Allamuchy Mountain State Park, Byram (Sussex County)

Allamuchy Mountain State Park is located in Byram Township in the Allamuchy Mountain region. There are more than 20 miles of unmarked trails in the northern section of Allamuchy, and 14 miles of marked multi-use trails. The 2,440 acres of mixed oak and hardwood forests and maintained fields of this natural area display various stages of succession. It is situated on the Musconetcong River

 

Round Valley Recreational Area, Lebanon (Hunterdon County)

Round Valley Recreational Area in Lebanon offers wilderness camping, swimming, boating, fishing, and picnicking. The reservoir holds 55 billion gallons of water, and is the deepest lake in New Jersey at approximately 180 feet deep. The reservoir is stocked with lake trout.

 

Hamilton Train Station Sculptures, Hamilton (Mercer County)

The Hamilton Train Station also offers larger-than-life sculptures. These sculptures were created by contemporary artist and philanthropist J Seward Johnson II (of Johnson & Johnson). He is also the artist of the Grounds for Sculptures

 

The Women's Federation Monument, Norwood (Bergen County)

The Women's Federation Monument was dedicated in 1929 to honor the role that the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs took in preserving the Palisades.

 

Waterloo Village, Stanhope (Sussex County)

 Waterloo Village takes the visitor through time from a 400-year old Lenape (Delaware) Indian village to a bustling port along the once prosperous Morris Canal. This early 19th-century restored village contains a working mill complex with gristmills and sawmills, a general store, blacksmith shop and several historic houses

Katyń Memorial, Jersey City (Hudson County)

The Katyn Memorial is a bronze statue of a Polish soldier dedicated to the victims of the Katyn massacre in 1940. The Katyn Massacre was a series of mass execution of nearly 20,000 Polish military officers carried out by Joseph Stalin after Soviet Union troops had invaded Eastern Poland. The statue is of a solider, gagged and bound, impaled in the back by a bayoneted rifle, standing on top of a granite base containing Katyn soil. It's located in Jersey City.

 

The Deserted Village, Berkeley Heights (Union County)

The Deserted Village of Feltville is located in the Watchung Reservation in Berkeley Heights. It was a mill town, a farming community, and a summer resort. David Felt was a Boston business man and decided to move to New York City, but the production of his mill couldn't grow fast enough to meet the demands of the merchants he supplied to so he bought land in New Jersey. He named the new town "Feltville" and by 1850 the town had about 175 people. After 15 years Felt sold the property and after several successor businesses failed, the place became known as "the deserted village"

 

Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, Edison (Middlesex County)

The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park is a memorial to Thomas Edison. The tower was dedicated on February 11, 1938 on what would have been the inventor's 91st birthday. The tower marks the location of Edison's Menlo Park laboratory, the world's first organized research and development site. Menlo Park is known as the Birthplace of Recorded Sound (November 1877) and the site of the world's first practical incandescent lamp light bulb (October 1879). Edison and his staff would create 400 of his most important inventions here. He would later relocate to West Orange in 1884.

 

Thomas Edison National Historical Park, West Orange (Essex County)

Thomas Edison National Historical Park preserves Thomas Edison's lab and residence, Glenmont, in West Orange. These were designed in 1887. The Edison lab operated for more than 40 years, and out of the West Orange lab came the motion picture camera, improved phonographs, sound recordings, silent and sound movies and the nickel-iron alkaline electric storage battery.

 

"War Of The Worlds" by Orson Welles Monument, West Windsor Township (Mercer County)

On October 30, 1938, actor and filmmaker Orson Welles presented a drama adaptation of H.G. Wells class "The War of the Worlds." In an era before news and information could be quickly and easily verified, and in a country tense during the buildup to World War II, some listeners believed the fictional broadcast was of a real event. The novel was adapted for radio by Howard Koch, who changed the primary setting from 19-th century England; the landing point of the first Martian spacecraft was changed to rural Grover's Mill, and unincorporated village of West Windsor Township.

 

Jenny Jump State Forest, Hope (Warren County)

Jenny Jump State Forest is located is northern Warren County on the 1,112 foot high, 6 miles long Jenny Jump Mountain ridge. It has extensive hiking trails on the mountainside, featuring large glacial boulders.

 

Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge, Elizabeth (Union County)

The Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge is a rail vertical-lift bridge connecting Elizabeth port and Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island. It contains a single track that is used mainly to carry garbage out of New York City, as well as to transport freight to destinations in west Staten Island. It has the longest lift span of any vertical-lift bridge in the world. It case easily be seen while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike, or crossing the Goethals Bridge.

