Department of Environmental Protection

New Jersey State Park Service

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2024 Girl Scouts Love State Parks Weekend

New Jersey State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites celebrates Girl Scouts Love State Parks Weekend with guided programs and countless opportunities for self-guided hikes and activities.

The guided interpretive programs and events have capacity limits and require pre-registration. Some programs have fees. Information is in the left column below.

Opportunities for Girl Scouts – with families or their Troops - to explore on their own, can be found in the right column below.

If Troops or individual Girl Scouts are interested in partnering with a nearby park, forest or historic site to assist with projects throughout the year, please email parks@dep.nj.gov with “GIRL SCOUTS PARTNERSHIP POTENTIAL” in the subject line.

Events & Programs

14
&
15

Sept.

Seek & Learn
  • Saturday
  • 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
  • Bass River State Forest

Description Come see nature's wonders! Help us clean up the park and partake in a scavenger hunt! For our first hour, we will be hiking throughout the park and cleaning up. For the second hour, we will be having a nature themed scavenger hunt where you can learn all about the Pine Barrens! Please remember to wear bug spray, bring water and a small snack. Bring your own bag and/or gloves as well.
Location Ocean County - 762 Stage Road, Bass River Twp 08224 (Park Office)
Registration Please call 609-296-1114 to register.

14
&
15

Sept.

Secrets of Batsto Mansion
  • Saturday & Sunday
  • 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.
  • Batsto Village, Wharton State Forest

Description Explore the Batsto Mansion, including rarely seen “behind-the-scenes” areas, with our historic staff! Visitors will dig into the hidden history of the house and learn how historians piece together the clues that help us understand how people lived and worked in the past. Tour includes hands-on activites and time with historic artifacts.
Location Burlington County - 31 Batsto Road Hammonton, NJ 08037 (Meet at Batsto Mansion Porch)
Registration Pre-registration is required, $5 a person - spaces are limited. Call Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024.

14

Sept.

Belleplain State Forest Loves Girl Scouts
  • Saturday
  • 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
  • Belleplain State Forest

Description Join Belleplain Nature Center staff for an educational nature talk followed by a fun activity. Bring water, snacks, bug spray, good shoes and your learning cap!
Location Cape May County - Belleplain Nature Center
Registration Pre-registration is required - click here to register!

14

Sept.

PINES Institute at Whitesbog Preservation Trust
  • Saturday
  • 10 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
  • Brendan T. Byrne State Forest

Description Spend your morning at Whitesbog; a historic cranberry company town and the birthplace of the high bush blueberry nestled in the woods of the Pinelands. Help us keep this gem clean and enjoy a hike in the woodlands surrounding active bogs.
Location Burlington County - 799 Lakehurst Road Browns Mills, NJ 08015
Registration Pre-registration is required - click here to register!

14

Sept.

Seining and Beach Cleanup
  • Saturday
  • 10 a.m - 12:00 p.m.
  • Cheesequake State Park

Description Seining is an educational but enjoyable event that allows people to get into the water, fish, and then identify the species caught! Along with participating in a fun activity, groups will also aid in environmental cleanup by helping to pick litter to keep our shores clean! Gloves, reflective vests, litter pickers and bags provided, but please bring your own if you can.
Location Monmouth County - Conaskonk Point, Union Beach, NJ. Chingarora Street & Edmunds Ave. (Street parking)
Registration Pre-registration is required - click here! (This event is NOT happening in Cheesequake State Park - Conaskonk Point, Union Beach which is nearby. Please bring bug spray, appropriate shoes, water and anything else needed for a sandy, outdoor adventure.)

14
&
15

Sept.

D&R Canal State Park Self-Guided Girl Scouts Heart NJ SU86 Towpath Trek
  • Saturday and Sunday
  • Dawn-Dusk
  • D&R Canal State Park

Description GSHNJ Service Unit 6 invites you to choose your own bicycling adventure along D&R Canal! Get ready to explore the natural beauty, history and engineering marvels to be found along the Delaware River.
Location Hunterdon County - Suggested to start at Bulls Island Recreation Area
Registration Register here
Additional Information Email Troop 80400 for further questions. This self-guided program is done at the registrants' own pace and can begin at anytime.

14

Sept.

Double Trouble State Park Trail Cleanup
  • Saturday
  • 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
  • Double Trouble State Park

Description Enjoy the beautiful environment of Double Trouble State Parks - upland forest, cedar, tea-colored streams - while making it look even better. Hike one of our trails and remove any litter left behind. Gloves, pickers and buckets provided. Scouts must be accompanied by an adult. Limited to 40 scouts; must register by 09/10/2024 at DoubleTrouble@dep.nj.gov. Steady rain or thunder will cancel.
Location Ocean County - Double Trouble State Park, 581 Pinewald Keswick Road (at intersection with Double Trouble Road), Bayville, NJ 08721
Registration Please register by email here.

