Cheesequake State Park
Matawan, New Jersey · on Hooks Creek Lake · Cheesequake State Park
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Cheesequake State Park
Cheesequake State Park in Matawan, New Jersey operates an official swimming beach on Hooks Creek Lake, giving visitors a small man-made freshwater lake to swim in within a state park known for its unusual transition zone between salt marsh, Atlantic white cedar swamp, pine barrens, and northeastern hardwood forest. The park runs this swimming hole as a designated, lifeguarded swim area during summer only.
The park sits at the meeting point of several distinct Northeast ecosystems, with the state park service describing it as spanning open fields, saltwater and freshwater marshes, an Atlantic white cedar swamp, pine barrens habitat, and northeastern hardwood forest, all connected by roughly five miles of marked hiking/mountain-biking trails (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and White) ranging 1.5 to 3.5 miles with easy-to-moderate difficulty and some inclines.
Swimming at Cheesequake State Park
Hooks Creek Lake is a small (about 6-acre per Wikipedia), shallow, man-made freshwater lake with an average depth of roughly 5.5 feet, making it best suited to families and casual swimmers rather than deep-water or long-distance swimming. Swimming is only allowed at the designated, staffed beach during the official lifeguard season; the lake is otherwise also used for boating and fishing (trout, largemouth bass, catfish, sunfish).
The hike in
Difficulty: easy to moderate (official park description, for the general trail network, not applicable to beach access itself)
The swim beach on Hooks Creek Lake has its own on-site parking and does not require a hike to reach. Separately, the park has about 5 miles of marked trails (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue ~1.5-3.5 mi each, easy-to-moderate with some inclines, plus a White trail open to hiking and mountain biking); a 2011 trip report (njhiking.com) describes a route using the Yellow trail (which loops near/around Hooks Creek Lake) and the Green trail, but this is a separate recreational hike, not an access route required to reach the swimming area.
Two r/newjersey threads (2016, 2020) show visitors asking which trail to take to reach the lake to swim after hiking, indicating some people combine a trail walk with a swim stop, but this is optional, not a required approach to the designated beach.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Designated, roped swim beach on a small man-made lake (avg depth ~5.5 ft, max ~7.3 ft) with lifeguards on duty Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day only; calm lake water (no current) makes it more forgiving than a river, but no source confirms a gradual/shallow-entry design specifically for toddlers, and there is no supervision outside the official lifeguard season. Only Coast Guard-approved PFDs are allowed (inner tubes/rafts/other flotation banned), which is worth knowing if bringing floaties for kids.
Parking
Paid, $10/car NJ resident, $20/car non-resident (per njhiking.com and multiple aggregator listings); njhiking.com notes the entrance fee is only charged Memorial Day through Labor Day, implying free entry the rest of the year
Standard state-park entrance/parking lot; exact lot location relative to the beach and any weekday-vs-weekend fee split were not confirmed by any source checked.
Restrooms
Yes
Beach house area has restrooms, a changing area, a first-aid station, and a concession stand (staffed during lifeguard season). Additional flush-toilet and shower facilities are located within walking distance of the campground, per stateparks.com.
On the water
Restrictions: Per the official NJDEP park page: small cartop boats, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards may be launched in Hooks Creek Lake; electric motors only (no gas engines); Coast Guard-approved PFDs required for all occupants. Car-top/hand-launch only, no boat ramp. No boat/canoe rental facility on-site (stateparks.com). Note: a secondary source (stateparks.com) separately states cartop boating is permitted 'the day after Labor Day through the day before Memorial Day weekend,' which would mean boating is NOT allowed during the summer swim season and directly conflicts with the official page's general boat-launch listing, this discrepancy could not be resolved with the sources available and is flagged rather than guessed at.
Inner tubes, rafts, and other inflatable flotation devices are prohibited specifically within the designated swimming area (not the boating rule, a separate swim-safety rule).
Rentals nearby
Canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddleboard rentals, deliveries, pickups, and take-aways
Based in the Matawan/Aberdeen, NJ area (same town as the park); explicitly services Matawan Creek, Raritan Bay, Morgan Creek, Lawrence Harbor, and other local Bayshore waterways, it does NOT list Hooks Creek Lake/Cheesequake State Park itself as a service area, since the park has no on-site rental concession and only permits car-top launches. Included as the nearest identifiable paddlesport rental business to the park, not as an on-lake outfitter. · Daily 10am-6pm, weather permitting; seasonal, roughly May 15 - October 15
What regulars say
Visitor reports from 2016 and 2020 confirm awareness of Hooks Creek Lake as a swim spot inside the park and show people planning to combine a trail hike with a swim afterward, asking which trail best connects to the lake, suggesting the lake is a low-key, locally-known add-on to a hike rather than a big draw on its own. No visitor comment reviewed specifically addressed water clarity or crowd levels, so those details are not corroborated beyond the official description of it as a calm, wooded, freshwater lake beach distinct from the nearby Atlantic/Raritan Bay beaches.
Cheesequake State Park: FAQ
Is Cheesequake State Park kid friendly?
Designated, roped swim beach on a small man-made lake (avg depth ~5.5 ft, max ~7.3 ft) with lifeguards on duty Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day only; calm lake water (no current) makes it more forgiving than a river, but no source confirms a gradual/shallow-entry design specifically for toddlers, and there is no supervision outside the official lifeguard season. Only Coast Guard-approved PFDs are allowed (inner tubes/rafts/other flotation banned), which is worth knowing if bringing floaties for kids.
Do I need to hike to reach Cheesequake State Park?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Cheesequake State Park?
Standard state-park entrance/parking lot; exact lot location relative to the beach and any weekday-vs-weekend fee split were not confirmed by any source checked.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Cheesequake State Park?
Inner tubes, rafts, and other inflatable flotation devices are prohibited specifically within the designated swimming area (not the boating rule, a separate swim-safety rule).
When is the best time to visit Cheesequake State Park?
Summer (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day), which is the only period lifeguards are on duty and swimming is officially permitted.
What are the rules at Cheesequake State Park?
Swimming is permitted only during the official lifeguard season (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day); only U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices are allowed, while inner tubes, rafts, and other flotation devices are prohibited; pets must be leashed to a maximum of 6 feet.
What water body is Cheesequake State Park on?
Cheesequake State Park is on Hooks Creek Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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