With daylight hours getting longer and temperatures rising, what better way to kick off the Spring season by visiting local parks close to home.
Many local parks in the area are equipped with trails to walk or playgrounds for kids to play on. Additional spots of interest are select picnic areas for friends and families to spend time together, varying athletic fields to play or spectate sports, and a special lake that allows not just fishing, but also the use of kayaks and canoes to traverse its waters.
From Swedesboro and Woolwich, to Logan, East Greenwich, and South Harrison, there are numerous parks for kids and grownups alike to get outside and take a breath of fresh air.
Swedesboro
Located at the end of Park Avenue, Lake Narraticon Park is a popular place to visit in Swedesboro. If anyone is itching for outdoor activities to do this Spring, make sure to pack a fishing rod for the lake or some good walking shoes for a good walking trail.
This vast trek of land was a manmade lake constructed back in the 1930’s, providing a small slice of nature in Swedesboro. In its early days, this was the only park residents of Swedesboro and Woolwich Township had. There until the 1970’s was a sandy beach with a lifeguard where members were allowed to swim. The sand is now grown over, but the beach line still remains.
Today, Narraticon Lake Park is a spot under the shade of large trees for local get togethers, picnics, and for children to enjoy themselves on the park’s playground. The lake is also a place to fish, with trout annually supplied to the lake. Visitors can either fish from the lakes floatingdocks or beachline if they wish to do so.
Visitors are also encouraged to bring kayaks and canoes. Thanks to floating launch sites, the lake is a popular spot for this aquatic activity.
When visiting Lake Narraticon Park, consider taking up the walking trail which encompasses the park. The trail is just a little over a mile and will take you through hilly and wooded. It is a place to just get closer to nature.
The park is also a popular place for bird watching. Bald Eagles frequent this area and are known to have nested near the lake.
Swedesboro will be adding an addition to its park roster in the near future. On Glen Echo Avenue near the intersection of Kings Highway, a park will be established right up against Racoon Creek with a new kayak ramp. Residents can also fish in the creek there. Picnic areas are also to be constructed on site.
The Glen Echo Park Project has been a decade in the making. The Borough of Swedesboro will be finalizing building permits to get this park’s construction underway.
Woolwich Twp.
In Woolwich Township, there are three parks for residents and visitors to enjoy year around: Locke Ave. Park, High Hill Park, and Tranquility Trails. These parks are a spot for people wanting to enjoy fresh air and go outside to enjoy the season.
The parks are places to enjoy walking trails, let children play on playground equipment, and even sit back and watch sports games. The most frequent sports are soccer and baseball, as well as softball, lacrosse, and disc golf tournaments. You can also find basketball courts.
All three parks have distinct environments to explore while walking their trails. From fields of wildflowers to glimpses of marshlands connected to the wooded areas of the Raccoon Creek with, nature is up front and center on the walking trails.
While visiting High Hill Park and Tranquility Trails, keep your eyes peeled for Eagle Scout projects. Between the two parks, Scouts have constructed information kiosks, horseshoe and gaga pits, picnic tables, flag poles, and mile markers across walking trails.
The scouts who constructed these projects are easily identified with plaques. A majority of the Eagle Scout Projects were made possible by scouts from Troop 7013 of Swedesboro.
Coming up a little later this month, the Swedesboro-Woolwich Little League will be opening its baseball season. The season will kick off with a hometown parade at Margaret Clifford School, where this year’s teams will be introduced. This will be followed by a march out to the fields for opening games.
All organized sports in Woolwich will be held either at Locke Avenue Park or High Hill Park and are open for the public to watch.
There is also a community garden in Woolwich Township, located on the grounds of Woolwich’s Municipal Building. Residents who don’t want or can’t grow their own garden at home are eligible to reserve low-cost plots. Members can reserve multiple plots, but only when given the opportunity to do so.
New gardener registrations opened to the public on April 1 for plots, but you can call the Woolwich Municipal Building at 856-467-2666 to see if there are any open plots. Additional information on the Woolwich Community Garden can be found on the township’s website (woolwichTownshiporg/government/parks-recreation/community-garden).
Last year Locke Ave. Park was awarded a large sum loan from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) through the Green Acres Program. With this money, Woolwich Township is expanding the park’s athletic fields and trails.
There will be two new soft ball and multipurpose fields added, along with some small practice fields, new restrooms, and additional parking spaces.
