Allaire State Park
Directions
Take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 98 and proceed west on County 524 for two miles to the park entrance.
GPS Coordinates: 40.161910, -74.132089
Park Overview
A restored historic village, transportation museum, birding and almost 20 miles of hiking trails make Allaire State Park an attractive destination for people with a wide variety of interests.
Trail Overview
The park offers nearly 20 miles of marked trails. Three easy hiking-only trails begin from Allaire Village or from the nearby Nature Center. The Green Trail is a 2.5-mile loop trail that begins at the village. The 0.5-mile Floodplain Trail (yellow) leads from the village down to the Manasquan River. The 1.0-mile Nature Trail is a loop trail that begins at the Nature Center. Several more challenging multi-use trails for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians start at a parking area on Hospital Road, including the 4.6-mile Orange Trail, which forms a loop, the 3.1-mile Blue Trail, and the 2.3-mile White Trail. Another 4.0-mile multi-use trail, also blazed orange, is in the northern section of the park.
Park Description
Allaire State Park Details
Located on the New Jersey coastal plain, one-third of Allaire State Park lies south of the Manasquan River and is on the northern fringe of the Pinelands, thus supporting a pine forest community. Birders will find spring migrating warblers and other songbirds as well as a variety of breeding birds, such as owls, warblers, vireos and indigo buntings.
In 1822, James P. Allaire purchased an iron furnace that dated from the 1790s. The furnace produced castings and pig iron for his foundry in New York and pots for the retail market. Under his guidance, the Allaire State Park became a self-contained community, with as many as 500 people living there during the years that it prospered. It is this village that has been restored to become Allaire Village, Inc. Costumed interpreters demonstrate crafts and recount history. Check web site for schedule.
Other park uses inculde hiking, canoeing and fishing along the Manasquan River, hunting, and a narrow-gauge steam train run by the New Jersey Museum of Transportation.