INTRODUCTION======================================
Cheesequake State Park, only 30 miles from metropolitan New York, is one of the most urban and accessible of New Jersey's State Parks. Know for its diversity in habitat and recreational activities, the park is located near Rarian Bay about five miles south of Perth Amboy in Middlesex County, it can be reached from Route 34 or the Garden State Parkway via exit 120.
Cheesequake State Park Office, campers may reregister before 10:am on the expiration day of their permit, provided they have not exceeded their maximum were you sign up for over night camping. Limit of stay, and facilities are available.Call Cheesequake State Park office for Reservations 1-732-566-2161
HISTORY============================================
The State of New Jersey began acquiring land for Cheesequake State Park in 1938. The park formally opened to the public on June 22, 1940 with a picnic grove and hiking trails. The name "Cheesequake" is taken from a word in the language of the Leni Lenape Indians, Who freqented the area to hunt and fish. Evidence of Indian occupation dates back 5,000 years before Henry Hundson's ship, the Half Moon first sailed into Raritan Bay in 1609. Lying in the transitional Zone between New Jersey's Northern and Southern vegetation types, Cheesequake State Park has a unique variety of plant and animal life. Open fields, salt and freshwater marshes a white cedar swamp, a sample of pine barrens, and an outstanding example of a Northeastern hardwood forest make up the park's 1,274 acres. The park has historically offered a varienty of recreational activities for groups, families and individuals of all ages. Activities include swimming in Hooks Creek Lake.