Walking trails in Locke Ave. Park will be greatly expanded to establish a connection with High Hill Park by a foot bridge, in addition to a path which leads into Tranquility Trails. This expansion will total out to be 1.2 miles of additional trails for visitors and residents to walk.
Woolwich Township Mayor Natalie Matthias is hopeful that the parks project expansion will conclude by the Fall. For more information, visit www.woolwichTownshiporg for future updates on the park’s construction.
Logan Twp.
Logan Township also has its fair share of parks to enjoy on the warmer days of spring. There is Beckett Park that hosts different sports, your traditional park on Township Line Road, and the Gloucester County DREAM Park which hosts animal sporting competitions year-round.
The Logan Little League is always making it big at Beckett Park, located on Beckett Road, introducing the world of baseball and softball to young children throughout Logan. Ball games will be in full swing this month and welcome spectators to watch their games.
All information about the Logan Little League’s schedule can be found on Facebook (facebook.com/loganlittleleague).
Just south of Beckett Park is Township Line Park on Township Line Road. This is a moderate sized park with a little bit of everything for people looking to get out of the house. There are sports fields and courts for basketball and pickleball, a short walking path that is roughly half a mile, and a playground with slides and swings for small children to play on.
Logan Township has a pickleball club and frequents the court at Township Line Park. If club members are unable to use the park’s court, the Logan Township Municipal Building has an indoor multipurpose gym that the club will use.
Information about the club can be obtained by visiting logan-Township.org and clicking the recreation tab for the pickleball club’s meetings and phone contacts, or you can look up the club on Facebook.
A bit outside of Logan Township on Route 130 is the Gloucester County DREAM Park, a facility where regularly scheduled programs of animal competitions are frequently held. Visitors can come to watch equine and dog shows.
The DREAM Park will also host an annual craft fair on June 13 and 14. To learn more about scheduled shows or about the annual craft fair, please visit the Gloucester County DREAM Park’s website (dreamparknj.com) for more information.
Dog owners can also get in on the action with local parks with Logan Township’s dedicated dog park on High Hill Road. The dog park consists of benches, a water fountain, and two gazebos for owners to rest while their dogs exercise and socialize amidst two different sized parks. One side of the park is designated for small dogs, and the other is for large dogs.
All owners must have their dogs’ vaccinations up to date in accordance with New Jersey laws and a collar visibly displaying valid licenses. Owners are also expected to dispose of their dogs’ waste into designated waste stations on site.
East Greenwich Twp.
Out in East Greenwich Township, another park open to visitors is Thompson Park, located on Wolfert Station Road. This park in Mickleton is a way to get outside, stretch your legs, and welcome the early days of spring.
There is a variety of playground equipment for children to play on, as well as a moderately sized walking trail which loops around the entire park. Walking the perimeter of Thompson Park’s broad trail, starting from the parking lot, is about a mile in length.
Thompson Park is also a dog friendly environment (dog-friendly clean up required). Near the back of the park and around the back fields, there are designated areas that are fenced in, allowing your dogs to run freely if you choose.
The park also has a variety of athletic fields for sports for those looking to let loose. There are basketball, tennis, pickleball, and volleyball courts across the park. All courts on park grounds are open to the public and are available to those who claim their spot first.
Mickleton Park on Democrat Road is another place to visit in East Greenwich. The park consists of a playground for children, a pond, and a stretch of grassy and forest areas. Renovation Plans for the park have been years in the making and are planned to continue through 2026.
East Greenwich’s Environmental Commission has been working to restore the park’s natural state from invasive plants. As the park continues clearing land for future plants, an on-site plant nursery grows plants that are native to the area. These plants will one day be replanted into cleared sites, transforming the park into a more natural state.
A notable plant that is currently in the park now is a sapling from the late and historic Salem Oak. The tree is located near the park’s pond and parking lot.
South Harrison Twp.
On Ferrell Road in South Harrison Township, you can find Stewart Memorial Park. Here visitors can find a short walking trail, as well as select sports fields on the park’s grounds.
The walking trail wraps just slightly around the back of the park and is cradled up against a wooded area. Trail paths are cared for and are marked for those keeping track of how far they have walked or jogged.
Stewart Memorial Park is also home to the South Harrison Little League for baseball and a Soccer Club. Seasons for both sports are held throughout the year, ending around late Fall. Every October, Stewart Memorial Park holds a seasonal festival. The South Harrison Township Fall Festival is a time for visitors to enjoy craft vendors, carnival rides, and assorted foods and beverages
By Gerald Philipp
