Most reviewed Nature & Wildlife Areas in New Jersey
5.0Lakota Wolf Preserve(668 reviews) - Fun and extremely informative! Nature & Wildlife Areas
After visiting our local zoo and loving the few wolves there that were sleeping, I took my little grandchildren to Lakota, mostly to observe the wolves. They were a little disappointed not to be able to touch these (although we knew they are wild animals, and even our pet dogs nip sometimes). They got quite a kick out of the united howling, and how the beautiful wolves come to Jim, the owner of the preserve and our guide, for snacks. It was a bit cold so the children got antsy during some of the educational experience. As much as we loved learning about the wolves, maybe that could've been done as we're walking deeper into the preserve. Very reasonably-priced, hard to figure how the could afford the lovingly immaculate upkeep on what the visitors pay, even with government subsidies. Well worth the visit; we hope to return this Spring or next.See more..
4.5Duke Farms(494 reviews) - Lovely Park and Restaurant Thursday: 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Farms • Educational sites
Duke Farms is a leader in environmental stewardship and inspires visitors to become informed stewards of the land. It is a place of education, enjoyment and research that enhances the environmental health of the region. Through the beauty of its natural setting, the diversity of its wildlife, and the scope and quality of its educational programs, demonstrations, and research, Duke Farms inspires people to adopt the attitude of stewardship, protect the earth, and start building a more sustainable future.See more..
Site of the oldest lighthouse in America.See more..
4.0Six Flags Safari(436 reviews) - Go early ! Nature & Wildlife Areas
Adjacent to Six Flags Great Adventure, this park features 350 acres that are filled with more than 1,200 animals from six continents.See more..
4.5South Mountain Reservation(145 reviews) - I walked around the reservoir and enjoyed the beautiful views when it cleared in the afternoon Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
I walked around the reservoir before and after the Groundhog's Day festivities at the Turtle Back Zoo and it is such a pleasure to walk around the park and enjoy the cool air. The views are beautiful and it is so quiet and relaxing. It is a nice walk around the park.See more..
4.5Eagle Rock Reservation(95 reviews) - Fabulous views - sorrowful 9/11 memorial. Thursday: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
The reserve was at its utmost beauty with fall foliage in November. The view of the Manhattan sky line is spectacular. The memorial is extremely sad for those that remember the horrific day that moved and changed the world. The gardens are beautiful and the atmosphere is tranquil snd solemn. Theres plenty of parking and a restaurant there.See more..
4.5The Raptor Trust Center(86 reviews) - Amazing place Thursday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
The Raptor Trust center is known nationally for rehabilitating wild birds and the conservation of birds of prey. The center is located near the Great Swamp National Wildlife refuge. The Raptor Trust not only provides avian rehabilitation, but also offers educational programs about wildlife. The center is open 365 days a year to receive injured birds. Visitors are welcome to view hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls housed in aviaries on the property. The Phone# is 908-647-2353.See more..
Recently we went to Round Valley to check out the fall colors. The Scenic road section was still closed, so we stopped off at the boat launching area before proceeding to the main recreation area and beach. Small boats and kayaks were still out on the lake even though the water level had gone way down since the last time we had seen it years ago when we fished there. The beach area was quiet and peaceful with just a few people taking advantage of a nice day. We enjoyed Round Valley and the beautiful fall colors.See more..
4.5Paddle Boating and Picnic Pavilion(66 reviews) - Are private rafts or inflatable kayaks allowed? BBQs? Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
Can we bring our own inflatable kayak and use in the lake? of course with life vests, etc How about BBQs?See more..
Very nice trails that are well maintained. Can do a small trail or long one. Well marked but have to keep your eyes open for the trail markings or you can easily make a wrong turn and you're on another path and you have no idea where you are. Amazing beautiful rock formations to see. Lots of photo opportunities. Parking lot is small and fills up quickly on nice days especially weekends. No bathrooms except porta potty at the parking lot. Amazing local hidden gem.See more..
