The East Coast skate scene may be dominated by New York City and Brooklyn, but New Jersey has been quietly yet steadily keeping up. New Jersey skateparks may not be as big but they’re no less challenging.
Here are some of the most popular and highly rated skateparks in New Jersey you should consider visiting.
Best New Jersey Skateparks
1. Holland Playground & Skate Park, Elizabeth
Why visit: Highly rated skatepark by local skaters
With plenty of skateparks in New Jersey, it’s tough to make a definitive choice for the best among them, but Holland Skate Plaza is consistently on skaters’ lists of must-skate parks in New Jersey.
This 10,000-square-feet skatepark has a wide variety of street obstacles, including four hubba ledges with stair sets, handrail and stair set, rainbow pole jam, two up banks, a taco bank, flat ledges, curved ledge, flat bar, and a decent amount of flat ground perfect for beginners.
It’s designed to be a community multi-use plaza as well, where non-skaters are welcome to watch skaters do their tricks and enjoy the fresh air.
Other information
Type of skating: Street skating
Other activities allowed: BMX, inline skates, scooters
Admission fee? No
Supervised? No
Safety gear enforced? Yes
Lights? No
2. Skateplex at Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, Long Branch
Why visit: Most popular skatepark in the Jersey Shore area
Jersey Shore faces the Atlantic and is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.
The Skateplex at Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park opened in 2005 and has been a favorite of skaters since.
In fact, it has been a popular venue for film and photoshoots for skate videos, magazines, blogs, and other published media.
In 2020 a 5,000-square-foot flow bowl was added, with three sections, mini ramps, spine, volcano pump bumps, extensions, and a brick-stamped bank. It expanded the park to 21,000 square feet.
The older, smaller bowl has a hip and steel coping and is still popular, especially with beginners.
There are also plenty of street plaza elements: manual pads, rails, hubbas, stairs, bank ramps, flat ledges, flat bars, tall wedges, a tall radiused wedge, a freestanding grind rail, fun box, ribbon quarter pipe combo, and skateable planter ledges.
The Monmouth County Park System also offers skateboarding lessons and one-day clinics to those who register online.
Surfing is popular in this park during the summer, so if you’re into both activities, this is the perfect place to surf and skate on the same day.
Other information
Type of skating: Transitional and street skating
Other activities allowed: Skateboards and inline skates only
Admission fee? No
Supervised? No
Safety gear enforced? Yes
Lights? Yes
3. Evergreen Skate Park, Woodbridge
Why visit: Unique, modern design
Also called Colonia skatepark, the 10,000-square-foot Evergreen Skatepark features plaza-style terrain inspired by the urban streetscape of New York City.
Some of the street obstacles here include corner banks, quarter pipes, pole jams, flat bars, flat gaps, a bank to bank gap, a camel hump to kicker, curved ledge, transitional manual pad, A-frame manual pad, volcano, handrail, hubbas, stairs, and a brick-stamped bank.
It also features challenging jumps for advanced skaters, including taco jumps, launcher hubba ledge, pole jam, pyramid hips, and pump humps.
Other information
Type of skating: Street skating
Other activities allowed: BMX, inline skates
Admission fee? No
Supervised? No
Safety gear enforced? Yes
Lights? No
4. Cape May County Skatepark, Ocean City
Why visit: Skatepark on one of the most beautiful beaches in New Jersey
The Cape May County skatepark on Asbury Avenue replaced the one at Sixth and Broadway and is yet another reason for tourists to visit Ocean City, a famous resort city.
Incidentally, Ocean City is our pick for the best beach in New Jersey.
This 12,000-square-foot skatepark was built by the Spohn Ranch Design team by milling the old parking lot on the grounds and repurposing the asphalt to be the base material in the new park.
The skatepark features two bowls; the larger one is pill-shaped with a hip incorporated into the middle of one side and a pocket opposite the hip, while the smaller flow bowl has a ditch-style snake run and an open section where skaters can get used to skating in a bowl.
The street section includes pump bumps, stairs, quarter pipes, stairs with hubbas, ledges, manny boxes kickers, Euro gap bank, inset bank to ledge, flat ledge, flat bar, quarter pipe with a chunk of culvert sticking out, and a perfect mini ramp.
Skate camps and skate lessons are held here; online registration is required. Skaters under 12 must have an adult companion.
Other information
Type of skating: Transitional and street skating
Other activities allowed: None; skateboards only
Admission fee? No
Supervised? No
Safety gear enforced? Yes
Lights? Yes
5. Toms River Skatepark, Toms River
Why visit: Newest New Jersey skatepark
Toms River Skatepark is a 7,000-square-foot concrete skatepark just opened in 2021.
It’s a small but versatile skatepark with several obstacles and plenty of variety.
For vert skaters, there’s a four-to-six-foot kidney bowl with a mini ramp section and steel coping. The shallow section is ideal for beginners, while the deeper end is ideal for veterans.
Street obstacles include a half pyramid with floating ledge, manual pads, Euro gap, slappy curb, flat bars, flat ledges, flat rails, hubbas, A-frame ledge, bank to inset ledge, bank ramps, London gap, funbox, and quarter pipes.
The skatepark is found within Castle Park, where there’s also a large playground, climbing rock, soccer field, and picnic areas and tables.
Other information
Type of skating: Transitional and street skating
Other activities allowed: BMX, inline skates, scooters
Admission fee? No
Supervised? No
Safety gear enforced? Yes
Lights? Yes
6. Castle Point Skatepark, Hoboken
Why visit: Excellent views of the Manhattan skyline and the Hudson River
Located within Castle Point Park is Hoboken’s only designated skateboarding area.
