Spotlights

Visit the Round Valley Recreation Area and hike the trails around the reservoir. Dress in layers and hike the Cushetunk trail. Winter hiking brings solitude and quiet beauty, but it has its dangers. Learn the dos and don’ts of winter hiking. The nine-mile Cushetunk Trail and the three-mile lower service road are multi-use trails that pass through open and heavily wooded areas.

Tired of being cooped up inside? Join us for a brisk hike (or snowshoe) in the wild winter woods of Kittatinny Valley State Park! Afterwards, warm up with a cup of hot chocolate and cookies in our visitor center.

Washington Crossing State Park Nature Center will host a free cross country skiing workshop on January 21st. In this workshop, participants will learn about the different types of cross-country ski equipment that are available and what to look for in selecting your first pair of skis. Other topics will include: how to dress and where to go skiing in New Jersey.

Visit Kittatinny Valley State Park on January 20th and add a little intrigue to your next winter walk. Learn to identify the beautiful dried remains of wildflowers with your own take-home field guide! This indoor program will meet at the Kittatinny Valley State Park Visitor Center, located 1 mile north of Route 206, off Goodale Road in Andover Township.

On Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 1:00pm visit the Raptor Trust Education Center for an hour long educational program focusing on the amazing Great Horned Owl. Participants will also leanr about two owls that are winter visitors to New Jersey, and be introduce you to one of the Raptor Trust Education Center's permanent resident owls.

Visit the New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center in Edison, NJ for the 35th annual Garden State Outdoor Sports Show. The event will feature top seminars, attractions, and exhibits designed to speak to sportsmen and women of all ages, with a focus on activities the whole family can enjoy. 

Kick off the new year with a free hike with friends. Visit the Hill and Dale Preserve in Tewksbury on Sunday, January 7, 2018 from 12-2pm. Participants will join Marie Newell, Project Coordinator, for a "Year of the Dog" hike through beautiful fields and forests. Bring your furry pals along for the day!

Enjoy nature's winter beauty by taking a closer look at seasonal weeds, trees and animal tracks on a 3 mile long hike with the naturalist of the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park.

George Washington’s daring 1776 Christmas Day crossing of the Delaware River is considered a turning point in the Revolutionary War. Witness this historic event for yourself at one of two reenactments in December.

Holly Walk is a tour of six Morris County historic sites decorated for the holidays. Each site will have special Holly Walk programs. The sites have wonderful gift shops, so bring your holiday giving lists and support local historic preservation.

Children ages 3 to 6 (with an adult) can get to know Spruce Run Recreation Area while taking a walk in the great outdoors. Each Tuesday in November we will focus on a different nature topic. We will use our five senses to learn about trees, leaves, birds, animal tracks and more.

Come wander through the first floor of Ringwood Manor, beautifully decorated for the holidays! The self-guided  format allows visitors to spend as much or as little time in each room as they ​wish. Children are given scavenger hunts and can search for a variety of interesting objects throughout the house.

Take a 4-mile round-trip hike along the historic Sussex Branch Trail at Kittatinny Valley State Park. A one-hour brunch to celebrate “French Toast Day” at the Branchville Grill and book stop at Broad Street Books will offer optional refreshment and inspiration at the turn-around point.

Visit the Tulpehaking Nature Center on Saturdays in November for free reptile talks. Meet live animal ambassadors and learn about many fascinating shelled and scaled animals. 

Join the Horticultural Society of South Jersey and Thomas DeSimone for a presentation on the basics of Bonsai. The program will cover the history, concepts, styles, basic work and tools of Bonsai as well as some of the great bonsai artist and places to go to see these wonderful trees. 

Dandelions, plantains, violets, and other resilient plants can be found at the edges of our paths, gardens and lawns. Though these weeds are often rouged out, they have many traditional uses, including as food and medicinal remedies. 

From October 24th to 26th, join Somerset County Park Commission Naturalists on an adventure to one of the meccas of birding, Cape May! For the first time Somerset County Parks Commission will be offering their annual Cape May trip in the fall to have the best chance of seeing the migration spectacles that make Cape May so famous.

On Saturday, October 28th come and learn about your favorite animals of Halloween. Learn about the life cycles, habits, and habitats of bats, bugs, spiders, and snakes. After learning some interesting facts about these misunderstood animals, kids can build their own crafty creature to take home!

On Friday, October 27th, volunteers are needed to cleanup a critical nesting area for northern diamondback terrapins! The entire area is littered with trash from recreational fishing activities and household debris. Much of this debris is single use plastic, including bottles, cans, bags, styrofoam containers, cigarette butts, monifilament, and even a few pairs of shoes.

The Association of NJ Recyclers presents its inuagural event: ANJR's 5K Run & Walk for Recycling. This event has been made "Family Friendly"; suitable for runners/walkers of all abilities. Runners will be timed and course is USATF certified.

The South Jersey Pumpkin Show is an annual three-day “Festival of Pumpkins” held at the Salem County Fairgrounds. Festival goers visiting will enjoy pumpkin desserts, 100+ artists and craftsmen, Fall Home, Garden & Farm Expo, fun contests, scarecrows, give-a-ways, Pumpkin Toss, live bands, wine sampling, festival food court, New Jersey’s Largest Baked Pumpkin Pie, and pony rides and hayrides around the fairgrounds.

The Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, in collaboration with twenty-nine local historical organizations and tourism partners, has designated the weekend of October 14 & 15, 2017 "Weekend Journey through the Past." During this two-day period, twenty-nine (29) of the County's significant historic sites will be open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday and 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Sunday. 

A concert featuring traditional harvest songs performed by balladeer Linda Russell will help mark the turning of the seasons at the New Jersey State Park Service’s Old Dutch Parsonage-Wallace House historic site in Somerville, Somerset County, on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Vist Fort Mott State Park for its Historic Soldiers Weekend on September 23rd and 24th. The annual military timeline is full of display and re-enactors from Roman centurion to German border guards during the Cold War. Both days will feature live music, weapons demonstrations and chance to see what camp life was like in many different time periods.

Come to one of the largest sustainability fairs in the state! This year Maplewood Green Day will be held on October 14th, in Maplewood's Memorial Park. Present at the event will be a number of "green" vendors and exhibitors, local food, live music and a number of activities and demonstrations.