Cattus Island County Park
Park
492 acres6.9 mi of trail
Red TrailYellow TrailWhite-Red TrailBoardwalk Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: KForce · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Toms River Township
Toms River Township has 31 miles of mapped trails, 0.8 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Cattus Island County Park (6.9 mi), Winding River Park (1.7 mi), Toms River Veterans Recretion Complex (1.1 mi). 9% of Toms River Township’s land is conserved, about 2,228 acres. 3,042 acres are parks and preserves, 31 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #264 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
2,228 acres · of 40.5 sq mi of land
Trails
31 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,042 ac
31 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
77%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
14 mi
4.5 mi lanes
Lakes & rivers
5
12 beaches · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Toms River Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Toms River Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Toms River Township is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #264 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Toms River Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (31 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land31 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,042 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home77% 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 82%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 44%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Toms River Township ranks #176 on Outdoors.
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Toms River Township’s 9% is ahead of 40% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 55% of them.
Water is 23% of Toms River Township’s area (12 of 53 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 7%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Cattus Island County Park, with 6.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Winding River Park
Nature preserve
368 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Toms River Veterans Recretion Complex
Park
24 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 14 parks & preserves
Cattus Island County Park492 acres · 6.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWinding River Park368 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsToms River Veterans Recretion Complex24 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSkyview Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHuddy Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBey Lea Park28 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsShelter Cove Park29 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsToms River FC Oak Park Complex21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDeer Hollow Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsE.B. Leone County Conservation Area44 acres
DirectionsSilverton Park5 acres
DirectionsOrtley Beach Recreation Area A2 acres
DirectionsGarfinkle Park1 acres
DirectionsRiverfront Landing County Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,228 conserved acres
9% of Toms River Township’s land. Water is left out: Toms River Township has 40.5 square miles of land and 12.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Toms River Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County934 ac
Town or city871 ac
Other state land248 ac
State fish & wildlife137 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government83 ac
State natural resources16 ac
Not recorded414 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 921 acLocal Park · 693 acLocal Conservation Area · 386 acState Conservation Area · 385 acLocal Resource Management Area · 189 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 16 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattus Island Park Local Other or Unknown | County | 494 | Open |
| Municipal Open Space Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 367 | Open |
| Tilton Creek Preserve State Conservation Area | Other state land | 248 | Open |
| Kettle Creek Watershed Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | County | 213 | Open |
| Riverwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 165 | Open |
| Fischer Boulevard Local Park | Town or city | 148 | Open |
| Upper Barnegat Bay Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 137 | Open |
| unknown Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 110 | Open |
| Weatherly Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 78 | Open |
| Bey Lea Park Local Park | Not recorded | 77 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
76 places to go in Toms River Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Toms River Township
Plus 9 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Toms River Township
1 swimming spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Toms River Township
Castle ParkIn Toms River FC Oak Park Complex
DirectionsGavin's Galaxy
Directions55 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Toms River Township
2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Toms River Township
Toms River Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Toms River Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 4.1 mi
Red Trail1.5 mi
Yellow Trail1.5 mi
White-Red Trail0.4 mi
Boardwalk Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
14 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
9.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
62Tennis
42Baseball
29Soccer
23Basketball
11Pickleball
4Football
2Volleyball
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
A.A. Brant HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itCapt. Amos Birdsall HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itCrawford HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itHorner HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itStewart HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itStoutenburgh-Minturn HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itCapt. George W. Giberson HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itOcean County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itOcean County JailBuilding · listed 1983
About itElizabeth Sculthorp Force HouseBuilding · listed 2019
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Toms 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 44 | 50 | 61 | 70 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 66 | 56 | 47 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.7 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Toms River Township →
Next door
Toms River Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Manchester Township163 miBerkeley Township70 miToms River Township31 miBrick Township11 miPine Lake Park1.9 miLavallette0.9 miDover Beaches South0.3 miIsland Heights0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toms River Township | 9% | 0.8 | 31 | 77% | A− |
| Manchester Township | 36% | 2.0 | 266 | 81% | A+ |
| Lavallette | 12% | 1.1 | 33 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Dover Beaches South | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Berkeley Township | 47% | 1.6 | 268 | 86% | A+ |
| Brick Township | 14% | 0.4 | 26 | 96% | A |
| Island Heights | 4% | 0.2 | 15 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Pine Lake Park | — 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 Toms River Township
Where can I hike in Toms River Township?
The longest trail networks: Cattus Island County Park, 6.9 miles; Winding River Park, 1.7 miles; Toms River Veterans Recretion Complex, 1.1 miles; Skyview Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Toms River Township is conserved land?
9% 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 Toms River Township’s trails?
Cattus Island County Park and Winding River Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Toms River Township?
14 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.5 of painted or protected lanes and 9.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Toms River Township?
82,962 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Toms River Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,042 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Toms River Township have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #264 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 Toms 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 →