Holmdel Park

Holmdel Park is located in Holmdel Township, New Jersey and is part of the Monmouth County Park System. The initial park land was established in 1962, with an additional 227 acres (92 ha) section added in 2001.[2] Holmdel Park is also the home of the Holmdel Arboretum; aka David C. Shaw Arboretum and the Longstreet Farm, a living history farm set in the 1890s.[3][1] The park is a popular destination for local elementary school trips and cross-country runners.

Holmdel Park
Holmdel Arboretum, Longstreet Farm
Steeplechase Trail in the Ramanessin Section of Holmdel Park in late April 2011
TypeSuburban park
LocationMonmouth County in New Jersey
Area618 acres (250 ha)[1]
Created1962[1]
Operated byMonmouth County Park System
Visitors830,643 (2018)
StatusOpen all year
WebsiteHolmdel Park - Monmouth County Park System

In August 2017 it was announced that a further 71 acres (29 ha) was being donated.[4] In 2018, it obtained an additional 52 acres of land.[5]

Activities and facilities

The park's recreational offerings include fishing (with permit),[2] individual and group picnic areas, tennis courts, playgrounds and 10 miles of hiking trails. Ice skating and sledding are permitted when conditions are deemed safe.[3]

The park contains four distinct visitor areas, each with its own parking; three are accessed via the main park entrance while the fourth is located at the activity center further north on Longstreet Road.

The Pond View area provides access to the arboretum, Longstreet Farm, Upper and Lower ponds and the shelter building; the shelter building also houses a seasonal concession. The Forest Ridge area provides access to group picnic areas, trails and activity fields; the Forest Ridge parking lot also acts as an overflow lot for the Pond View area. The Hill Top area as the name implies is located at the top of a fairly steep hill; this area provides parking for the parks tennis courts as well as access to additional trails. The Activity Center provides indoor facilities for scheduled county sponsored activities.[6]

Historic Longstreet Farm
See also: Longstreet Farm

The Longstreet Farm is a living history farm that recreates agricultural life of the 1890s. Interpreters dress in period costume and perform typical year round farming and domestic actives including seasonal planting and harvesting of crops and raising livestock. The farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[7] The farm was purchased by the Monmouth County Park System in 1967 to preserve the county's rural past. The farm opened to the public in 1972 as Historic Longstreet Farm.[3]

Longstreet Farm is a fairly complete example of a typical nineteenth-century farm created by Dutch settlers in New Jersey. The farmstead consists of a 14-room Federal-style farmhouse, a Dutch barn, and a collection of nineteenth-century farm outbuildings.[8]

Historic Longstreet Farm is open daily year round, free of charge.

David C. Shaw Arboretum

The David C. Shaw Arboretum is a 20-acre (8.1 ha) horticultural display created by the Monmouth County Shade Tree Commission.[2] The arboretum was created in 1963 and is named for a former superintendent.[3] The arboretum initially started with 87 trees but now boasts nearly 3000 specimens.[9]

Trails

The park hosts a dozen trails of varying lengths and difficulties.

Hilltop
  • Cross Country Trail 3.1 miles (5 km)
  • High Point Trail 0.6 mile (1 km) loop

Marsh
  • Marsh Trail 0.8 mile (1.3 km) features long boardwalks over marshy areas and trails for wildlife viewing

Hill
  • Beech Glen 0.5 mile (0.8 km)
  • Ridge Walk 1.2 mile (1.9 km) loop
  • Fitness trail 0.8 mile (1.3 km)

Plain
  • Paved Trail 0.5 mile (0.8 km) circles the field between the Longstreet Farm, the Upper and Lower Ponds, and picnic areas.
  • Pond Walk 0.4 mile (0.6 km) circles the Lower Pond.

Ramanessin Section
  • Ramanessin Trail 2.1 miles (3.3 km)
  • Steeplechase Trail 1.4 mile (2.2 km)

The Homestead and Fern trails provide short (0.25 mile (0.4 km)) connections between the above two trails

References
  1. "Holmdel Park". Monmouth County Park System. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  2. Holmdel Park Brochure (PDF). Monmouth County Park System. 2010. p. 1.
  3. "Holmdel Park". Monmouth County Park System. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
  4. Cook, Jay (15 August 2017). "Holmdel Park to Expand With New Land Donation". The Two River Times. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  5. "MONMOUTH COUNTY PARK SYSTEM 2018 ANNUAL REPORT" (PDF). Monmouth County Park System.
  6. "Holmdel Park Map". Monmouth County Park System. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
  7. Christina Johnson. "Holmdel Park". HolmdelPatch Website. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
  8. "Longstreet Farm - New Jersey Historic Preservation Bond Program". New Jersey Historic Trust Website. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
  9. "Shade Tree Commission - Arboretum". Visit Monmouth Website. Retrieved 2011-04-13.

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