State Park

Swartswood State Park

Sussex County, New JerseyAbout 6,332 acresEstablished 1914
Status
Open (per official listing)Daily 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Entrance fee
Not posted
Day-use reservations
None mentioned
Dogs
Not stated — check with park
Camping
YesAlso yurts
Official site
dep.nj.gov(973) 383-5230

Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current

Overview

Swartswood State Park is a 6,332-acre park in Sussex County, about 4 miles northwest of Newton.

The park supports horseback riding, historic sites, hunting in season, boating, and wildlife watching. Water access includes a swimming beach and a boat ramp. Camping is available: 8 camping areas, including tent sites, group camping, and showers. Roofed lodging includes yurts.

Hours

Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.

FacilityDaysHoursSeason
ParkDaily8 a.m. – 8 p.m.—
Official wording

Open daily from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/New York).

Camping

Campground or site typeSitesHookups / featuresPrice
Campground——
Group Campground——
Yurt
April 1 to Oct 31
——
Yurt
April 1 to Oct 31
——
Yurt
April 1 to Oct 31
——
Yurt
April 1 to Oct 31
——
Yurt
April 1 to Oct 31
——
Yurt
April 1 to Oct 31
——
Camping details from the park

Campground Group Campground Yurt Yurt Yurt Yurt Yurt Yurt

From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.

Things to do

BoatingCampingHuntingPicnickingWildlife viewing and birdingHikingBikingHorseback ridingHistoric sites and tours

Trails

TrailLengthDifficultyNotes
Water Trail5.48 miEasyBlaze: UnmarkedWater surface
Willow Crest Trail2.71 miModerateBlaze: BlueHikingBikingHorseback ridingNatural surface
Spring Lake Trail2.09 miModerateBlaze: RedHikingBikingHorseback ridingNatural surface
Grist Mill Trail1.12 miModerateBlaze: YellowHikingBikingHorseback ridingNatural surface
Emmons' Path Trail0.93 miModerateBlaze: OrangeHikingBikingHorseback riding
Bear Claw Trail0.62 miModerateBlaze: YellowHikingBikingHorseback ridingLoose Aggregate surface
Duck Pond Trail0.62 miEasyBlaze: BlackHikingBikingHorseback ridingPaved surfaceAccessible
Limestone Trail0.49 miModerateBlaze: WhiteHikingBikingHorseback ridingNatural surface
Sinkhole Trail0.45 miEasyBlaze: GreenHikingBikingHorseback ridingNatural surface
Passage Trail0.4 miModerateBlaze: BlueHikingBikingHorseback ridingNatural surface
Connector - Spring Lake Trail, Dove Island Rd0.07 mi—Blaze: Lt BrownHikingBikingHorseback ridingNatural surface
Connector - Duck Pond Trail, Bird Blind0.03 miEasyBlaze: Lt BrownHikingBikingHorseback ridingGrass surface
Trail descriptions from the park

Water Trail – 5.48 mi – Easy Willow Crest Trail – 2.71 mi – Moderate – hiking/biking/horseback riding Spring Lake Trail – 2.09 mi – Moderate – hiking/biking/horseback riding Grist Mill Trail – 1.12 mi – Moderate – hiking/biking/horseback riding Emmons' Path Trail – 0.93 mi – Moderate – hiking/biking/horseback riding Bear Claw Trail – 0.62 mi – Moderate – hiking/biking/horseback riding Duck Pond Trail – 0.62 mi – Easy – hiking/biking/horseback riding Limestone Trail – 0.49 mi – Moderate – hiking/biking/horseback riding Sinkhole Trail – 0.45 mi – Easy – hiking/biking/horseback riding Passage Trail – 0.4 mi – Moderate – hiking/biking/horseback riding Connector - Spring Lake Trail, Dove Island Rd – 0.07 mi – hiking/biking/horseback riding Connector - Duck Pond Trail, Bird Blind – 0.03 mi – Easy – hiking/biking/horseback riding

Swimming

Swimming status: Open Open Wednesday - Sunday

Amenities

Facilities

  • Restrooms
  • Showers
  • Picnic areas
  • Picnic shelters
  • Playground
  • Park or camp store
  • Parking
  • Group facilities

Water

  • Swimming beach
  • Boat ramp

Camping

  • Tent camping
  • Group camping

Lodging

  • Yurts

Recreation

  • Horse trails

✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.

Getting there

Address
P.O. Box 123
Swartswood, NJ 07877
Nearest town
Newton — about 4 mi northwest (straight line)
Coordinates
41.0742, -74.8199
Phone
(973) 383-5230

Entrances

  • Park Entrance

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)

Nearby state parks

Kittatinny Valley State Park
5.8 mi southeast (straight line)
Stokes State Forest
7.8 mi north (straight line)
Allamuchy Mountain State Park
11.4 mi south (straight line)
Waterloo Village Historic Site
11.4 mi south (straight line)
Jenny Jump State Forest
12.3 mi southwest (straight line)
Hopatcong State Park
13.6 mi southeast (straight line)
Stephens State Park
13.9 mi south (straight line)
Worthington State Forest
15.3 mi west (straight line)

Sources and freshness

“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology

Report a correction for this park