Manumuskin River Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
3,457 acres13.9 mi of trail
Orange Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Dual Freq · CC BY 2.5AOutdoors
Outdoors in Maurice River Township
More than half of Maurice River Township’s land is conserved: 58%
58% of Maurice River Township’s land is conserved, about 34,797 acres. 24,511 acres are parks and preserves, 4,581 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Manumuskin River Preserve (13.9 mi), Peaslee Wildlife Management Area (13.8 mi), Heislerville Wildlife Management Area (3.1 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #200 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
58%
34,797 acres · of 93.2 sq mi of land
Trails
56 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
24,511 ac
4,581 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
49%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.9 mi
0.9 mi paths
Highest peak
62 ft
Muskee Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
4 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Maurice River Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Maurice River Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Maurice River Township is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #200 of 468 in New Jersey. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Maurice River Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land58% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (56 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land4,581 acres of park per 1,000 residents (24,511 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home49% of residents within a half mile of a park · NJ 98% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 90%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 57%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Maurice River Township’s 58% is ahead of 99% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 44% 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 Manumuskin River Preserve, with 13.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Peaslee Wildlife Management Area
Managed by New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
16,075 acres13.8 mi of trail
NJ State Long Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Heislerville Wildlife Management Area
Managed by New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
6,647 acres3.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Maurice River Township Wetland Restoration Site
Managed by PSEG Estuary Enhancment Program
1,392 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Menantico Ponds Wildlife Management Area
Managed by New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
36 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 10 parks & preserves
Manumuskin River Preserve3,457 acres · 13.9 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Peaslee Wildlife Management Area16,075 acres · 13.8 mi of trail · New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
Heislerville Wildlife Management Area6,647 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
DirectionsMaurice River Township Wetland Restoration Site1,392 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · PSEG Estuary Enhancment Program
Menantico Ponds Wildlife Management Area36 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
Belleplain State Forest26 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Eldora Nature Preserve752 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Shorebirds Moores Beach Preserve11 acres · New Jersey Natural Lands Trust
Shorebirds Environmental Concern Preserve10 acres · New Jersey Natural Lands Trust
Millville Wildlife Management Area5 acres · New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
Who protects it
34,797 conserved acres
58% of Maurice River Township’s land. Who manages Maurice River Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife41,624 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits12,843 ac
State parks4,027 ac
State natural resources4,002 ac
Town or city1,499 ac
Other state land1,205 ac
County1,169 ac
State Resource Management Area · 28,849 acState Conservation Area · 23,620 acPrivate Conservation · 12,740 acAgricultural Easement · 2,332 acLocal Park · 1,464 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,786 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 32 of 202 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peaslee Wildlife Management Area State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 28,323 | Open |
| Heislerville Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 14,019 | Open |
| Belleplain State Forest State Resource Management Area | State parks | 10,045 | Open |
| Manumuskin River Macrosite Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 6,686 | Unknown |
| Manumuskin River Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 3,508 | Open |
| unknown Local Park | Not recorded | 1,460 | Open |
| Maurice River Township Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 1,430 | Open |
| Eldora Preserve Site Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,428 | Unknown |
| Eldora Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 791 | Open |
| Manumuskin River Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 167 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
6 places to go in Maurice River Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Maurice River Township
Moores Beach
DirectionsThompsons Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Maurice River Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Maurice River Township
Muskee Hill62 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.7 miHorses · 3.0 miUnpaved · 22.8 mi
Seashore Line Trail3.0 mi
Orange Trail1.6 mi
NJ State Long Trail0.1 mi
Biking & sports
0.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.9 mi
off-road bike paths
Seashore Line TrailBike route
1.5 miDuck Pond TrailBike route
1.3 miCourts & fields
5Baseball
4Basketball
2Tennis
1Beach volleyball
1Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Maurice River 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 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 43 | 45 | 53 | 64 | 73 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 78 | 67 | 57 | 48 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.9 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 Maurice River Township →
Next door
Maurice River Township and its neighbors
Maurice River Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Estell Manor61 miMaurice River Township56 miDennis Township50 miVineland8.6 miCommercial Township7.0 miWeymouth Township6.9 miPort Norris5.2 miDorothy0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maurice River Township | 58% | 0.6 | 4,581 | 49% | A |
| Vineland | 18% | 0.1 | 94 | 60% | B+ |
| Dennis Township | 62% | 0.8 | 1,477 | 59% | A |
| Commercial Township | 51% | 0.2 | 1,777 | 94% | A |
| Estell Manor | 66% | 1.1 | 14,288 | 92% | A+ |
| Weymouth Township | 15% | 0.6 | 436 | 50% | A− |
| Dorothy | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Port Norris | — 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 Maurice River Township
Where can I hike in Maurice River Township?
The longest trail networks: Manumuskin River Preserve, 13.9 miles; Peaslee Wildlife Management Area, 13.8 miles; Heislerville Wildlife Management Area, 3.1 miles; Maurice River Township Wetland Restoration Site, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Maurice River Township is conserved land?
58% 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 Maurice River Township’s trails?
Manumuskin River Preserve and Peaslee Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Maurice River Township?
0.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.9 of off-road paths. Named routes: Seashore Line Trail and Duck Pond Trail.
Is there public land near Maurice River Township?
168,990 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Maurice River Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 28,782 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Maurice River Township have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #200 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 Maurice River 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 →