Makepeace Lake Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
13,199 acres22.2 mi of trail
NJ State Long Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Hamilton Township
Hamilton Township has 24,592 acres of parks, 872 for every 1,000 residents
36% of Hamilton Township’s land is conserved, about 25,835 acres. 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Makepeace Lake Wildlife Management Area (22.2 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #94 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
36%
25,835 acres · of 110.9 sq mi of land
Trails
45 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
24,592 ac
872 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.2 mi
1.5 mi lanes · 3.7 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
2 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Hamilton Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hamilton Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hamilton Township is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #94 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, trail miles lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hamilton Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land36% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (45 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4BPark land872 acres of park per 1,000 residents (24,592 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · NJ 98% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 80%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Hamilton Township’s 36% is ahead of 90% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 34% of them.
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 Makepeace Lake WMA, with 22.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hamilton Preserve
Managed by New Jersey Natural Lands Trust
1,967 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Thompsontown Preserve
Managed by New Jersey Natural Lands Trust
232 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Estell Manor Park
Managed by Atlantic County Department of Public Works Division of Parks and Recreation
205 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 8 parks & preserves
Makepeace Lake Wildlife Management Area13,199 acres · 22.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGaskill Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLake Lenape Park West6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Atlantic County
Pinelands Interpretive Center2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHamilton Preserve1,967 acres · New Jersey Natural Lands Trust
DirectionsThompsontown Preserve232 acres · New Jersey Natural Lands Trust
Estell Manor Park205 acres · Atlantic County Department of Public Works Division of Parks and Recreation
Lake Lenape Park East3 acres · Atlantic County
Who protects it
25,835 conserved acres
36% of Hamilton Township’s land. Who manages Hamilton Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife15,170 ac
Other state land6,498 ac
County4,353 ac
Town or city1,013 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)320 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits317 ac
State natural resources274 ac
State Conservation Area · 21,702 acAgricultural Easement · 3,736 acLocal Resource Management Area · 2,897 acLocal Other or Unknown · 611 acConservation Easement · 320 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,851 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 241 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makepeace Lake Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 12,344 | Open |
| Great Egg Harbor River Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 4,946 | Open |
| Lake Lenape Park Local Resource Management Area | County | 2,099 | Open |
| Hamilton Preserve State Conservation Area | Other state land | 2,068 | Open |
| Mankiller Preserve State Conservation Area | Other state land | 855 | Open |
| Cologne Avenue Park Local Resource Management Area | County | 692 | Open |
| Hamilton Township Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 595 | Open |
| Bears Head Preserve State Conservation Area | Other state land | 317 | Open |
| Strawberry Field Aviation Facility State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 269 | Open |
| Thompsontown Preserve State Conservation Area | Other state land | 232 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
20 places to go in Hamilton Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Hamilton Township
The Cove at Lake Lenape
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Hamilton Township
Clubhouse Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Hamilton Township
12 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Hamilton Township
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Hamilton Township
Indian Branch Park Campground
DirectionsRiver Beach RV Resort and MarinaZeman
DirectionsWinding River Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 7.0 mi
NJ State Long Trail3.5 mi
Lenape Park Bluffs1.8 mi
Camp Acagisca River Access Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.7 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
23Tennis
11Basketball
7Baseball
5Soccer
3Multi-sport
1Cricket
1Football
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hamilton 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) | 43 | 45 | 53 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 86 | 85 | 78 | 67 | 57 | 48 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.1 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.8 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Hamilton Township →
Next door
Hamilton Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Egg Harbor Township67 miGalloway Township66 miEstell Manor61 miHamilton Township45 miBuena Vista Township29 miWeymouth Township6.9 miMays Landing2.2 miRichland1.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Township | 36% | 0.4 | 872 | 97% | A+ |
| Egg Harbor Township | 14% | 1.0 | 122 | 76% | A |
| Weymouth Township | 15% | 0.6 | 436 | 50% | A− |
| Mays Landing | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Galloway Township | 36% | 0.7 | 118 | 64% | A |
| Estell Manor | 66% | 1.1 | 14,288 | 92% | A+ |
| Buena Vista Township | 10% | 0.7 | 393 | 73% | A |
| Richland | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hamilton Township
Where can I hike in Hamilton Township?
The longest trail networks: Makepeace Lake Wildlife Management Area, 22.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hamilton 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 Hamilton Township’s trails?
Makepeace Lake Wildlife Management Area and Hamilton Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hamilton Township?
5.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.5 of painted or protected lanes and 3.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Hamilton Township?
169,650 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hamilton Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 24,870 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hamilton Township have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #94 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 Hamilton 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 →