Belleplain State Forest
Directions
Travel south on the Garden State Parkway to Exit 25 for County Highway 623 toward Ocean City/Marmora. Park entrance from here is roughly 13 miles (20 minutes) ending at 995-999 Henkensifkin Rd, Woodbine, NJ 08270 – GPS Coordinates: 39.249047, -74.841188
Park Overview
A state forest used for recreation, timber production, wildlife management and water conservation.
Trail Overview
Motorized routes, blazed multi-use trails, and the abandoned railroad bed of the former Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines criss-cross the state forest. The East Creek Trail extends for nearly 7 miles around Lake Nummy [a former cranberry bog]; two nature trails are accessible to people with disabilities. Use the Web Map link on this site to view a trail map.
Click to read a detailed description of a hike on the East Creek Trail.
Park Description
Belleplain State Forest
Established in 1928, Belleplain State Forest consists of lowland hardwood swamps, former agricultural area, stands of cedar, plantations of evergreens, and marshes. In the 1930s, three Civilian Conservation Corps camps were established on the property. In addition to constructing the nature center and maintenance buildings, the corps created much of the road system, bridges, and dams, and improved vast tracts of fields and forest through silvicultural techniques. Hunting, trapping, and fishing are permitted within the forest, subject to New Jersey’s fish and game laws.