4.5Reeves-Reed Arboretum(60 reviews) - Great fall foliage! Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Reeves Reed Arboretum is a great fall foliage activity! Their beautiful grounds full of a variety of trees and flowers made for a wonderful nature lovers experience. I particularly liked the herb garden,with a wide variety of herbs such as sage, mint, oregano,parsley etc. Plan to spend an hour or so from beginning to end. Lots of quiet, cute resting places where you can spend time just relaxing and enjoying nature.See more..
4.5Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge(58 reviews) - great Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Great place for a few hours of entertainment. Kids will like the animals and you can walk the trails. The staff is very friendly and I love the message behind this place. Explained to the kids that it's not a zoo (which I won't go to because I don't like seeing the animals cooped up) but instead a place that helped the animals and now they live there for various reasons. A couple of the areas were closed off due to COVID but that is to be expected.See more..
4.5Watchung Reservation(45 reviews) - Nice plaeant walk, without rocks that you can trip over Nature & Wildlife Areas
We liked that the trails did not require you to look down all the time to avoid tripping on rocks, which is a problem on some hiking trails in New Jersey. the pats are reasonably pretty and there is some elevation gain up and down so you can get a good walk. it's not a difficult trail and there are flat areas also.See more..
This past weekend we stopped by the Environmental Education Center at Lord Stirling Park to walk the trails and see the fall colors. I’ve been here before but this was the first time for my wife. We ended up taking a nice walk on the trail around Branta Pond which offered views of forests, ponds, marshes and fields, but is only a fraction of trails available in the park. Before you visit the park check out the website to make sure it is open.See more..
1.5DiMeo Farm & Blueberry Plants Nursery(43 reviews) - Do Not Buy from Here!! Thursday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Nature & Wildlife Areas • Farms
We are a 4th generation family operation that carries forward over 100 years of blueberry growing history as real expert farmers in the American blueberry industry. We sell and ship large certified blueberry plants for sale direct to home gardeners all across America. Take a drive out to our drive-thru to buy big bearing blueberry plants and large mature blueberry bushes for your organic berry plants garden or to edible landscape your home. Go blueberry picking every summer during the months of June, July and August to pick blueberries in the NJ Pine Barrens. We specialize in ORGANICALLY GROWN, Non-GMO, Heirloom blueberries and can teach you how to easily grow your own organic blueberries at home. Pick way better tasting heirloom blueberries in South Jersey at our beautiful location. After you finish berry picking, you can take home big blueberry plants, or buy heirloom raspberry plants, thornless blackberry plants or aronia berry plants for your organic edible landscaping.See more..
4.5Plainsboro Preserve(41 reviews) - Great Place! Thursday: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Everything was amazing. In the middle of like 3 towns, the preserve is somehow untouched by man. I went for a school trip, where we learned about the original owners of the land, McCormack Sand and Gravel. It was easy to see how the left materials and equipment was affecting the preserve, as well as invasive species and beavers. All in all, it was a really great experience!See more..
4.5Teaneck Creek Conservancy(41 reviews) - Great local nature park Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Teaneck creek conservancy us a small spot if nature in suburbia. There's a large parking lot, an administration building where they have nature based program and easy to walk on trails. The trails can be muddy or flooded in the winter. There are some cute things to see as you walk (painted pipes, labyrinth, butterfly garden). It gets buggy in the summer so bring big spray!See more..
4.5Willowwood Arboretum(38 reviews) - Lovely Arboretum and Area Nature & Wildlife Areas
My wife and I visited the Willowwood Arboretum the first time in 2013 and have enjoyed coming back to this beautify countryside arboretum to see how it has matured over the years. The staff does an excellent job maintaining the property. Driving here is an experience in its self and these country roads can be easily missed.See more..
My husband and I love to walk in natural areas, and this park was truly a unique experience. Surrounded by an urban, industrial wasteland, we spent the day watching egrets and enjoying the autumn beauty. We'd come back again and again if we lived a little closer (and if the drive wasn't so difficult). Truly an adventure. The one downside: We visited on a Saturday--none of the buildings were open to allow one to use the restrooms. Seriously, there needs to be public restrooms available while the area is open.See more..
