Tatum Park and Deep Cut Gardens in Monmouth County Park System, NJ

Hike Tatum Park and Deep Cut Gardens Monmouth County Park System, NJ

Class 1 4.8 miles 400 gain 2-4 hrs Loop Jul 10, 2009
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Tatum Park and Deep Cut Gardens GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

Tatum County Park was one of my local favorite parks when growing up. Any summer camp as a kid had some sort of geocaching adventure in the park. The Monmouth County Park System maintains an excellent park system for locals. Tatum Park later became a great trail running and mountain biking area for me, and generally doesn't have many visitors the deeper you go. Most people like to start at the much larger parking lot at the Holland Activity Center, but I prefer parking on the Red Hill Road side (see trailhead above). The trail system is well-marked and offers quite a web of options, so choose your own adventure. The attached map outlines my favorite loop, which visits pretty forest and meadows, and gets some decent elevation gain relative to this otherwise very flat part of the country.

My favorite loop starts by heading along the Indian Springs Trail until it hits the Meadow Run Trail, which I take heading west, then continue along the Tatum Ramble Trail and finish off on the northern loop section of the Dogwood Hollow Trail. This loop visits the majority the park has to offer, though the other trails are also worth adding on. I recommend the Holly Grove Trail as a short add-on.

Just across the street is Deep Cut Gardens County Park, a well-manicured park for anyone interested in gawking at pretty flowers and plants. A ridiculous range of plants, and therefore wildlife, exist because of the countless hours of volunteers and park sytem employees, and the work really shows. I wish I knew more about the plants themselves, but a little walk through the gardens and greenhouse was enough to enjoy the colors and shapes of nature.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

Starting along the Indian Springs Trail.
Starting along the Indian Springs Trail.
Junction shortly after starting, keep left.
Junction shortly after starting, keep left.
After hiking along the Indian Springs Trail, I emerged into a little meadow.
After hiking along the Indian Springs Trail, I emerged into a little meadow.
The trails are well marked. I continued along the Indian Springs Trail.
The trails are well marked. I continued along the Indian Springs Trail.
Indian Springs Trail.
Indian Springs Trail.
Image 5 from gallery
Junction with Tatum Ramble Trail. I headed left here.
Junction with Tatum Ramble Trail. I headed left here.
Ascending along the Tatum Ramble Trail.
Ascending along the Tatum Ramble Trail.
Top of the Tatum Ramble Trail, now taking the Meadow Run Trail.
Top of the Tatum Ramble Trail, now taking the Meadow Run Trail.
Along the Meadow Run Trail.
Along the Meadow Run Trail.
Image 10 from gallery
Meadows along the Meadow Run Trail.
Meadows along the Meadow Run Trail.
Image 12 from gallery
The Meadow Run Trail adds a nice loop in the southwest end of Tatum Park.
The Meadow Run Trail adds a nice loop in the southwest end of Tatum Park.
More pretty meadows.
More pretty meadows.
The Meadow Run Trail heads back into the forest for a bit.
The Meadow Run Trail heads back into the forest for a bit.
A nice brook along the trail.
A nice brook along the trail.
Same junction as before where I started along the Tatum Ramble Trail. I continued ahead through the meadow, taking the Meadow Run Trail.
Same junction as before where I started along the Tatum Ramble Trail. I continued ahead through the meadow, taking the Meadow Run Trail.
Meadow Run Trail shifts between meadows and forests.
Meadow Run Trail shifts between meadows and forests.
Plenty of helpful trail markers along the way.
Plenty of helpful trail markers along the way.
A large meadow on the north side of Tatum Park.
A large meadow on the north side of Tatum Park.
View back through the large meadow.
View back through the large meadow.
A bridge leading to the Holland Road Activity Center.
A bridge leading to the Holland Road Activity Center.
A junction with the Dogwood Hollow Trail.
A junction with the Dogwood Hollow Trail.
Along the Dogwood Hollow Trail.
Along the Dogwood Hollow Trail.
Eventually the Dogwood Hollow Trail leads back to where I started.
Eventually the Dogwood Hollow Trail leads back to where I started.
All photos following are from Deep Cut Gardens and the assortment of gorgeous plant life.
All photos following are from Deep Cut Gardens and the assortment of gorgeous plant life.
Image 27 from gallery
Image 28 from gallery
Image 29 from gallery
Image 30 from gallery
Image 31 from gallery
Image 32 from gallery
Image 33 from gallery
Image 34 from gallery
Taken 2009 of the rose garden at Deep Cut Gardens.
Taken 2009 of the rose garden at Deep Cut Gardens.
Take 2019, ten years later.
Take 2019, ten years later.
Image 37 from gallery
Image 38 from gallery
Image 39 from gallery
Image 40 from gallery
Image 41 from gallery
Image 42 from gallery
Image 43 from gallery
Image 44 from gallery
Image 45 from gallery
Image 46 from gallery
Image 47 from gallery
Image 48 from gallery
Image 49 from gallery
Image 50 from gallery
Image 51 from gallery

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!