About Cheesequake State Park

Cheesequake State Park is a 1,274-acre New Jersey state park in Old Bridge Township, Middlesex County, near Raritan Bay, with a Matawan mailing address. Governor Harry Moore opened it on June 22, 1940. Its name comes from the Lenape word Cheseh-oh-ke, meaning upland or "upland village". NJDEP describes it as a transitional zone where northern hardwood forest meets southern pine barrens, with salt and freshwater marshes, an Atlantic white cedar swamp and open fields in a small area. The park is run by the NJDEP State Park Service.

Where the Name Comes From

"Cheesequake" has nothing to do with cheese. NJDEP traces it to the Lenape word Cheseh-oh-ke, meaning upland, or "upland village".

A Short History

• 1940: Governor Harry Moore officially opens the park on June 22.
• Early 1950s: construction of the Garden State Parkway splits the park in two. NJDEP notes the Parkway is also what makes the park so easy to reach.
• 1962: the first campsites open, built to handle overflow visitors from the World's Fair in New York City (Camping).
• After 1970: following the first Earth Day, a nature center is built to explain the park's ecosystems.
• 2015: the park marks its 75th anniversary, after recovering from damage caused by Superstorm Sandy.

Where North Meets South

NJDEP calls Cheesequake a transitional zone between New Jersey's northern and southern plant life: it is the southern edge of the range for many North Jersey species and the northern edge for many South Jersey ones. The agency says it is the only park where northern hardwood forest meets a southern pine barrens ecosystem at sea level. Within the park you find:

• Salt marsh at the edge of Hooks Creek Lake and around the tidal Perrine Pond, with common reed and salt marsh grasses
• Freshwater marshes and ponds, where spring peepers call in spring
• An Atlantic white cedar swamp, the largest in the park, crossed by the Green Trail
• Pine barrens of pitch pine, oak and mountain laurel on sandy soil
• Northeastern hardwood forest of oaks, maples, sassafras and American beech
• Open fields, including Booth Field with its butterfly garden

The Cheesequake Natural Area protects the gradient from coastal salt marsh up to upland forest, and the hiking trails run through it (Hiking).

Wildlife

In 2015 NJDEP counted more than 160 bird species in the park and eight productive osprey nests. Trees it highlights include Atlantic white cedar, red maple, black birch and sweet bay magnolia. Black bears are found throughout New Jersey, so NJDEP asks every visitor to be bear aware: never feed a bear, and never run from one.

The Nature Center

The Cheesequake Nature Center, which NJDEP also calls the Interpretive Center, is a short walk from the Trailhead Parking Lot on the Red, Green and Blue Trails. Its exhibits cover the park's nature, wildlife and history, its main habitats, and the Native Americans and early colonists of the area. It is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., subject to staff availability, so call ahead: 732-566-3208. The park runs interpretive programs through the year; schools and groups can book a program or field trip at the same number or by email at cheesequake@dep.nj.gov.

Who Runs the Park

Cheesequake is one of the parks of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's State Park Service. This website is an independent guide and is not affiliated with NJDEP. For official notices, use the park office (732-566-2161) or the NJDEP park page (Contact).