It features several ramps, rails, fun boxes, half pipes, quarter pipes, two-sided pyramids with hubbas, banks, and ledges.
Beginners tend to go to the micro mini ramp while veterans gravitate to the taller mini ramp.
In contrast with many of the other New Jersey skateparks, the obstacles at Castle Point Skatepark are made of skatelite, a durable composite material specially designed for extreme sports.
Other information
Type of skating: Transitional and street skating
Other activities allowed: BMX, inline skates, scooters
Admission fee? No
Supervised? No
Safety gear enforced? No
Lights? Yes
7. Berry Lane Park Skate Park, Jersey City
Why visit: Biggest skatepark in Jersey City
Berry Lane Park is the largest municipal park in Jersey City, and at 12,000 square feet, the skatepark at Berry Lane Park is the largest skatepark in Jersey City.
It was built with the help of a grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation, now known as The Skatepark Project.
The street section features flat bars, stair sets with rails and ledges, bank to bank, flat rail over gap, camel hump, manual pads, clamshell, rollers, A-frame ledge, hipped quarter pipes, and banks at each end.
The flow bowl, on the other hand, features hips, a bank section, extensions, and a volcano.
Berry Lane Park also has a playground, a soccer field, a rain garden, a splash pad, exercise stations, basketball courts, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond.
Other information
Type of skating: Transitional and street skating
Other activities allowed:
Admission fee? No
Supervised? No
Safety gear enforced? No
Lights? No
8. Ann Van Middlesworth Park, Hillsborough Township
Why visit: Variety of obstacles with a wide range of difficulty
Affectionately known as “Ann Van” by local skaters, it started out as a DIY skatepark built and maintained by local skaters at a time when purpose-built skateparks aren’t popular yet.
It’s been open to skaters, bikers, and scooter riders for more than 2 decades, and visitors, old and new, love this classic skatepark with its colorful DIY concrete banks and ramps.
Obstacles in this park include grind rails, ledges, ramps, humps, jersey barriers, half pipes, rails, and parking blocks.
Ann Van Middlesworth Park also has baseball/softball fields, basketball courts, a playground, 1-mile unpaved trails, a picnic area and shelter, and a fishing pond.
Other information
Type of skating: Transitional and street skating
Other activities allowed: BMX, inline skates, scooters
Admission fee? No
Supervised? No
Safety gear enforced? No
Lights? Yes
9. Freedom Skate Park, Trenton
Why visit: New Jersey’s only public indoor skatepark
Managed by an all-volunteer non-profit organization, Freedom Skate Park is a public indoor skate park aiming to provide skaters of all ages a safe place to skate during the winter.
When the weather turns cold and the sun goes down earlier, skaters have difficulty looking for a place to skate. Freedom Skate Park provides a warm, well-lit place for skaters to practice their tricks.
The Trenton Winter Skateboarding Program is their flagship program, scheduled every Saturday from November through February, with open skate events, live music performances, womxn and queer skate meet-ups, and other positive community events.
They’re usually closed during the summer, but they launched a successful First Fridays one summer, and they may stage a repeat.
Other information
Type of skating: Transitional and street
Other activities allowed: Inline skates; no bikes or scooters
Admission fee? No
Supervised? Yes
Safety gear enforced? Yes
Lights? Yes
10. Mattano Park Skatepark, Elizabeth
Why visit: Newly renovated family-friendly sports and recreation place
At 6,000 square feet, the skatepark at Mattano Park is one of New Jersey’s famed mini skateparks.
Five minutes away from Holland Skatepark, its “big brother,” Mattano Skatepark manages to pack a lot of punch in its small space, with challenges for vert and street skaters.
The flow bowl has hips and extensions, a volcano, and a pump bump.
The street portion has bank ramps, two down ledges, out ledge (good for frontside or backside skating), flat bar, bump to manual/ledge, and a quarter pipe.
Mattano Park has plenty to offer non-skaters as well; there are ball fields, playgrounds, and a water spray, as well as wide open space and the nearby Elizabeth River. You can also find Union County’s first playground for children with special needs here.
Other information
Type of skating: Transitional and street skating
Other activities allowed: BMX, inline skates
Admission fee? No
Supervised? No
Safety gear enforced? No
Lights? Yes
Tips When Planning Your New Jersey Skate Trip
Ready to plan your trip to New Jersey? Here are some of our tips to help you enjoy your visit.
Getting To and Around New Jersey
There are several airports in New Jersey, but the major airport is Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
Public transport is available, but the majority drive their own cars. You might want to rent a car at the airport or use ridesharing services like Uber or Lyft.
Best Time Of Year To Visit
Spring to fall months are perfect for skating; winter temperatures are too cold to go skateboarding.
Visiting a New Jersey Skatepark For the First Time
Most New Jersey skateparks have similar rules, such as needing to get a permit or waiver every time you visit, wearing helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads, and prohibiting alcohol and tobacco on the grounds.
It’s also good to know basic skatepark etiquette:
Don’t snake. This should be obvious enough, but impatient skaters may forget. If a skater is just about to drop into a bowl or do a run, don’t cut them off.
Know when to yell “board!” When you lose your skateboard, especially if it becomes airborne, yell “board” and chase after it. This alerts otherwise oblivious skaters to watch out for a rogue board.
Be polite. It’s almost certain that you’ll encounter kids and beginners at the skatepark, and they’ll almost certainly do something wrong or dangerous. Be kind and remember you started out the same way.
Plan a skating trip to New Jersey soon!
If you’re a skateboard enthusiast or have a teen who is, an East Coast skating trip may be a great vacation idea.
Looking for other East Coast vacation ideas? We got you covered! Hit up some national parks, hot springs, or hidden gem spots that will surprise you.
