Manasquan Reservoir Loop Hike
Directions to trailhead
Take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 98, and continue onto I-195 West. Take Exit 28B and continue on US 9 North for about 500 feet, then turn right at a traffic light onto Georgia Tavern Road. Proceed for 1.2 miles, turn right at the entrance to the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, and proceed ahead to the parking area. GPS address: 300 Georgia Tavern Road, Howell Township, NJ 07731.
Hike Description
This level hike in Howell Township loops around the Manasquan Reservoir, built in the 1980s by damming the Manasquan River to provide a supply of water for adjacent municipalities. For most of the way, the hike follows the wide, multi-use Perimeter Trail, surfaced with fine gravel or dirt and used by walkers, joggers and bicyclists, but it detours onto the pedestrian-only Cove Trail for about a mile. The Perimeter Trail often parallels roads that run close to park’s boundary, but for the most part, vegetation shields the roads from view, especially when the trees are covered with leaves. The hike is described in the counter-clockwise direction, starting from the Environmental Center on Georgia Tavern Road.
From the crosswalk at the entrance to the parking lot at the Environmental Center, head south on the wide Perimeter Trail, marked by a signpost. In 500 feet, you’ll reach a junction with the Cove Trail, which begins on the right. Turn right onto the Cove Trail, a pedestrian-only trail that follows a narrow footpath, looping around the southwestern corner of the reservoir. Along the way, you’ll cross several bridges over streams and wet areas.
In about a mile, after passing through dense barberry thickets, the Cove Trail ends at a dirt road that leads to the reservoir from the nearby Windeler Road. Turn left and follow this dirt road a short distance to the Perimeter Trail, then turn right onto the Perimeter Trail, which will be your route for the remainder of the hike. The Perimeter Trail crosses two bridges and continues on a very wide road, passing a ranger residence and maintenance building (visible through the trees on the right).
About two miles from the start of the hike, you’ll reach a kiosk on the right. The trail now briefly parallels the entrance road to the park’s Visitor Center, then bears left, crosses the entrance road at a crosswalk, and passes Milepost 5 on the left (the mileposts run in the clockwise direction, while this hike is described in the counter-clockwise direction). Just beyond, the trail approaches Windeler Road, then bears left, away from the paved road.
In 750 feet, at a gate across the trail, the short Wetland Spur (which leads to the Visitor Center) begins on the left. Continue ahead on the Perimeter Trail, which soon crosses a paved access road to the reservoir, with a chain-link fence on the left. After passing a second gate, the trail reaches a bench, curves to the right, then curves to the left and begins to parallel Old Tavern Road on the right. The main dike of the reservoir is visible through the trees on the left.
In 0.2 mile, the trail curves to the left, away from the paved road, and passes a kiosk on the right. It soon begins to follow a winding route roughly parallel to Manassa Road, passing stands of holly trees and mountain laurel thickets. The trail remains some distance from the road, but the road can be seen through the trees (especially in leaf-off season). In a short distance, you’ll pass Milepost 4 on the left. In another third of a mile, the trail crosses a long truss bridge over a stream.
About 0.2 mile beyond the bridge, the trail bears left, away from Manassa Road, but it soon begins to parallel Southard Avenue. Here, there is a wooden fence to the left of the trail, with a chain-link fence beyond. In a short distance, the trail crosses a paved access road leading to the dike of the reservoir (the road is gated on the left).
The trail now moves away from the paved road and begins to parallel the reservoir, visible through the trees on the left. After passing Milepost 3, the trail turns sharply left, then sharply right. Here, the trail runs directly along the reservoir, soon reaching a dike which separates the reservoir from a wetland below on the right. A bench has been placed here, and this is a good spot to take a break and enjoy the panoramic views across the reservoir. Just beyond, a short side trail on the right leads down to a wildlife observation blind.
In another 750 feet, the trail bears right, then left to parallel the lightly-trafficked Peskin Road, visible on the right through the trees. It continues to parallel the road for about half a mile. After passing Milepost 2 on the left, the trail reaches the paved Georgia Tavern Road. It turns left and follows a gravel path along the road for the next 0.6 mile, crossing an arm of the reservoir on a dike. There are good views over the reservoir on the left. Along the way, you’ll pass the Chestnut Point parking area.
At the end of the dike, the Perimeter Trail turns left and parallels the entrance road to the Environmental Center. In about 500 feet, it reaches the parking lot where the hike began.