Weltz Park, NJ

 

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Weltz Park - Monmouth County Parks

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 40.266807, -74.036703

Small parking lot with room for about 5 cars.  This park doesn't seem to get very busy - one person was leaving as we started and one person started as we were leaving and that was around noon.

TRAIL MAP: 

Weltz Park Map - Monmouth County Parks

HIKE DISTANCE: 

Weltz Park - 1.8 miles
     hiked together with
Joe Palaia Park Trail - 3 .8 miles (about a 5 minute drive between parks)

THE HIKE: 

The trail starts from the parking lot as a packed sand road.

So much nicer to walk on than the hard paved trail we had just been on.

After this gate, a little bridge, then ...

... an intersection.  We turned right and stayed with the outer perimeter.

Views of a Lexus dealership.

After looping around, back over the bridge and through the gate.

I had noticed a more narrow sand path running parallel so we took that on the way back.

Joe Palaia Park, NJ

 

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Joe Palaia Park - Township of Ocean Parks

Deal Test Site - Wikipedia

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 40.25622, -74.02369

One of several parking lots around the park.

TRAIL MAP: 

Joe Palaia Park Trail - Township of Ocean Parks

HIKE DISTANCE: 

Joe Palaia Park Trail - 3 miles plus the Library Trail for a total of 3.8 miles

     hiked together with

Weltz Park - 1.8 miles (about a 5 minute drive between parks)

THE HIKE: 

The trail starts from the parking lot at the large signs.

The trail is very well marked with arrows on posts showing which way to go.  Because everyone (mostly) goes the same way, you come in contact with fewer dogs which is great when your dog is reactive.  And there are LOTS of dogs walking in this park.

The entire 3 miles is paved.

Whoever put this trash can within the first tenth of a mile knew Brodie was coming.  He likes to get that out of the way early on but after we are far enough from the car to not want to go back.  Which means when he is not wearing his backpack I have to carry it.

Mile markers every tenth of a mile.

Bicentennial Red Oak

This was a pretty tree ...

... with a complex name.

Oops.  RIP Magnolia.

Poplar Brook

Very busy deer crossing.

Mallards are pairing up for spring.

It's not on the park map but I had seen another loop (on Google Maps) adjacent to this park behind the recreation center and was thinking this trail, the Library Trail, might lead there instead of taking the sidewalk along the road.

At the field we turned right ...

... then left on the paved path although we could have gone either way as it is a loop and turns out it was the loop I was looking for.

Coming up on this structure - more on that when we get there.

First on the right, some ruins.

Then on the left, a sign explaining that structure.

The path continues to loop around.  Where Joe Palaia Park was starting to get busy, not another soul over on this loop.

Coming back up on that field where we turned left and then left again ...

... to get back to the Joe Palaia Trail.

A short distance ahead the path veers left and follows parallel to Deal Road.

After winding around back into and through the park ...

... back at the parking lot.