4.0Tenafly Nature Center(34 reviews) - Great for kids Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
The Tenafly Nature Center is a non-profit member-supported nature preserve. Our mission is to protect almost 400 wooded acres, all of its inhabitants and teach the next generations to do the same. Since 1961, TNC has nurtured an appreciation for nature, been a leader in open-space preservation and in environmental education for our community in Tenafly, Bergen County, and beyond.When trails are open we welcome visitors to hike, bird-watch, observe wildlife, cross-country ski, snow-shoe and ice skate on Pfister's Pond.See more..
Beautiful trails, picnic tables, and on summer weekends you can rent kayaks, canoes and standup paddle boards. Tranquil place for our beautiful town.See more..
4.5Maurice River Bluffs Nature Preserve(29 reviews) - Great place to hike and bike especially when other parks are closed. Nature & Wildlife Areas
During the coronavirus pandemic state and county parks had to be closed. This beautiful nature preserve owned by Nature Conservancy remained open while promoting social distancing. For many people this is almost a respite place where they are allowed to go hiking and biking. Everybody takes appropriate precautions but the Bluffs became a local oasis for the outdoor sports in face of temporary necessary limitations.See more..
fabulous plce take the whole family intersting programs, plenty of trails. both indoor and outdoor activities. See more..
5.0Delaware Water Gap(28 reviews) - Natural Beauty and Recreation Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
As the Delaware River flows south along the Kittatinny Mountains, it looks for a path through the mountains in order to continue its relentless journey southeast to the ocean. Between Mt. Tammany and Mt. Minsi, not far from East Stroudsburg, PA, the river finds the gap it needs and flows through creating a wonderfully scenic natural area. Although man now shares the gap with the river, using it as a corridor for railroads, Interstate 80, Hwy 611 and the Appalachian Trail, it remains surprisingly wild; offering hiking, camping, fishing, canoeing and a sanctuary for wildlife that includes deer, bear and wild turkeys, not far from New York City and Philadelphia. The best views of the Delaware Water Gap are from overlooks near the summit of Mt. Tammany along the strenuous Red Dot Trail accessed from the Dunnfield Creek Natural Area parking lot.See more..
5.0Tabby's Place: A Cat Sanctuary(27 reviews) - Attention cat lovers - don't miss this place! Temporarily closed - Closed until further notice Nature & Wildlife Areas
Tabby's Place is a cage-free sanctuary that provides refuge to cats in hopeless situations. Our residents come primarily from public shelters where they had once been scheduled for euthanasia.This one-of-a-kind facility serves as: An Adoption Center,finding loving homes for cats; A Hospital, providing medical and surgical treatment for sick or injured residents; A Hospice, providing palliative care and a warm, loving environment for chronically or terminally ill cats to live out their lives in comfort.Tabby’s Place does not turn cats away due to age, medical need, or “lack of adoptability.” It is, therefore, a safe haven for several older, chronically ill, or handicapped cats. These cats have special needs such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or blindness. At Tabby’s Place, these cats are able to live full and happy lives with the medical care, love, and affection they deserve.See more..
4.5Palmyra Cove Nature Park(25 reviews) - Slice of Nature So Close to Philly Thursday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
Outstanding trails. You go from beach to pond to forest to grassy ridge all in 3 miles. Flat, open trails with no change in elevation. We saw turtles, groundhogs, frogs, goslings, signs of beavers, deer, wild turkeys and much more. This is a true diamond in the rough.See more..
4.0High Mountain Park(25 reviews) - Four miles of trails Nature & Wildlife Areas
In the 17th century, Lenape Indians traveled the land we now call Franklin Lakes. They made winter camp in the “Clove” near Buttermilk Falls and fished in Micharagrape Pond ( now Franklin Lake). is about 100 yards along the yellow trail where it intersects with the orange trail. The name comes from the words for a cloven hoof, because of the steep sides of the ravine at that point.See more..