14

Sept.

Signal Flags and Telephones
  • Saturday
  • 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
  • Fort Mott State Park

Description Join historic site staff to learn how the soldiers at Fort Mott communicated with the other forts on the Delaware River. This hands-on program will allow scouts to send and receive messages using various historic equipment.
Location Salem County - 454 Fort Mott Road Pennsville NJ 08070 Meet at park's Museum/Welcome Center
Registration Please register by email here.

15

Sept.

*PROGRAM FULL* Natural Area Shoreline Cleanup
  • Sunday
  • 11 a.m - 1 p.m.
  • Liberty State Park

Description Come to Liberty State Park to lend a hand picking up trash that has washed up on the shoreline and explore what other natural wonders have come with the tides! Please dress to be outdoors, wear old shoes,bring sunscreen, water and insect repellent. Gloves, reflective vests, litter pickers - bags are provided, but please bring your own if you can.
Location Hudson County - 275 Freedom Way, Jersey City, NJ 07305
Registration Pre-registration is required - Please call 201-915-3400 x503 or email here.

14

Sept.

Rid Litter Day
  • Saturday
  • 10 a.m - 11:30 p.m.
  • Kittatinny Valley State Park

Description Do your part to "Keep America Beautiful!" on this 2.5-mile litter pick-up along Goodale Road. Gloves, reflective vests, litter pickers, and bags provided, but please bring your own if you can
Location Sussex County - 199 Goodale Rd.Newton, NJ 07860 - Kittatinny Valley State Park Visitor Center
Registration Pre-registration is required - click here!

14

Sept.

Litter Clean-Up & Kayak Tour
  • Saturday
  • 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
  • Stokes State Forest

Description Come spend the morning with our park naturalists and learn more about the biodiversity at Stokes State Forest! We will spend some time picking up litter around Lake Ashroe and then reward our stewardship with a kayak tour around the lake.
Location Sussex County - Lake Ashroe (Off Struble Road)
Registration Pre-registration is required, email here!

14

Sept.

Twin Lights Lighthouse Welcomes You
  • Saturday
  • 10 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
  • Twin Lights Historic Site

Description Attention all Brownie and Junior Lighthouse keepers! Come learn about New Jersey's lighthouses and the keepers that keep lights on. Scouts and parents will be given a tour of the ligthhouse and have a chance to cover most of the badge requiremnts during the visit.
Location Monmouth County - 2 Light House Rd Highlands, NJ 07732
Registration Pre-registration is required - email here!

14

Sept.

New Jersey Trees in History & Poetry
  • Saturday
  • 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
  • Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites

Description Learn about planting and protecting red and white oak trees and the significance of New Jersey's trees in history and poetry.
Location Somerset County - 71 Somerset Street, Somerville, NJ 08876
Registration Pre-registration is required - email here!

Picnicking

From High Point to Cape May Point, 33 parks across the state have designated first come first served picnic areas awaiting your arrival. Click here for a full list of picnic areas.

Help Keep Your Park Clean and Green! Protect plants and animals and care for your park by taking your trash with you. Whatever you carry into the park, plan on carrying it out too. It’s like crowdsourcing trash management! Bring a bag or two for trash, recycling and cleaning up after your pet. There are no trash receptacles provided in state parks. Thank you!

Find a State Park Near You!
Click here for Trail Tracker- the Interactive Trails Map of NJ State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites.

Planning a Hike?
Click here to see detailed trail guides for many of New Jersey's state parks and forests or click on the trail tracker link above.

Camping

To view availability and to book your campsite, please visit camping.nj.gov.

Discover on Your Own

New Jersey's state parks and forests offer a variety of public programs throughout the state, but we do understand some prefer to discover on their own.

Click here for self-guided activities, videos, crafts and recipes which will allow you to explore and learn about the historic and natural treasures found within your state parks at your own pace.

Plan Ahead for "Filled To Capacity" Park Closures

To ensure the safety of our visitors and protection of the park’s natural resources and facilities, our park areas have a limited capacity.

During periods of high visitation, when a park's capacity is reached, the park will be closed and traffic will be turned away from the park entrance. When that occurs, no additional vehicles / visitors will be allowed to enter the park, including those with members of their party who may already be in the park. If you are not traveling in the same vehicle with others in your party, we suggest that you all arrive at the same time.

Based on recent experience and visitation trends, and depending on good weather, most of our state park swimming and day use areas will likely fill to capacity on Fourth of July weekend. Please take this into consideration when planning your trip.

Sign up for text alerts for filled to capacity closures of Atsion Recreation Area and Island Beach State Park.

Filled to capacity updates are also posted on our Facebook page.