Draft:Thompson Park (Monroe, New Jersey)

Thompson Park is a county park in Middlesex County, New Jersey, in Monroe Township. The largest developed park in Middlesex County, the park boasts playgrounds, sports facilities, animal enclosures, and hiking. A highlight to the park is 30-acre Manalapan Lake, created from a dammed section of the Manalapan Brook.

The park is dominated by mature secondary forest, showcasing 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.

The park is connected to Thompson Park Conservation Area, an undeveloped 900 acre tract of heavily wooded forests and swamps along the Manalapan Brook. Combined with additional state lands, the park is part of some 2000 acres of open green space.

History
The land around Thompson Park was settled in the late 17th century. Later, David Brainerd established an Indian mission "Bethel", on what is presently park lands. The mission boasted a population of 160 living in log cabins, with a school, church, and 80 acres of cultivated lands. The county started acquiring land for the park in 1955 and 1956, and the park was expanded in the following years.

Activities and Facilities
The park offers tennis, basketball, handball, baseball, softball, beach volleyball and soccer fields. In addition, it offers picnic areas, three playgrounds and a dog park. On Lake Manalapan, fishing and boating are allowed. Unique features of the park include a natural spring, and a "animal haven" where both exotic and native wildlife are on display in enclosures.

Additionally, the park offers seven hiking trails:

The Red Trail , traverses 1.63 mi of upland forests and passes by Manalapan Brook and associated wetlands.

The Yellow Trail, is .90 mi long, and traverses hilly woodland.

The Blue Trail, at .97 mi long, and follows the Manalapan Brook and it's various tributaries.

The Green Trail, at ,.69 mi, runs through pine plantations and crosses boardwalk.

The White Trail, .69 mi long, connects the main trail system to Manalapan Lake and the Animal Haven.

The Orange Trail, .69 mi, passes a meandering brook and offers connection to other trails.

The conservation area is mostly undeveloped, offering self-guided hiking and bird-watching on its three trails.