Hacklebarney State Park Reviews Summary

Park Maintenance and Facilities

Pros:

• "Maintenance crew was extremely friendly, and keeps the park in excellent condition."
• "Trails/bridges are well maintained and fun exploring for all ages, even young kids."
• "Restrooms were open at the beginning of the trail and were clean."
• "Provides maps and a restroom at entrance."
• "Trails are clearly marked and park is well maintained. Bathrooms are open from 8-3."
• "The grounds are beautiful and clean. Restrooms for an old guy are important too and these are appreciated."
• "This park is so well-maintained, and hiking trails are clearly marked."

Cons:

• "Shady, but nice. Unkempt walkways, missing stairs on pathway."
• "The bathrooms are not working and rather than maintain, they've set up portable toilets."
• "Now all the benches are old and in a bad state, the trail road is broken because there is no maintenance."
• "FYI: Many of the picnic tables along the trail are in need of repair."
• "The only downside is that there are not enough restrooms: Only porta potty at the entrance of the park."
• "The bathroom at the beginning of the park was disgusting. A perfect breeding ground for disease."
• "Unfortunately, many of the buildings have been left to rot."

Trail Experience and Accessibility

Pros:

• "Really nice park with a beautiful river running along the trail."
• "This is one of my family's favorite walk my 3 year old just did 1 and half miles for the first time here."
• "It can be very busy on holidays and weekends."
• "Beautiful trails that are perfect for beginners and intermediate hikers."
• "The trails are welcome to pets and the parking lot is big enough to accommodate a busy day."
• "The hiking trails are scenic and the sound of nature in this park is so calming!"
• "Great hike for beginners or anyone who loves hiking along a river with some waterfalls."

Cons:

• "The trails are not labeled properly, and it’s always a guessing game."
• "If you are with small kids or with Stroller, I suggest skipping the red trail."
• "This is not a very kids friendly place. Not stroller friendly."
• "The red trail that runs along the Black River, for instance, is unpaved and steep at times, with obstacles like roots and rocks along the path."
• "The trails are VERY poorly marked."
• "The trail is little technical along the river if you aren't sure footed."
• "A little too wild more like a jungle and less like a park."

Crowds and Atmosphere

Pros:

• "Not crowded, especially not during the early hours of opening."
• "An absolutely lovely park. Lots of people come here with their dogs and take in the sights."
• "It is truly amazing that a place like this exists in new jersey because it feels nothing like the cramped experience that is the garden state."
• "This park has a great selection of trails and views for anyone looking to get outside for the day."
• "We absolutely love this trail. It's a short and sweet so very kid friendly."
• "Great place to visit on weekends and evenings after work. It is hardly crowded anytime of the day."
• "Love this place. Great place to take the family for some fresh air and exercise."

Cons:

• "Saturday it was VERY crowded, which we didn't like."
• "The place was packed with people, I can't wait to go back on an off time."
• "Gets very crowded on nice days and weekends."
• "Trails are too narrow to keep the social distance and at least during the weekend, there were way too many people."
• "A bit crowded in the fall so if you want some solitude to be one with nature, this may not be the place for you."
• "It seemed crowded with a couple large groups bbq-ing."
• "A bit crowded and lots of dogs."

Environmental Responsibility and Cleanliness

Pros:

• "Also pls pls pls what you bring in you have to bring out, don't leave anything behind that doesn't belong there :)"
• "The water is fresh running water that is stocked with trout. Must have permit to fish, but a great place to drop in a line."
• "There are beautiful woods and waterfalls of different sizes all throughout the long hike."
• "It was a wonderful walk; the magnificent nature of this park is enchanting!!!!"
• "Really beautiful and pristine."
• "Beautiful State Park contains about 6 miles of trails about half of which are gravel."
• "Beautiful trails following a rocky creek with pools and waterfalls."

Cons:

• "Beautiful hiking place but No trash cans at all."
• "One negative is - Not even a single trash can anywhere, so be prepared to carry everything with you."
• "The picnic tables scattered throughout the park are old and rotten."
• "Someone left a big pile of garbage in the playground that an animal got into. That was gross."
• "The only complaint would be the bathroom was not very clean."
• "Nothing really to see. No scenic views."
• "This park was packed and most of the people we saw didn't care about social distancing or wearing masks, something we consider super important."