 

Richard W. DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst (Bergen County)

The Hackensack Meadowlands are part of Mesozoic Lowland area between the Watchungs and the Palisades. Very differed from the rugged Watchungs to their west, they feature a small network of trails that offer the opportunity to explore a wetland teeming with wildlife. The 640-acre Richard W. DeKorte Park features landscaped capped landfill and trails that take visitors out into wildlife observation areas and bird blinds

 

Cornelius Low House, Piscataway (Middlesex County)

The Cornelius Low House is a Georgian manor in Piscataway. It was built in 1741 and is listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. Cornelius Low, Jr. was a New York merchant and later became even more successful in Newark. He moved to the emerging port community of Raritan Landing, near New Brunswick. He became one of the community's most prosperous businessmen. After losing his home in a great flood in 1738, he obtained property for a new house on the bluff overlooking the Landing. Low called the new home the "new house on the mountain". Cornelius Low died in early 1777 but the British spared his house because his loyalty to the King of England remained steadfast until his death.

 

Buttermilk Falls, Walkpack Township (Sussex County)

The tallest waterfall in New Jersey at 85 feet, Buttermilk Falls is located within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Down a dirt road, the falls are pretty easily accessible by foot or car, depending on the time of the year, with a parking lot directly across the from the falls. There are step leading to the top of the falls (over 140 steps).

 

Morris Frank and Buddy Statue, Morristown (Morris County)

A life size and lifelike painted bronze statue of a man and his dog stand near the Morristown Green in Morristown. The man is Morris Frank, co-founder and first Vice President of The Seeing Eye, the oldest existing guide dog school in the world that is located in Morristown; the dog is Buddy, a German Shepherd and the first guide dog for the blind in the United States. 

The Spot Where WWI Ended, Raritan (Somerset County)

Only a few feet walk from the Burger King near the Somerset Circle in Raritan is a small stone plaque between 2 rock columns which marks the place where WWI officially ended in the United States on July 2, 1921. Though the conflict was over in 1918, the U.S. Senate voted against ratifying the Treaty of Versailles and joining the League of Nations in 1919 and 1920. This meant the country remained enemies with Germany until the Knox-Porter Resolution was offered as an alternative to the treaty. With the president's signature, the resolution would officially end America's involvement with the Great War. But President Warren G. Harding wasn't in Washington to sign the papers; he was staying with longtime friend, Senator Joseph Frelinghuysen of New Jersey. The papers were delivered to the Raritan country club, where Harding took a break from his game of golf to sign the resolution

Cliff Dale Manor Ruins, Alpine (Bergen County)

The Cliff Dale Manor was built as a summer home by a wealthy businessman named George Zabriskie. The property was then purchased in 1930 by J.D. Rockefeller, Jr. who donated the property two years later after the Palisades commission decided to return the skyline to its natural terrain.

 

Old Barrack Museum, Trenton (Mercer County)

The Old Barracks Museum, also known as Old Barracks, is a historic building located in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey. It is the only remaining colonial barracks in the state and is now used as a history museum

 

The Fairy Trail, Millburn (Essex County)

Intricate little fairy houses, made mostly of natural materials, line a stretch of trail in the South Mountain Reservation in Millburn. These birdhouse-like creations feature tiny chairs made of acorns, ladders made of twigs, beds made of moss, and roofs made of tree bark. Walkers can expect to find them tucked within the tangle of trees along the trail's edge.

 

Make-A-Wish Foundation Castle, Monroe (Middlesex County)

The Make-A-Wish Foundation Castle in Monroe Township is nicknamed "The Wishing Place". When Make-A-Wish sought to create their own space in New Jersey, a focus group of kids came up with a vision that it resemble a structure that symbolizes enduring strength but is also magical. The best time to see the castle is at night when the multi-colored lights are on.

 

Trenton Makes Bridge, Trenton (Mercer County)

The Lower Trenton Toll Supported Bridge is a two-lane Pennsylvania through truss bridge over the Delaware River between Trenton, New Jersey and Morrisville, Pennsylvania. It is known as the Trenton Makes Bridge because of large lettering of its motto on the south side reading "TRENTON MAKES THE WORLD TAKES", installed in 1935. The city's iconic slogan first came out of a contest by the local chamber of commerce in 1910 to capture the essence of the once-thriving manufacturing city. “The slogan was meant to reflect Trenton's early history as an East Coast industrial center.

Speedwell Lake Park, Morristown (Morris County)

Historic Speedwell preserves the Morristown estate of Stephen Vail, owner of the Speedwell Ironworks. During the 19th Century, the Speedwell Ironworks became a major industrial center in northern New Jersey. Today, the millrace is gone, the building are leveled, and little remains of the Speedwell Ironworks; it closed in 1873 and the equipment was sold in 1876. After 1876 the buildings decayed slowly until a 1908 fire destroyed all but two portion of the Iron Works' walls. These remains can be seen at the foot of the falls of the Speedwell Lake which is now a public park.

