Huber Woods Park

     Wednesday, July 6, 2022: After doing the scenic tour of Ocean Grove, New Jersey earlier that day, I visited another place in Monmouth County, NJ: Huber Woods Park, 25 Brown’s Dock Road, Locust (Middletown Township) (732-872-2670). The Huber Family donated this house and grounds to the Monmouth County Parks system in 1974. This 103-acre land has grown through the years to 390 acres, thanks to other nearby land donations. Meanwhile, this park contained over eight miles of trails: some for walking and others for both walking & riding horses. Those trails ranged from easy, to moderate, to challenging hiking. Because I was still tired and aching from my walk in Ocean Grove, I mainly visited first, the reptile house that showed cases of live snakes and turtles as well as frogs (amphibians). Afterward, I spent most of my time in the environmental center. Here, I found myself drawn to one of the rooms exhibiting text, pictures, and some items that explained more about the Huber Family and about the flora & fauna of the surrounding woods. Nevertheless, my favorite room gave a detailed account about the history and lifestyles of NJ’s first people: the Lenni-Lenapes! Besides texts, pictures, and items to look at, this area also contained plenty of “hands-on” exhibits that looked like it would be popular with children. This place even had areas where children could sit down and read books written for them about the Lenapes as well as about the nearby animal and plant life. Another room I liked presented cases of models of animals, both wood carved and taxidermy while another side of the room provided a big window with bird feeders outside where I could sit and watch different birds eating. If nothing else, a visit here could make you more aware of the environment around you and about the people who first lived here.