There are so many benefits to hiking with the family. Hiking with kids is a wonderful way to experience the great outdoors and spend quality time with your children. You don’t have to hike all day or do big miles to get the most of the great outdoors. Here is your guide to Family-Friendly Hiking Trails in Central NJ. These short hiking trails are under 4 miles and perfect for little ones in tow or the novice hiker.

Family-Friendly Hiking Trails in Central NJ

Hunterdon County

Round Valley Reservoir – (Lebanon, NJ) various loops
Voorhees State Park – (Lebanon, NJ) various loops

Middlesex County

Davidson’s Mill Pond Park – (North Brunswick, NJ) 2.5 miles
Farrington Lake Trail – (North Brunswick, NJ) 2 miles
Helyar Woods – at Rutgers Gardens (New Brunswick, NJ) 2.5 miles
John A. Phillips Preserve – (Old Bridge, NJ) Several trails from .5 to under 3 miles
Julian Capik Preserve – (Sayreville, NJ) Small trails, less than 3.5 total
Rutgers Ecological Preserve – (Piscataway, NJ) short loops
Tamarack Hollow Preserve – (East Brunswick, NJ) under 1 mile each; 2.2 total
Thompson Park – (Jamesburg/Monroe, NJ) 2.4 mile loop, can shorten
Thompson Park Conservation Area – (Monroe, NJ) Gravel Hill, 2.5 miles

Monmouth County

Cheesequake State Park – (Matawan, NJ) Green Trail 3 miles
Holmdel Park – (Holmdel, NJ) North Section 3.2 loop or easy trails .5- 1.9 miles
Manasquan Reservoir – (Howell, NJ) easy gravel/paved trail
Perrineville Lake Park – (Millstone, NJ) Lakeside Loop 1.5 miles
Shark River Park – (Wall, NJ) easy trails from .5 to 2.9 miles
Tatum Park – (Middletown, NJ) loops from .6 to 2.3 miles
Thompson Park – (Lincroft, NJ) 2 under 1.0 miles, others
Hartshorne Woods – (Atlantic Highlands, NJ) .7, 1.5 or 2.5 miles