 

Cattus Island County Park, Toms River (Ocean County)

Cattus Island County Park in Toms River spans 530 acres and has 7 miles of trails. It provides great photography and birding opportunities, hiking through pine lands, around marshes and along beaches. There is even a wheelchair accessible boardwalk

 

Lake Lenape (East), Mays Landing (Atlantic County)

Lake Lenape Park is located on the western side of Lake Lenape, encompassing nearly two thousand acres of land all the way up to the Black Horse Pike. The park offers hiking, camping, and a nature center. 160 different species of birds. The Lake Lenape Lighthouse pictured here never actually served the function of a lighthouse; the 65 foot wood tower was built with simple hand tools and the help of some neighborhood children. For many years it was known as the singing tower because of the music that was played from the speakers that were installed atop the tower

 

Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, Barnegat Light (Ocean County)

The Barnegat Lighthouse is located at the northern end of Long Beach Island. It was regarded as one of the most crucial “change of course” points for coastal vessels. Vessels bond to and from New York along the New Jersey coastline depended on Barnegat Lighthouse to avoid the shoals extending from the shoreline. The swift currents, shifting sandbars, and the offshore shoals challenged the skills of even the most experienced sailor. The park is 32 acres created in 1957 and you can climb to the light keepers catwalk

 

Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Manalapan (Monmouth County)

Monmouth Battlefield Sate Park is a 1,818-acre state park located on the border of Manalapan and Freehold Township. This park preserves the historical battlefield on which the American Revolution's Battle of Monmouth was waged in 1778. It was one of the largest battles of the Revolution; it took place in the fields and forests, though the battle soon ended in a standoff. The Battle of Monmouth is notable for creating the American legend of Molly Pitcher, a housewife who boldly took her husband's place at the cannon only moments after his death.

 

New Jersey Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center, Princeton (Mercer County)

The New Jersey Buddhist Vihara & Meditation Center, established in 2003, is located on a serene 10-acre property, just 10 minutes from Princeton University and 45 minutes from New York City. A Samadhi (meditation posture) statue of Buddha was unveil on the property in September 2009. The Buddha statue is the largest of its kind in the Western hemisphere. Since it’s unveiling, the center has become a New Jersey landmark attracting a steady stream of visitors throughout the year.

 

New Jersey Botanical Gardens, Ringwood (Passaic County)

In 1966, the entire Skylands estate was bought by the State of New Jersey to form the State Botanical Garden whose settings include a Lilac Garden, Magnolia Walk, the Wind Flower Garden, the Crab Apple Vista, and allee of 166 trees extending almost a half-mile, and the Perennial Garden. The entire section now comprises slightly over 4,000 acres of parkland.

 

Walt Whitman's Tomb, Camden (Camden County)

Walt Whitman was an American poet that lived between 1819-1892. He was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism; he is one of the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse. When he died, a public viewing of his body was held at his Camden home; over 1,000 people visited in 3 hours. His family's tomb is built into a hillside in Harleigh Cemetery in Camden.

 

The O'Donnell Memorial Park, Atlantic City (Atlantic County)

The World War I Memorial is located in Atlantic City. The memorial was built in 1922. The rotunda houses a 9-foot bronze statue titled Liberty in Distress by Frederick W. MacMonnies. Inside the rotunda there are four medallions (Army, Navy, Marines, and Aviation) that alternate around the circumference of the frieze. The name of the battles in which Atlantic City soldiers fought are inscribed upon the architrave.

 

The Franklin Park Preserve, Chatsworth (Burlington County)

The Franklin Parker Preserve is an 11,379 acre natural preserve located in the Pine Barrens in Chatsworth. The preserve inks Brendan Byrne, Wharton, and Penn State Forests. It is typical of the Pine Barrens with sandy roads, pitch pines, cedar swamps, blueberry fields and tributaries of the Wading River.

 

The Telephone Pole Farm, Chester (Morris County)

This is a telephone pole "farm" in Chester. AT&T created this test site "farm" in the 1920's with varying arboreal species and different protectant methods, standing the test of time, and the lasting effect with woodpeckers and hordes of pocket gophers. The poles also doubled as a training ground as a climbing school for technicians to practice

 

The Sea Girt Lighthouse, Sea Girt (Monmouth County)

The New Jersey Shore between Barnegat and Navesink lighthouses (nearly 40 miles distance) was unlit in the 1800's, and in 1888 the Lighthouse Board requested the funds to establish a light in this area. The original location was to be in Manasquan Inlet, but the site was found to be unsuitable; the present lot was obtained on the beach at Sea Girt near Wreck pond. It was first established in 1896; this was the last shore lighthouse with an integral keeper's residence built on the east coast of the United States. In 1921 Sea Girt Light was equipped with a radio beacon, the first such installation on a shore-based light. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1955

 

The Van Slyke Castle Ruins, Ringwood (Passaic County)

Van Slyke Castle transitioned through multiple owners until vandals burned the mansion in 1959. William Porter, a stockbroker, built the place in the early 1900's. He named the property "Foxcroft" as it was built on Fox Hill. Porter died in a car crash in 1911 while his wife, Ruth, was traveling home from a European vacation. Ruth later married Warren Van Slyke, an attorney who served as an assistant to the higher naval command of intelligence during WWI. The couple changed the name to "Van Skyle Castle" and used it as a vacation home. Ruth retreated there permanently after Warren passed away in 1925. Ruth died in 1940, leaving the castle without an owner for nine years. It was purchased by a couple who subsequently resold the property 2 years later to Suzanne Christie who later abandoned it. What remains is now part of Ramapo Mountain State Forest in Wanaque.