Shore Acres State Park

About Shore Acres State Park

Perched on a rugged sandstone cliff high above the ocean, Shore Acres State Park is one of the most beautiful structures in the state of New Jersey. At the foot of a steep cliff, just a few hundred meters from the coast, is the largest built-up element of any national park in North America and it features a lush garden with plants and flowers from around the world. It was once the site of an ancient burial ground for the dead and the remains of many ancient animals and birds.

The green space includes two emerging gardens, where the American Rose Selection is on display, as well as a variety of native plants from around the world.

After visiting the gardens, you can stroll along the cliffs and enjoy spectacular views of the sea, including often high waves crashing against the coast and gray whales feeding in storms. On the site of Simpson's vanished mansion, a fully enclosed observation building will allow you to look out over the ocean and protect you from the weather. The observatory has an exhibition describing the history of the Simpson estate, as well as information about the history of the park. After visiting the garden, you can walk up the cliff to the observatory's observation deck and enjoy spectacular views of the ocean, often including a high wave crashing into the coasts or pulling up a gray whale in a storm.

At the entrance to the formal gardens, our friends from Shore Acres run a "C-Friends" where visitors can purchase items related to the historical and natural features of ShoreAcres. Over the years, this group of friends has promoted various gardens and cultural events in the gardens.

The largest Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) is located on the historic estate of Louis J. Simpson.

This pine is 1.80 meters tall and has a history as one of the largest and most famous trees in California.

This prize shares the name of a Monterey pine in Carmel, California, which has a small trunk and a broad crown. This large pine (Pinus radiata) on the west side of the park was planted probably in 1910 and measures 1.80 meters.