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The Monmouth County Park System runs more than 30 park areas with 157 miles of trails, and most of them stay open every day of the year. Here are the best parks and trails in the Monmouth County Park System for a fall or winter walk, with addresses, hours and what to know before you go.
Know before you go: Most county parks open at 7 a.m. and close at 5:30 p.m. through January 18, 6 p.m. from January 19 to February 8 and 6:30 p.m. from February 9 to March 7. Some parks close for deer management on select dates this season, so check the park page before heading out.
Hartshorne Woods Park
- Town: Highlands and Middletown
- Where: Rocky Point entrance, 1402 Portland Road, Highlands; Buttermilk Valley entrance, 307 Navesink Avenue, Locust
- Trails: 16 miles, easy to challenging
Hartshorne Woods covers 831 hilly, forested acres overlooking the Navesink River and sits among the highest elevations on the Atlantic Coast. Its challenging trails are popular with hikers and bicyclists, and the Rocky Point section holds the World War II era Battery Lewis.
The park is closed to all outdoor activities for deer hunting until noon on Tuesday, November 24, 2026, and on December 8, 10, 16 and 18, 2026.
Huber Woods Park
- Town: Locust (Middletown)
- Where: 25 Brown’s Dock Road
- Trails: 7 miles, easy to challenging
Huber Woods sits on a hill above the Navesink River and has grown to 390 acres of preserved open space. Its Environmental Center and Reptile House make it a strong pick for families.
Join a Park System naturalist for the free Wondrous Winter Walk on Wednesday, December 2, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., meeting at the Environmental Center parking lot.
Holmdel Park
- Town: Holmdel
- Where: 44 Longstreet Road
- Trails: About 10 miles, including a half mile paved loop
Nearly one million people visit this 719 acre park each year. It has an arboretum, ponds, playgrounds and, in winter, ice skating and sledding when conditions allow.
Historic Longstreet Farm, a living history farm set in the 1890s, is inside the park and open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for free.
Thompson Park
- Town: Lincroft (Middletown)
- Where: 805 Newman Springs Road
- Trails: 13.2 miles, easy to moderate, plus paved paths
The Park System’s headquarters sits in this 667 acre park, the former Brookdale Farm of Geraldine Livingston Thompson. The rebuilt Visitor Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thompson Park is closed to all outdoor activities for deer hunting until noon on Monday, November 23, 2026, and on December 7, 9, 11 and 17, 2026.
Manasquan Reservoir
- Town: Howell
- Where: Visitor Center, 311 Windeler Road
- Trails: 5 mile perimeter trail plus a 1 mile nature trail
The reservoir is now the most visited site in the Park System, drawing more than one million visitors a year. The flat 5 mile loop around the water is the best long walk in the county for all ages, and a new Braille Trail recently opened.
The Environmental Center is closed for renovation, with programs held outdoors and at other locations in the meantime.
Shark River Park
- Town: Wall
- Where: 1101 Schoolhouse Road
- Trails: 7.5 miles, easy to challenging, including a fitness trail
Shark River Park opened in 1961 as the Park System’s first park and now covers 1,006 acres along the Shark River in Neptune, Wall and Tinton Falls. Expect sandy hills, forest and a pond that draws ice skaters in winter.
Turkey Swamp Park
- Town: Freehold Township
- Where: 200 Georgia Road, Freehold
- Trails: 9 miles, easy to moderate
At 2,414 acres, Turkey Swamp feels like the Pine Barrens, with pitch pine and oak forest around a 17 acre lake. It also has a family campground and an archery range.
Henry Hudson Trail
- Town: Aberdeen to Highlands, plus a southern extension from Freehold
- Where: Activity Center, 945 State Highway 36, Leonardo
- Trail: 24 miles, paved and 10 feet wide
This former railroad line is flat and paved, which makes it the county’s go-to for biking, running and strollers. The northern section follows Route 36 along the Bayshore toward Highlands.
The section between Wilson Avenue and Church Street in Port Monmouth closed on or about August 10, 2026, for about two years for a flood risk project, with a posted detour.
Watch for the winter Parks and Programs Guide, available at most county parks and online starting Friday, November 13, 2026. Registration for winter programs opens at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, November 18.
Monmouth County Park System trails
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