 While we try not to brag, it's hard not to when you consider all that New Jersey has to offer you and the family for a perfect vacation. We've got panoramic mountaintop resorts with miles of trails touched only by Mother Nature. One-hundred-and-twenty-seven miles of Atlantic coastline where you can swim, sail, fish, or make your own footprints in the sand. More than 75 museums stocked with artifacts of our rich history, and paintings and works of art from local and world-renown artists. Theaters and concert halls offering first-rate dramas, comedies, concerts, and children's productions. Heart-pounding professional and minor league sporting events.
Because of the state's lush diversity, we've included nine special sections highlighting our many superior attractions and destinations. Throughout this web site, the following pages, you will find detailed Theme Pages that discuss our Entertainment, Beaches, Family Fun, History, Nature, Getaways, Millennium Events, Shopping, and Skiing. The 2000 New Jersey Web Site also has complete listings by region of activities, sites, and accommodations; and a comprehensive list of attractions and towns.
For a true feel of the diversity of our great state, we've given you a general overview of each of our six regions. New this year, we've unearthed each region's hidden treasures-spots that may not be as well known to you, but that should definitely be on your sight-seeing list.
The Skylands Region, New Jersey's Great Northwest, is lush with natural serene beauty. You can learn more about New Jersey's prestigious role as one of the original 13 colonies throughout central New Jersey. The Delaware River Region is also home to the awe-inspiring Pinelands. And, the Gateway Region is considered America's "Gateway to Freedom" with Lady Liberty in the harbor.
Miles of unblemished sandy beaches and thrilling amusement piers along the surf and boardwalks can be found in the Shore Region. The Greater Atlantic City Region has the added bonus of twelve 24-hour world-class casino resorts. At the southern reaches of the Garden State, the Southern Shore Region is alive with Victorian architecture, sugar-fine beaches, and an abundance of natural outdoor activities like bird watching and eco-tours.
So come join us and discover for yourself just why New Jersey and you truly are perfect together.
New Jersey's Great Northwest is a romantic land lush with two national parks at its edges, 60,000 acres of state parkland, 70 miles of the legendary Appalachian Trail, and breathtakingly diverse geography rich with lakes, rivers, hills, and farms. The timeless majesty of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area; the serenity of the state's largest lake, Hopatcong; the very summit of New Jersey at High Point State Park; and the spectacular autumn foliage floating throughout the Skylands makes it a picturesque land of natural beauty land of natural beauty.
Amidst the tranquility and pastoral mountains and countryside, you'll also discover the 7,000-acre Great Swamp of Basking Ridge, a National Wildlife Refuge with more than eight miles of trails, wildlife, and birdwatching. And, for another truly unique activity, be sure to tour the underground fluorescent caverns at Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg. The 18th-century Village of Waterloo in Stanhope also shouldn't be missed, as it will show you what life was like hundreds of years before any of us first came to New Jersey.
During your Skylands visit, don't be surprised to see giant colorful hot-air balloons floating through the sky as the region's rugged terrain gives way to flat open spaces. Come soar with the New Jersey Festival of Ballooning at Solberg Airport in Readington held every summer.
Searching for something a bit off the beaten path? The region's rustic nature has been impeccably preserved with the opening of the Lakota Wolf Preserve at Camp Taylor Campground, high up the ridge of the Kittatinny Mountains. This unblemished wilderness area is the only spot in the eastern United States where you can see wolves in their natural habitat for the first time in over a century. Visitors can view the wolves from a special observation area, or take a guided photography tour to snap unobstructed pictures of the magnificent animals in their natural setting.
For another unique outdoor experience, lace up your hiking boots and throw some gear in your backpack for a hike of nearly 50 miles on the Paulinskill Valley and Sussex Branch Trails winding through Sussex and Warren Counties.
The Skylands has mountains, villages, valleys, lakes, festivals, and family attractions to please a diverse cross-section of leisure and vacation travelers. You will only wish for more time to see all the great northwest of New Jersey has to offer.
The Delaware River Region is founded on Revolutionary history, science, and invention, while surrounded by the pristine, tranquil beauty of the Pine Barrens. It has colonial towns and farms, the state capital in Trenton, spectacular cultural museums, the State Aquarium and Children's Garden in Camden, first-rate sports stadiums, and the world-renowned university in Princeton.
The region's namesake is the river on which General George Washington made his famous Revolutionary Crossing on Christmas Day in 1776. You can see the crossing re-enacted each Christmas at Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville.
In recent years, the region's history has been preserved, so a trip to this diverse area would not be complete without a glance at its newly restored hidden treasures. The Trenton Statehouse Dome has been completely renovated, and today the 110-year-old dome gleams with new brilliant gold leafing. Restored in late 1998, you can now view life in the Old Barracks Museum exactly as it was over 200 years ago when it was used by British troops during the French and Indian War. Or head down the street to the brand new Sovereign Bank Arena, home to the Titans ice hockey team and the Trenton Shooting Stars basketball team.
Be sure to also visit the recently restored Old Berlin Post Office, the 1856 Berlin Railroad Station, and the South Jersey Museum of American History. A lesser known fact is that the region was also home to Swedish settlers, and you can tour the C.A. Nothnagle Log Cabin in Gibbstown. Built in 1638, the cabin is the oldest surviving cabin in North America.
To discover the ultimate hidden treasure, stroll along the streets of the beautiful tree-lined Haddonfield Historic District-home to over 400 Colonial and Victorian buildings, including the Indian King Tavern House Museum.
Sunny days spent swimming along 71 miles of sandy oceanfront beaches. Building your dream house out of sand. Snacking on fresh Jersey fruits and vegetables. From Sandy Hook to Island Beach State Park to Long Beach Island, the beaches and boardwalks of the Shore's Monmouth and Ocean Counties offer an unforgettable vacation. All you have to bring is your love of adventure and a loaded camera-particularly to the lighthouses at Sandy Hook, Twin Lights of Navesink, Sea Girt, and Barnegat Light.
You'll also discover plenty of magic off the beaches. The region is famous for the world-renown Six Flags Great Adventure and Wild Safari in Jackson. If you've got the guts, Six Flags has got the ride: the new Medusa, the world's first floorless rollercoaster. For the tots, head over to Looney Tunes Seaport.
Looking for some unique outings? Lit by antique lamp posts, the quaint and cheerful community of Red Bank charms with its brick-lined main street of boutiques, cafes, and fine restaurants. Fast becoming known as the "hippest town in New Jersey," Red Bank has music and food festivals throughout the year, and an unrivaled Fourth of July fireworks display.
Nearby you can take in a first-class sporting event when the new ShoreCats semi-professional basketball team hoops it up in May and June at the recently renovated 2,300-seat Asbury Park Convention Hall. Or, visit one of the region's top auto or horse race tracks.
You can also catch a summer stock Broadway show at the Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven. After the show, stroll next door to the Show Place Ice Cream Parlour, complete with singing and dancing waiters and waitresses. Or, how about a live country, bluegrass, or folk concert? Albert Music Hall in Waretown has been showcasing a wide range of musicians every Saturday night for the past 25 years. And, new this April, the Tuckerton Seaport, a unique maritime village at the Jersey Shore, opened to preserve the traditions and culture of the state's baymen.
But if you're looking for the ultimate hidden treasure, head down to the Pine Barrens in Ocean County and search for the mysterious Jersey Devil. Fabled to prowl the Pinelands and Barnegat Bay, the Jersey Devil was last spotted in 1987. Can you be the first to find him in the new millennium?
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