Explore New Jersey’s State Parks Through The Years With These 15 Vintage Photos

New Jersey may be a mostly urban state but we're not all sprawl. Not at all! We've got over 715,000 acres of farmland and over 430,000 acres of parkland. This number is based on our state parks - if you factor in our county and local parks, along with non-profit nature preserves, we'd probably top 500,000 acres! This is something to be proud of as a New Jerseyan, and our parks are a big part of what makes our state so great. We've got forests to hike through, sandy shores to explore, and so much more. Check out a few vintage photos of Garden State parks below for some inspiration about what state parks to visit in New Jersey next!

Allaire State Park is home to the New Jersey Museum of Transportation. It focuses on railroad history and even offers rides. Here's a family enjoying a train at Allaire in the 1960s.

The Atlantic City State Marina, now the Frank S Farley State Marina, in 1969.

Barnegat Lighthouse State Park in 1963. The surrounding area has changed significantly since.

This photo of Bass River State Park in 1962 could just as easily have been taken today.

Family camping at Belleplain State Forest in 1968.

The Picnic Grove at Cheesequake State Park in the 1960s.

The Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park in Franklin Township. This photo is undated.

Tocks Island, Worthington State Forest. In the 1950s, a dam was proposed at the site. There was a significant amount of protest and the dam was never built.

Bridge over Trout Brook. Hacklebarney State Park, 1958.

Though the New Jersey state archives list this as Hacklebarney State Park, I'm not so sure. There is no swimming allowed at the park in the present day and I can't imagine where this would be - does anyone have an idea of where this is? Let us know!

An aerial view of High Point State Park in 1958. Though not visible in this photo, the monument did exist at the time - it was completed in 1930.

Lifeguard station at Island Beach State Park, undated.

Administrative buildings at Jenny Jump State Forest, 1937.

Lake Hopatcong State Park was once a popular resort destination for vacationing New Yorkers. A playground for the rich, "The Isles" are pictured here in 1910.

The main building and concession stand at Parvin State Park in the 1960s.

Share your New Jersey state park stories and photos in the comments, and let us know if you'd like to see more vintage state park photos in a future article! What are your favorite state parks to visit in New Jersey? Tell us about those as well! For more amazing Jersey history, you can't miss this fascinating article about the history of New Jersey's oldest towns.