As the winter season comes to an end, New Jersey transforms into a colorful and vibrant landscape. From blooming flowers to outdoor festivals, the Garden State lives up to its nickname during the spring season. In this post, we will explore the best spring activities in New Jersey that you can do in the upcoming season.
Cherry Blossom Festival
One of the most iconic and beautiful spring activities in New Jersey that you can do is attend the cherry blossom festival in Branch Brook Park, located in Newark. With more than 5,200 cherry blossom trees, the park turns into a breathtaking sea of pink and white. Cherry blossom season in New Jersey usually begins around late March to early April.
The festival includes a Cherry Blossom Challenge Bike Race, Cherry Blossom 10K Run, Essex County Family Day, the 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk and Bloomfest which includes live music, fun for the kids, crafters, and Japanese cultural demonstrations.
Check out my Cherry Blossom Festival Travel Guide here!
Tulip Field
How amazing is it that you can experience the tulip fields of Holland right here in New Jersey! The tulip festival at Holland Ridge Farm in Cream Ridge, NJ is one of the best spring activities in New Jersey that you can do. It is a stunning tulip farm where you can pick your own flowers and create a bouquet to bring home with you.
In addition to their tulip fields, Holland Ridge has food trucks, a bakery barn with sweet treats, live music, pony rides, and a petting zoo. You can even take a free hayride around the farm.
The opening date for when tulips bloom in New Jersey are different every year. Usually, tulip season opens mid-April and only lasts a couple weeks.
Check out my guide on tulip festivals in New Jersey!
Alpaca Farm
One of the most fun spring activities in New Jersey is to visit an alpaca farm! I recommend visiting Bluebird Farm Alpacas. They are a 15-acre farm located in Peapack, New Jersey that is the home to 21 adorable alpacas. At their farm, you get to learn, meet, interact with, feed, and take photos with their alpacas.
They offer three different tour options. Each tour begins with the staff explaining the differences between an alpaca and a llama, how to pet an alpaca, and all about their farm! Their farm tour is $12 and the staff will guide you through their alpaca pens and introduce you to some of their alpacas. You will get the opportunity to feed, feel, and take photos with them.
A second tour, which is the one I got to experience, is their Farm Tour + Halter Training Combo for $22. After feeding them, you will get to explore the farm by taking an alpaca on a walk using a halter and lead line. If you are visiting the farm with children, who might be too little to walk an alpaca, they also have a $16 ticket where they get to accompany a halter trainer. Please note that Alpaca Tours are available on weekends by reservation only. Private tours are also available during the week. You can reserve online and purchase tickets here!
It was an amazing experience and I love that you were able to interact with all the alpacas. It was a lot of fun getting to explore the farm while walking your very own alpaca! They are so adorable and gentle and its cute that they have their own unique personality.
Check out more details on my experience at Bluebird Farm here!
Hiking
There are so many hiking trails in and near New Jersey. The spring season is a great time to go on a hike before the heat of the summer begins. Here are some of my favorite hiking trails:
Bear Mountain State Park – This state park is located in the Palisades region of New York. It is about an hour drive from central Jersey. I recommend hiking the Bear Mountain Loop trail. It is a challenging 3.8 mile hike with amazing views. Before starting the hike, make sure to check out the beautiful lake views.
Mount Tammany – This hiking trail is located in Warren County, NJ. It is the southernmost peak of the Kittatinny Mountains at the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This is considered one of the best hiking trails in New Jersey! This trail is a steep and rocky 3.5 miles and gives you an amazing view of the Delaware Water Gap.
Stairway to Heaven – This trail is located near Glenwood, NJ. It is a 7.5 mile hike where you will walk through a boardwalk, suspension bridge, and a cow pasture. Then, you take a steep windy incline over a rocky terrain that will reward you with great views at the end!
Hacklebarney State Park – This park is located in Long Valley, NJ. Two beginner easy hikes are the Hacklebarney Loop Trail and the Red, Yellow, and White Loop Trails. They are both a little over 2 miles. It’s a gorgeous park to explore.
Breakneck Ridge – This trail is located in the Hudson Valley in New York. It is a challenging 3.2 mile loop trail. At some points, it feels like you are legit rock climbing haha! It’s a popular hike and gives you awesome views of the Hudson Valley.
Storm King Mountain – This trail is also located in the Hudson Valley in New York. It is a moderate 2.4 mile hike. You get to scale up two mountains, Butter Hill and Storm King. You will pass multiple viewpoints and get great shots of the Hudson Valley!
Check out my blog post on the best hiking trails in the Northeast
Cross Estate Gardens
If you are looking for a beautiful garden to visit in New Jersey during the spring, you have to check out Cross Estate Gardens in Bernardsville, NJ. It’s such a beautiful garden to wander through. As you explore the garden, you will come across a perennial garden, wisteria-covered pergola and rhododendron archway which blooms in late spring, a garden of native plants, and even a water tower. The grounds also have a few different hiking trails.
Check out more about my experience at Cross Estate Gardens here!
Spotted Leaf Plant Company
Spotted Leaf Plant Company is located in Somerville, New Jersey. It’s a plant shop that sells a range of tropical indoor plants, pots, and other plant accessories. In the back of the shop, they have a “Greenhouse Room.” This is where they offer fun plant + sip classes! You can build a terrarium, paint your own pot, or create a kokedama! They also have open studio hours! My mom and I went to visit during their open studio hours to build our own terrarium!
They offer four different terrariums that you can choose from and they set you up with all the tools you need. You get to choose your sand color, 2-3 plants depending on the size of terrarium you chose, and rocks and moss to decorate! We loved it! The staff was so friendly and helpful. It’s a perfect weekend activity or a fun date night idea! They also host parties, corporate events, showers and kid parties!
Day Trip to New York City
I love how close New York City is from New Jersey. It’s one of those day trips from North Jersey that you can keep planning and always do something different. There are so many things to do in New York City all year long. Explore the highlights like Times Square, Central Park, Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Hudson Yards and One World Trade. You can enjoy world-class museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and the Natural History Museum. You can catch a Broadway Show, walk the Brooklyn Bridge, and go shopping in Soho! If you are feeling adventurous, you can even go on a doors off helicopter ride over the city!
Check out my New York City blog posts:
- The Best NYC Instagram Spots
- Dumbo Brooklyn Instagram Spots
- Doors Off Helicopter Experience
- Best Brunch Spots in New York City
Day Trip to Princeton
Princeton is more than just an Ivy League University. It is a cute and charming town filled with so many things to do. Spending a day here is one of the best spring activities in New Jersey.
Princeton has a great downtown with a bunch of different shops. You can walk around Palmer Square. This is where you will find brand-name retailers, clothing and home boutiques, cafes, bars, and restaurants. One of the best things to do in Princeton is to get ice cream at Bent Spoon, located right in Palmer Square. It was actually named one of the world’s greatest ice cream shop by Financial Times.
You can’t visit Princeton without walking through the Princeton University campus. It is a beautiful campus filled with historic buildings and amazing architecture.
Near Princeton, you can visit the Grounds for Sculpture museum. Explore their 42 acres and check out their 300 contemporary sculptures. They also have six indoor galleries that you can wander through.
If you want to explore more of the outdoors, check out the Institute Woods trail. This is an easy walking trail that features a swinging bridge over a stream and the historic site of a revolutionary war battle called Battlefield State Park.