This place is a hidden gem in Closter. The nature center has a variety of different trails to walk/hike through the woods. There are log cabins, chickens, bunnies, frogs, ducks, deer, cute wooden bridges to cross and lakes to fish in (catch and release). The nature center also hosts great classes for children that teach them about different animals. It's a great place for a family to go for a walk/hike and/or fish. Simply a wonderful and peaceful retreat from the hectic world.See more..
4.5Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary(18 reviews) - Sanctuary for New Jersey’s Wildlife Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Today we visited the New Jersey Audobon Society’s Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary. I’ve been here before, but this was my wife’s first time. We walked some of the trails to see and photograph the fall colors. The book & gift shop was open and had a wonderful selection of gift items for all ages.See more..
5.0Appalachian Trail - Pochuck Boardwalk(16 reviews) - Few hours well spent! Get out there! Spent More than 3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
I took my 15 y.o. and 8 y.o. on a hike of Pochuck Boardwalk and the Stairway to Heaven. The boardwalk was a very interesting place, although I wouldn't really call that a hike. It's more of a nature walk. Beautiful photo opportunities the whole way. Then you cross the road and end up on the Stairway to Heaven- the real hike! Get there early enough and the parking becomes a non-issue. I recommend this to everyone I speak to, you should do it too!See more..
4.5Horse Park Of New Jersey(13 reviews) - Nice facility Thursday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Nice established facility. There are flush toilets in the main office. No consistent food availability and not much else around so bring your own.See more..
Come here for family-friendly events, great trails, camps, and to see wildlife. Very well taken care of and tended to.See more..
4.5Demarest Nature Center(10 reviews) - Walking through all the paths and the new bridges over the creek was great. Nature & Wildlife Areas
The trails are not well marked if you're trying to use a map. The path walkways are clean and the bridges are new.See more..
5.0Rancocas Nature Center(9 reviews) - Vist Real Nature! -- Then Visit Mill Race Village? Thursday: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours State Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
The Rancocas Nature Center is situated on a 210 acre piece of the Rancocas State Park, and features 3 miles of hiking trails through varied habitats including meadows, forest, and wetlands. Picnic tables are available near our building, but please carry in/carry out only. The Nature Center has been operating since 1977 and has been providing environmental education for the surrounding community during that time, presenting programs both on and off-site for groups including schools, scouts, libraries, senior citizens, as well as the general public. Please no dogs!See more..
Nice walk and the trails are marked. There are shirt as well as longer trails and several take you through the woods. Just very nice and peaceful, not crowded when we went.See more..
Whether you want a quick walk around the lower level or something a bit more challenging this is a great place to go.See more..
3.5Brendan T. Byrne State Forest(7 reviews) - A favorite place in NJ, so much geographic diversity Spent More than 3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Forests
This is flat hiking with a few options to see truly stunning topography. Most people find their way through trais that lead to Pakim Pond, but there are trails through the pines and deep in thick vegetation. You can hike on trails with the white sands of the Jersey Shore (you are close, of course), see carnivorous plants, heavily wooded areas. There are several picnic spots and benchhes. If you go deep in to the preserve, you may end up on unpassable roads, but the quiet can overtake you. Great warning that we went tduring tick season and that was not ideal, but the greenery (and the fact that we did not have a reaction) made it worth it. Still, wear lots of bug spray and avoid going in the trails that are covered if headed there during summer.See more..
4.5Apshawa Preserve(7 reviews) - Fanastic Trail, Well Marked, nice views at the top of the mountain and by the water. Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
We did the Blue- Orange - Green trail loop from the parking lot. Beautiful park. This was a lovely find for us and we will be back. The trails are very well marked but we also downloaded the map from the website on our phones and that was helpful. We did this trail (about 4 miles total) in about 2.5 hours with some teenagers and me (moderately in shape mom) and several stops for pictures. Trail definitely has climbing and steep inclines and declines so I would say this is a moderate not a beginner. No climbing gear needed but you need to be able to use your hands a little and pick a path. (My iPhone counted this hike as 46 flights of stairs). Tips: No facilities so bring your own water and be prepared to use nature. Also a significant amount of vegetation including poison ivy on the trails so wear long pants tucked into socks and liberal bug spray against ticks.See more..
