Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
15,068 acres4.5 mi of trail
Bristow TrailJen's TrailGreat CreekAkers Woodland Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Employee ParkingWebsite ↗
Photo: SnowFire · CC BY 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Galloway Township
36% of Galloway Township’s land is conserved: 20,437 acres
4,485 acres are parks and preserves, 118 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (4.5 mi), Patriot Lake Park (0.7 mi), Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (0.6 mi). 66 miles of mapped trail cross Galloway Township, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #190 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
36%
20,437 acres · of 88.7 sq mi of land
Trails
66 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,485 ac
118 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
64%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.2 mi
1.8 mi lanes · 0.4 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
21
2 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Galloway Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Galloway Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Galloway Township is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #190 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Galloway Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land36% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (66 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land118 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,485 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13AParks close to home64% of residents within a half mile of a park · NJ 98% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 90%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 60%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Galloway Township’s 36% is ahead of 90% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 53% of them.
Water is 23% of Galloway Township’s area (26 of 114 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 28%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, with 4.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve
Managed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
33,115 acres0.6 mi of trail
Bristow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Brigantine Wilderness
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
5,816 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 7 parks & preserves
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge15,068 acres · 4.5 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsPatriot Lake Park37 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsJacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve33,115 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
DirectionsBrigantine Wilderness5,816 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsAbsecon Wildlife Management Area1,367 acres
Makepeace Lake Wildlife Management Area19 acres
Great Bay Boulevard Wildlife Management Area9 acres · New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
Who protects it
20,437 conserved acres
36% of Galloway Township’s land. Water is left out: Galloway Township has 88.7 square miles of land and 25.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Galloway Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service30,989 ac
State fish & wildlife2,318 ac
Other state land1,654 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,168 ac
Town or city537 ac
County366 ac
Private owners15 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 30,989 acState Conservation Area · 3,720 acConservation Easement · 967 acLocal Resource Management Area · 385 acLocal Park · 318 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 167 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 14 of 139 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 30,989 | Restricted |
| Absecon Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 1,693 | Open |
| Clarks Landing Preserve State Conservation Area | Other state land | 992 | Open |
| Port Republic Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 620 | Open |
| Hirst Ponds Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 423 | Open |
| Atlantic County Forest Local Resource Management Area | County | 362 | Open |
| unknown Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 196 | Open |
| New Jersey Conservation Foundation Estuary or Marsh Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 120 | Open |
| Open Space Local Park | Not recorded | 101 | Open |
| Galloway Township Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 81 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
17 places to go in Galloway Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Galloway Township
Little BeachIn Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Galloway Township
Imagination StationIn Patriot Lake Park
DirectionsPlus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Galloway Township
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Galloway Township
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Galloway Township
Experimental Pool OverlookIn Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Galloway Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Galloway Township
Swan Lake Resort
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Galloway Township
Galloway Township Community GardenIn Patriot Lake Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 21 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 22.5 miUnpaved · 30.9 mi
Nucleus3.9 mi
Lost & Found2.5 mi
Bristow Trail2.2 mi
Baiters Loop1.9 mi
Lumpy Loop1.3 mi
Landfill Border1.1 mi
North Side Connector1.0 mi
Lost Pine0.8 mi
Stinger Run0.7 mi
Great Creek0.6 mi
15 more trails
Enchanted Forest
0.5 miJen's Trail
0.5 miDevils Pass
0.5 miJL Powerlines
0.4 miSeaview MTB Trail
0.4 miGC Trail to Nowhere
0.4 miNorth South Connector
0.4 miLumpy
0.4 miAvenue B
0.3 miAvenue A
0.3 miAvenue C
0.3 miGalloway Road to Sylvan Connector
0.3 miSand Trap
0.3 miATV to Landfill
0.3 mi18th Hole
0.3 miBiking & sports
2.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Seaview TrailsBike route
21.7 miCourts & fields
34Tennis
13Baseball
10Soccer
10Basketball
4Multi-sport
3Football
2Beach volleyball
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Smithville ApothecaryBuilding · listed 1978
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Galloway Township: April to June
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 45 | 51 | 61 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 77 | 67 | 56 | 47 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.1 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Galloway Township →
Next door
Galloway Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Bass River Township144 miLittle Egg Harbor Township93 miEgg Harbor Township67 miGalloway Township66 miAtlantic City7.6 miBrigantine6.5 miPort Republic4.8 miPomona4.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galloway Township | 36% | 0.7 | 118 | 64% | A |
| Port Republic | 40% | 0.6 | 1,228 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Egg Harbor Township | 14% | 1.0 | 122 | 76% | A |
| Pomona | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Brigantine | 74% | 1.0 | 372 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Atlantic City | 14% | 0.7 | 25 | 99%+ | A |
| Bass River Township | 46% | 1.9 | 719 | 41% | A |
| Little Egg Harbor Township | 52% | 2.0 | 633 | 78% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Galloway Township
Where can I hike in Galloway Township?
The longest trail networks: Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, 4.5 miles; Patriot Lake Park, 0.7 miles; Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Galloway Township is conserved land?
36% of its land, against a typical 11% for a New Jersey town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Galloway Township’s trails?
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and Patriot Lake Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Galloway Township?
2.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.8 of painted or protected lanes and 0.4 of off-road paths. Named routes: Seaview Trails.
Is there public land near Galloway Township?
128,734 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Galloway Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,485 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Galloway Township have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #190 of 468 in New Jersey. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Galloway Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →