Stephens State Park - State park in Hackettstown - , USA

Beautiful park , trails are not hard , close to the water Accessible restrooms , picnic areas , children playground

One of my favorite spots. Dishwashing station at restrooms. Showers separate from toilets and private. Nice hiking trails near by

Often, I scout Google maps in the Tri State area for photoshoot locations and have had this Park bookmarked, for about 4 years. 8 years ago, for this type of scenery I would go to the Mt Tammany Red Dot Trail. However, it's become popular and incredibly crowded. Stephen's State Park is the perfect mix. Beautiful scenery, Accessible Bathrooms, Considerate Hikers and Nature Photographers, People Playing guitar, BBQing, Etc. Everyone was happy to be there and very respectful of one another's space. Parking is right next to everything you want to see when you first arrive. The trails and river are right next to the lots. We will be back to explore more parts of Stephen's State Park!

This is a nice park developed around the gently flowing river Musconetcong. The waters are calm and peaceful. No swimming or wading is allowed but fishing is allowed. The park is kid and pet friendly and wheel chair accessible. The red trail is stroller / wheel-chair friendly. The other trails are challenging. We saw many people exploring the area on mountain bikes. There are a lot of nice picnic spots by the river. The added bonus are the two play areas for kids. One was very close to our campsite and the other was at the start of the red trail on the other side of the park. There were lots of birds and I guess this is a great spot for bird-watching.

Great mountain biking trails - nice variety of moderate and challenging trails, with a few easier trails readily accessible from the parking lot.

Needs work, the picnic tables are a disaster the pavilion has moss and bees. They need an overhaul on the island. Tree roots are dangerous and constantly flooded.

Stayed a night in the pet-friendly campground. The park is gorgeous. The river is obviously a popular destination, for good reason. Campground is clean and mostly well laid out. The bathroom and shower facilities were in need of a cleaning, but to be fair we stayed Sunday night and left Monday morning - probably missed the cleaning crew. I would camp here again.

Camped at the campground on a weekend in May 2021 and had a wonderful time. We hiked part of the Highland Trail and enjoyed the varied terrain and sights along the trail. We saw people fishing, groups picnicking and a few people hiking. It was very serene and the people were all respectful. There are picnic spots with tables and grills available, just make sure to bring your grill cleaning materials and table and bench covers.