3.5Wagner Farm Arboretum(7 reviews) - Family fun Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
Great place for family and friends always seem to have some kind of activities going on free parking See more..
4.5Tulpehaking Nature Center(7 reviews) - "Hidden gem" in Hamilton Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
Nice nature center to visit. Friendly staff. Family oriented with various nature activities and programs. Nearby trails to walk. See more..
4.5Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge(6 reviews) - A fantastic low impact nature walk Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas This is a great place to take a nice relaxing low impact walk in nature. There is plenty to see with lots of wildlife and plants.See more..
A great place for nature and to get away from hustle and bustle. Refuge office is also gift shop of Finn's Point Lighthouse - and the NWR "Blue Goose" stamp is available here (so no driving an hour to Cape May NWR for it!)See more..
4.0Allamuchy Mountain State Park(5 reviews) - Allamunych viewpoint...Great views! State Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
For anyone travelling south down interstate 80, please do yourself a favour and stop in Allamunych mountain viewpoint and just take a few minutes to overlook the impressive mountains, best of all it's free.See more..
4.0Ceres Park(5 reviews) - Hidden Gem Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
My family loves our walks around Ceres Park and we can't believe more locals don't know about! Here you'll find family and pet friendly trails in the beautiful woods of South Jersey. We've seen lots of deer, turkey, birds, and even an entire beaver habitat back here and the trails are never crowded. If you are into Mountain Biking, you'll enjoy Ceres Park, since there are more grade changes here than a typically SJ location. Happy hiking!See more..
4.0John A. Roebling Memorial Park(5 reviews) - Not when raining Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks • Hiking Trails
Enjoyed our walk here. Overall trails are well marked, though there were a few that were either unmarked or not on the map. I do hope they update those soon. Can be a bit muddy so don't go after a recent rain. Appreciated that they had garbage cans throughout the park.See more..
4.0Alfred C. Sauer Park at Echo Lake(5 reviews) - Peace, quiet, fishing and bird watching Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks • Playgrounds
The title says it all. But since Tripadvisor wants 100 characters, I'll repeat it here. Peace, quiet, fishing and bird watching.See more..
4.5Black Run Preserve(4 reviews) - Enjoyable hiking Nature & Wildlife Areas
Gateway to the NJ Pine Barrens, the 1300-acre Black Run Preserve is located in Evesham Twp, NJ. Come hike, run, bike, or bird the preserve today!See more..
These 25 acres of old forest supposedly represent the type of local forest which greeted first European settlers. It is a lovely recreational area especially good for walking. The network of easy trails is for hikers. North-South Trail is stroller and wheelchair accessible. There is a lovely stream adding to the charm of this area. The Leni Lenape trail between the ferry at Cooper's Point in Camden and Haddonfield is now Haddon Avenue. The history of Saddler's Woods is quite interesting as well. Joshua Saddler (1785 - 1880) was an escaped slave from Maryland who worked in New Jersey Quaker farm. With time he was able to build his own house and enjoy farming for himself and his family. Other African Americans came to the area to settle. In 20th century and beginning of 21st developers were eying the woods for a project of high rises. Thankfully due to the efforts of many fantastic people the area is now under the care of conservation management.See more..
4.5Big Brook Preserve(4 reviews) - Can't wait to go back! Nature & Wildlife Areas
We will definitely go back...after learning some more about Cretaceous fossils. Not sure if some of our finds were just cancretions and we didn't find any shark teeth this time, but found plenty of "Belimnetella americana straight shelled cephlopods". Pretty cool fossils, which reportedly are abundant only in some areas of the brook. Just strolling through the woods was already a pleasant experience. Sifter is a must, it seems (if you are interested in finding some teeth) and the path gets muddy after a rain (don't wear your new kicks). Overall, 2 thumbs up! See more..
3.5Lenape Park(3 reviews) - Nice warm February day - Nice for a bike ride Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
Took a short bike ride through Lenape Park on a warm February day. The bike trail winds through the woods over a stream and several bridges. Right along the Rahway river. Lots of wildlife. Very pleasant.See more..
