Thompson Park (Middlesex County, New Jersey)
| Thompson Park | |
|---|---|
Fields and forest near a parking lot in the park. | |
| Type | Suburban county park and nature reservation |
| Location | Monroe Township, New Jersey, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°20′30″N 74°25′55″W / 40.341702°N 74.432028°W |
| Area | 678 acres (2.74 km2) |
| Created | 2011 |
| Owned by | Middlesex County |
| Operated by | Middlesex County Park System |
| Open | Dawn-Dusk |
| Status | Open all year |
| Hiking trails | 7 |
| Habitats | Northeastern coastal forests, Pine Barrens |
| Designation | Developed Park |
| Website | Park web page |
Thompson Park is part of the Middlesex County Park System in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Largely in Monroe Township with a portion on Jamesburg. The park includes playgrounds, sports facilities, animal enclosures, and hiking trails. The park is connected to sports fields operated by Monroe Township High School. It is the largest park in the Middlesex County Park System, and features Lake Manalapan at its center.
The park is connected to Thompson Park Conservation Area, an undeveloped 900-acre (360 ha) tract of heavily wooded forests and swamps along the Manalapan Brook. Combined with additional state lands, the park is part of some 2,000 acres (810 ha) of green space. In 2023, efforts were launched to preserve an adjacent 34-acre (14 ha) farm.
A major feature of the park is the 30-acre (12 ha) Manalapan Lake, created from a dammed section of Manalapan Brook. The park includes mature secondary forest with trees such as tulip poplar, oak and hickory. An area of the park lies within the Spotswood outlier of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Wildlife is typical of the Northeastern coastal forests, including wild turkey and deer.