Retreat Center - Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center

Area Attractions

Lacey Township Lakes and Beaches – Lacey Township boasts four small but lovely lakes, just minutes from Murray Grove by car, three with public beaches. Three of the lakes are set in a chain along the Forked River. Lower Lake is just west of Route 9, then Lake Barnegat and Deerhead Lake further upriver. Easiest access is from Lakeside Drive South – a right turn off of Route 9 at the fourth traffic light coming south from Murray Grove.

Lake Barnegat Beach

Lake Barnegat and Deerhead Lake have nice beaches open during the summer season. For Lake Barnegat, turn right from Lakeside Drive South onto Lakeside Drive North, the second right after Route 9; for Deerhead Lake, keep going on Lakeside Drive South to the end, a total of about three miles from Murray Grove. Bamber Lake is further out into the Pine Barrens, about five miles west on Lacey Road from the Parkway: go straight on Good Luck Road where Lacey Road curves sharply to the right, or turn left onto Lake Drive just past the curve.

And there is a delightful little township beach along Cedar Creek: go north (right out of the driveway) just under a mile on Route 9 from Murray Grove, and turn right on Bay Way (between Lacey Trophys and the white Lighthouse Church). Take the first left onto Rowe Street, and then the first left again onto Forrest Avenue.

Cedar Creek Beach

Beach badges issued by Lacey Township are required to go on the beaches, and the Murray Grove office has 15 badges available for its guests. You can sign the badges out from our staff. [Note: there is a $15 charge for unreturned badges.] Beach Patrol hours are from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Eating & drinking are not permitted on the township beaches.

The Lacey Schoolhouse Museum of the Lacey Historical Society – The Lacey Historical Society seeks to preserve artifacts, landmarks and lore of the local region so that public awareness of and appreciative concern for the unique history of Lacey Township may be fostered. The museum headquarters is Forked River’s old schoolhouse, built in 1868 and is use until 1952 – when a new grade school was built. In 1962, three ladies were instrumental in forming the Historical Society to preserve the Old Schoolhouse and to make it into a museum. The Township dedicated its use to the museum which stands there today. The museum has displays of tools, utensils, furniture and photos depicting local life in years gone by. Open mid-June to Labor Day, Monday, Wednesday and Friday 1:00 to 3:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am- 12:00 noon, or by appointment. Location: 126 South Main Street (Route 9), Forked River, NJ 08731. 609-971-0467

Pine Barrens – The entire heart of southern and central New Jersey is taken up by the Pine Barrens: the largest open space between Richmond, VA, and Boston. They aren’t really barren, of course, but comprise a complex community of pigmy pitch pines, cedars and oaks, with a rich variety of plant and animal life throughout. But farmers found the very sandy soil completely unusable for their purposes, and it is they who gave the region its name. The major exception is cranberry and blueberry cultivation, for which they are perfectly suited; New Jersey is among the top three states in blueberry and cranberry production. Being “barren,” however, is what saved the Barrens, allowing them to be incorporated mostly undeveloped into the 1.1 million acre Pinelands National Preserve (22% of the state’s total land area) in the middle of the last century. In 1983, the Pinelands was designated a Biosphere Reserve by the U.S. Man and the Biosphere Program and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Underneath it all is the 17 trillion gallon Cohansey Aquifer, so much of which is so near the surface that great stretches of the Pine Barrens are wetlands.

http://www.nj.gov/pinelands/reserve/

http://www.pineypower.com/

Berkeley Island County Park – Situated on a scenic peninsula jutting out into the calm waters of Barnegat Bay, just minutes up Route 9 from Murray Grove, Berkeley Island County Park's location provides possibly the best view of the Bay in Ocean County. It also features a family-oriented beach, complete with warm sand and protected bay bathing. The crabbing/fishing pier at the park is one of the County's most popular. Bring a picnic lunch and spend the day sunning, swimming, or crabbing from the 100' pier.

http://www.ocean.nj.us/Parks/bicp.html

Double Trouble State Park – Barely five minutes drive from Murray Grove, Double Trouble is a state park centered on an historic village engaged in the early timber, sawmill and cranberry industries in this area (Thomas Potter’s sawmill is said to have been here), and includes a lovely 1.5-mile walk through and around the still-operating cranberry bogs and the surrounding woods.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/double.html

Albert Music Hall – Located just west of Rte 9 on Rte 532 in Waretown, five miles south of Murray Grove, Albert Hall is one of the Jersey Shore’s finest music venues, specializing in live Country, Bluegrass and Pinelands Music. Run by the Pinelands Cultural Society, Albert Music Hall offers a great variety of local and regional musicians as well as some bonefide country stars. Bands change every half-hour and the refreshments are first rate. Shows are Saturday night only, at 7:30 (doors open at 6:30); no alcohol or smoking are allowed. Admission is $5 for adults, $1 for children under 11. 609-971-1593

http://www.alberthall.org/

Wells Mills County Park – Wells Mills has the distinction of being the largest park in the Ocean County park sytsem with over 900 acres of pine and oak forest within southern New Jersey's environmental marvel known as the Pine Barrens. Miles of hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty can be found here, including a "VIP" (Visually Impaired Persons) Trail. The three-story Nature Center offers a great display floor, a library, and the third floor "Elizabeth Meirs Morgan Observation Deck".

