Tall Pines State Preserve

Tall Pines State Preserve At A Glance...

• Nine audio trail posts with QR codes let you listen to short recordings about the park as you walk.
• Volunteer naturalists logged 1,006 species of plants, fungi, insects, fish, birds and mammals here in 2021.
• Two bridges carry the Perimeter Trail over Mantua Creek.
• A bluebird trail of nine nesting boxes is kept up by volunteers in spring and summer.
• This was a golf course until 2006, and you can still walk the old cart paths.
• Todays Sunrise: 6:37 am,   Sunset: 4:51 pm  
• New Jersey Delaware River Region Gloucester County

• Activities:

  • Equestrian / Horseback
  • Fishing
  • Jogging / Running
  • Skiing / Snowboarding
  • Picnicking
  • Walking

  Amenities:

  • Parking Lot(s)
  • Picnic / Sitting Area
  • Benches

  Trails:

  • Paved
  • Walking Paths

  Park Type:

  • State Parks
  • Preserve

  Rules/Regulations:

  • Alcohol Not Permitted
  • Must be Leashed

Contact / Location

A Brief History

The land was forest, then an asparagus field, before it became a golf course in the 1950s. Ron Jaworski bought the course in 1984 and renamed it Ron Jaworski's Eagles' Nest, and it was later known as Maple Ridge. Golf stopped there in 2006, when a developer bought the property with plans for 123 houses.

The South Jersey Land and Water Trust, Gloucester County and the state's Green Acres program put up the money to buy it. The state finalized a $3.2 million purchase of the former Maple Ridge Golf Course in November 2015, and the New Jersey DEP dedicated Tall Pines as the first state park in Gloucester County on June 20, 2016.

Trail & Path Info

Just over four miles of winding trails cover the preserve. Most are asphalt, formerly golf cart paths, and some sections are mowed grass.

The Perimeter Trail (Green) is a 2.37 mile loop around the park's boundaries and crosses both bridges over Mantua Creek. The Red Trail is a half mile loop on the Deptford side of the park only.

Nine audio posts along the paths carry QR codes that link to short recordings about the park. Printable and GPS-enabled interactive maps are on the Friends of Tall Pines website.

Admission & Guidelines

The preserve is open sunrise to sunset, every day of the year, and there is no fee to visit.

Dogs are welcome on a leash six feet or shorter, and owners must pick up and carry out all waste. Hunting is prohibited. Alcohol, motor vehicles, firearms, camping, drones, rocketry and metal detectors are also not allowed. State park regulations apply.

Facilities

There are six benches along the paths and nine audio trail posts. There are no restrooms.

There are no trash cans, following state policy, so carry out whatever you bring in.

Parking

A large paved lot is on the left, just past the traffic light on Bark Bridge Road. From Route 55 take Exit 53, go north on Route 553 toward Wenonah for 1.5 miles, then turn left at the traffic light onto Bark Bridge Road.

Gloucester County's Scotland Run Park is another park in the county worth a visit.

Here are 10 places near Tall Pines State Preserve