The Monmouth County Park System is an agency that maintains over 40 parks and recreational areas, in Monmouth County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States. Established in 1960, the Park System takes up 5.9% of Monmouth County's total acreage. The largest park in the county is

Turkey Swamp Park Turkey Swamp Park is a park located in Freehold Township, New Jersey on the northern fringes of the Pine Barrens. The Turkey Swamp area is located on a ridge within the geographic heartland of New Jersey. The region includes the headwaters of ...

Freehold Freehold may refer to: In real estate *Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple * Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England * Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice ...

with 2,388

acres The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ...

. The most visited park in the county in 2021 was the

Manasquan Reservoir The Manasquan Reservoir is a source of water for municipalities and utilities, as well as a 1,204- acre (4.87 km2) park, located in Howell Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The reservoir doubles as a park that ...

Howell Howell may refer to: Places In the United Kingdom *Howell, Lincolnshire, England In the United States *Howell, Georgia * Howell, Evansville, a neighborhood of Evansville, Indiana *Howell, Michigan * Howell, Missouri *Howell, Utah * Howell C ...

with 1,412,586 visits. The entire Park System had a total of 8,668,914 visitors in 2021 compared to 645,354 residents of Monmouth County.

List of parks

*Indicates the site is undeveloped **Historic Longstreet Farm is part of Holmdel Park

Golf courses

Statistics

In 2021, the Monmouth County Park System acquired 529 new acres of land, adding up to a grand total of 18,003 acres; 57% of this is

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

, 25% is

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

, 6% is

water Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...

, 3% is

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

, 9% is developed (impervious), and 3% is other. They have a total of 43 parks and golf courses. There are 148 miles of

trails A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...

, 32 miles are paved, 30 miles are easy, 76 miles are moderate, and 10 miles are challenging. There are a total of 113 recreational facilities. In 2021, the Park System offered 5,178 recreational programs, with a program attendance of 93,983. The park system had six major events, with a total attendance of 119,024. The Park System had 347 full-time staff, 492 seasonal part-time staff, and 62 program staff/instructors.

Finances

The Monmouth County Park System began 2021 with a balance of $112,704,820, with $12,550,185 coming from their trust, and $154,635 coming from donations. They had a total income of $45,511,756 and a total expenditure of $42,291,297, leaving them with a ending fund balance of $15,925,279.

References

External links

*{{Official, https://www.monmouthcountyparks.com County government agencies in New Jersey County parks departments in the United States 1960 establishments in New Jersey Government agencies established in 1960