New Jersey Great Egg Harbor National Scenic map and highlights

Basic information for visitors  to the Great Egg Harbor National Scenic & Recreational River in  southern New Jersey, near Atlantic City.    

Great Egg Harbor National Scenic & Recreational River in southern New Jersey, near Atlantic City.    

The Great Egg Harbor River, a 129-mi waterway with 17  tributaries, drains 304 mi of pristine marshes into the heart of New  Jersey's Pinelands National Reserve. Fallen leaves and cedar roots tint  the water the color of tea, and the river's mix of freshwater and tidal  wetlands draw waterfowl throughout the year. The Fox Nature Center  reveals other creatures hidden amid the wetlands, as well as the park's  cultural background. The cooperatively managed river (the National Park  Service owns no land here) was designated in 1992.    

WHAT TO SEE & DO    

Bicycling, bird-watching, boating, camping, canoeing, fishing,  hiking, visiting historic sites. Tips & Hints: River runs primarily  through private property. There are no National Park Service Facilities,  but you can go to the Fox Nature Center in Estell Manor County Park  (tel. 609/625-1897) for visitor information.    

FOOD & LODGING    

Camping: None at site. In Belleplain: Belleplain State Forest  (Rte. 550, Exit 17 off Garden State Pkwy., tel. 609/861-2404; 169 sites;  $15; flush toilets, showers). Hotels: None in park. In Ocean City: Days  Inn (7th and Boardwalk, tel. 609/398-2200; 80 rooms; $150-$265; closed  mid-Oct.-mid-Apr). In Somers Point: Residence Inn (900 Mays Landing Rd.,  tel. 609/927-6400 or 800/331-3131; 120 suites; $209).  Restaurant: None  in park. In Somers Point: Crab Trap (2 Broadway, tel. 609/927-7377;  $5-$ 13).    

FEES, HOURS & REGULATIONS    

Free. Corridor open daily. New Jersey state fishing and hunting licenses required.    

HOW TO GET THERE    

Take the Garden State Pkwy. to the Great Egg Harbor Bay near Somers Point.    

CONTACTS    

Great Egg Harbor National Scenic & Recreational River  (National Park Service, Northeast Regional Office, Custom House, 3rd  fl., 200 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106, tel. 215/597-9175, fax  215/597-5747,). Fox Nature Center, Atlantic County Parks (Estell Manor  Park, Rte. 50, Mays Landing, NJ 08330, tel. 609/645-5960). Atlantic  County Chamber of Commerce (1337 Tilton Rd., Suite 201, Northfield, NJ  08225, tel. 609/646-2214).   

Great Egg Harbor National Scenic & Recreational River. Basic  information for visitors to the Great Egg Harbor National Scenic &  Recreational River In southern New Jersey, near Atlantic City