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

Somerset County

• Duke Farms – (Hillsborough, NJ) Easy strolls of any length
• Six Mile Run -Canal Road – (Franklin Township, NJ) Blue Trail 3.6 miles
• Washington Valley Park –  (Bridgewater, NJ) Blue Loop 2 miles