERSEY

THIS STATE'S POPULATION of 4,000,000 is largely concentrated in the northeast corner across from New York City, in a strip along the Pennsylvania boundary from Trenton to Camden, and along the Atlantic coast for about 50 miles south of Sandy Hook. It is predominantly urban in character with a large foreign-born-low-income group. The State's principal asset is its fine stretch of coast line. It also has some excellent mountain scenery in the northwest corner. The State Planning Board's report indicates that there are approximately 2,000,000 acres of submarginal lands well distributed over the State, which should be devoted to forest, wildlife, and recreational purposes. The State's first and most important objective should be the acquisition and preservation of a large section of its unspoiled beach lands along the Atlantic coast. Commericial resort interests have already appropriated close to 90 percent of the 130 miles of shore line and most of this frontage is now restricted to private use. The next most important need pointed out by the New Jersey recreation report is for the acquisition of a large portion of the Hackensack Meadows lying between Jersey City and Newark. Properly developed, this area will serve both of these cities as a large public playground and park, and relieve some of the excess burden now placed on some of the surrounding county parks. The extension and further development of present areas and facilities and the bringing into public ownership of at least 500,000 acres of the 2,000,000 that are classified as submarginal, are other undertakings which should be considered in the development of a recreational area program for this State.

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FEDERAL

National historical park:
19. Morristown1,051.09

National wildlife area:
1. Killcohook Migratory Bird Refuge855.72


INTERSTATE

Park:
39. Palisades1,700

Trailway:
14. Appalachian Trail



STATE

State parks:
2. Parvin1,051
4. Mount Laurel21
7. Washington Crossing29220
9. Voorhees323427
11. Swartswood536200
13. High Point12,000
15. Cranberry Lake300
16. Hopatong105100
17. Musconetcong371
18. Stephens237
20. Hacklebarney286914
27. Allaire800
30. Cheesequake7501,250
35. Ringwood71.5
     Total
17,143.5

2,911

Proposed State parks:
8. Chushetunk
2,500
22. Rocky Hill
5,000
28. Island Beach
1,666
36. Ramapo Mountain
5,000
40. Hackensack Meadows

     Total

14,166

State forests:
5. Belle Plain5,565
10. Jenny Jump1,107
12. Stokes12,428
23. Lebanon21,555
24. Penn2,958
25. Green Bank1,833
26. Bass River9,255
29. Jackson43
     Total
54,744



LOCAL

County parks:
3. Camden County (13 areas)1,592.2
31. Middlesex County (3 areas)340
32. Union County (18 areas)4,282
33. Essex County (22 areas)5,935.3
34. Passaic County (5 areas)1,141
38. Hudson County (7 areas)318
     Total
13,608.5


Recommended county park systems:
6. Mercer County

21. Somerset County

37. Bergen County



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park-recreation-problem/new_jersey.htm
Last Updated: 18-May-2016