Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!
I visited Tall Pines State Preserve after getting my first dose of the Covid vaccine at a nearby state Mega-site. I figured I’d do something to break up the long drive and found Tall Pines on the map. Tall Pines State Preserve is Gloucester County’s only state park.
A golf course once stood on this site. It opened in the 1950’s with nine holes. In the 60s, it grew to 18 holes and became the first lighted regulation golf course in the world. In 1984, Ron Jaworski, former Eagles quarterback, bought the golf course and ran it until it closed in 2006.
As the golf course sat abandoned, nature crept back in, providing an attractive habitat for wildlife. Several community groups fought to set the land aside for a park. A housing developer sought to build 123 homes on the site.
The campaign to save Tall Pines lasted for years. Finally, in 2015, the park opened to the public. There are about four miles of trails, most of them paved.
Location: 1705 Glassboro Rd, Sewell, NJ 08080
Designation: State Preserve
Date designated/established: 2015
Date of my visit: March 7, 2021
Amazing!
Thanks!
Glad that nature won out in the end. Why build houses on such land? Stay well T. Allan
Thanks for reading and commenting Allan!
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What a beautiful way to celebrate your first vaccine dose. 🙂
Thanks! It was fun!
Are the greens and fairways still visible?
No, only the paved pathways. And the huge parking lot.
Wondeful
Thanks!
What an interesting history. I remember Jaworski well from his time in the NFL but had no idea that he tried that as a business venture.
I don’t follow sports, so I had no idea who he was
Give Nature a chance and She bounces back. What a great day you had – a beautiful park to visit AND your first Covid jab.
Yes, it was a good day!