http://www.ocean.nj.us/parks/wellsmills.html

Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant Beach – Classic Jersey Shore boardwalk entertainment areas, across from Toms River on Rte 37 and further north.

http://www.seasideheights.net/

http://www.pointpleasantbeach.com/

Island Beach State Park – Shaped by storm and tides, Island Beach State Park is a narrow barrier island stretching for 10 miles between the restless Atlantic Ocean and the historic Barnegat Bay. Island Beach is one of New Jersey's last significant remnants of a barrier island ecosystem that once existed along much of the coast and is also one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches on the north Atlantic coast. Over 3,000 acres and 10 miles of coastal dunes remain almost untouched since Henry Hudson first described New Jersey's coast in 1609. Miles of sand dunes and white sandy beaches offer habitat to maritime plants and diverse wildlife that is almost the same as it was thousands of years ago. Island Beach contains outstanding examples of plant communities such as primary dunes, thicket, freshwater wetlands, maritime forest and tidal marshes. The state's largest osprey colony, as well as peregrine falcons, wading birds, shorebirds, waterfowl and migrating songbirds, are found here. Island Beach is nationally known as a unique resource with over 400 plants identified.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/island.html

Long Beach Island – Long Beach Island (colloquially known as LBI) is a barrier island and summer beach resort colony across the bridge from Manahawkin on Route 72.

http://www.longbeachisland.com/

Barnegat Light – Barnegat Light, the second tallest lighthouse in the United States, was commissioned January 1, 1859. The tower light was 165 feet above sea level. It remained a first-class navigational light until August 1927. The tower's light was reduced over 80 per cent, but it was not extinguished until January 1944. The lightship was removed in 1965, made obsolete by electronic navigation. In 1988, the lighthouse was closed for repair; re-opening for visitors in 1991. On January 1, 2009, at 5:00 pm, the 150th anniversary of its opening, Barnegat Lighthouse reactivated its beacon for the first time since 1944.

http://www.stateparks.com/barnegat_lighthouse.html

Tuckerton Seaport – The Tuckerton Seaport, a working maritime village, is located along the Tuckerton Creek. This one-of-a-kind attraction, in the heart of historic Tuckerton NJ, brings the Jersey Shore’s maritime traditions of the past and present to life through people, exhibits and hands-on activities.

http://www.tuckertonseaport.org/

Forsythe Wildlife Refuge Drive – At the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, more than 43,000 acres of southern New Jersey coastal habitats (in several pieces) are actively protected and managed for migratory birds. The refuge's location in one of the Atlantic Flyway's most active flight paths makes it an important link in the vast network of national wildlife refuges. The refuge's headquarters is located at its Brigantine Division on the mainland, at Oceanville, New Jersey. The 8-mile Wildlife Drive and trails are open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset.

http://www.fws.gov/northeast/forsythe/LearningAboutUs.html#WELCOME

Russian Churches – St. Vladimir's Russian Orthodox Cathedral and St. Vladimir's Russian Orthodox Church are located in Jackson, New Jersey, on Route 571, just south of I-195. St. Vladimir's Memorial Church, established July 28, 1940, is the smaller of the two but is more elaborately decorated. In the back of the church there are three large bells and above them, three gold pointed domes mimicking the bells. Farther down Cassville Road, on the left, is St. Vladimir's Russian Orthodox Christian Cemetery. The second church was originally named St. Mary's Russian Brotherhood. Its name was later changed to St. Vladimir's on August 31, 1935 on the 9th annual Convention of Russia. Although it doesn't have mosaics like the first church, the second church does have a few stained glass windows. (description from http://www.ettc.net/njarts)

http://www.stvladimirnj.org/

Batsto Village – Batsto Village is a New Jersey historic site located in the South Central Pinelands. This site is nationally recognized for its historical significance and beauty. The roots of Batsto Village can be traced back to 1766. Two centuries of American history are available to visitors, with the Pinelands as a scenic backdrop.

http://www.batstovillage.org/

Atlantic City: “Always Turned On” – “It's Atlantic City, New Jersey, and it's better than ever. Casino gaming. Spas. World-class entertainment. Nightlife. Fine Dining. Ocean. Boardwalk. Golf. Fun attractions. Fishing. Water Sports. Shopping (at the Atlantic City Outlets: The Walk. Any way you look at it, Atlantic City guarantees fast-paced excitement and non-stop activities. Year round, day or night, whatever turns you on about a destination, Atlantic City's got it.”

http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/

Six Flags Great Adventure and Wild Safari – a 2200-acre park featuring “awesome rides, great shows, and incredible attractions” in Jackson.

http://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/

Jackson Outlet Stores – a large collection of outlet stores near Six Flags, just off I-195.

http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=54

Canoeing, kayaking and sailing opportunities are also available