A postcard of people swimming at Hooks Creek Lake at Cheesequake State Park. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHEESEQUAKE STATE PARK Cheesequake State Park, which draws people to Old Bridge from all over the country each year, observes its 75th anniversary this month.
The 1,274-acre park, which officially opened on June 22, 1940, is unique because of its geographical location — it lies in a transitional zone between two different ecosystems. The park is centrally located and it is Middlesex County’s only state park that encompasses the northeastern hardwood forest and the southern Pine Barrens.
“When I came to the park in 1966, we had a vision,” said James Apffel, superintendent of the park from 1966 to 1968. “When I look around the park today, that vision has been met and exceeded.”
A 75th anniversary celebration was held at the park on June 6. Superintendent David Donnelly welcomed dignitaries and former superintendents and employees who attended the celebration. Dignitaries included state Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), Assemblyman Sam Thompson (R-Middlesex), Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry and Township Council President Debbie Walker.
A cake with a photo of people swimming at Hooks Creek Lake at Cheesequake State Park celebrates the park’s 75th anniversary. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHEESEQUAKE STATE PARK New Jersey State Park Service Director Mark Texel handed out certificates to three former superintendents — Apffel, William Vibbert and Albert Gomolka Jr. — for their service. Texel also presented a certificate to Donnelly, who has been the superintendent since 2010.
Vibbert was the longest serving superintendent, holding that position from 1969 to 1988.
“The country was in a national recession at the time,” Vibbert said of the time when he came to Cheesequake. He said there was a big push on the national level to beautify the parks to draw people. Government employment groups were formed such as the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) and the Young Adults Conservation Corps (YACC) to help with the endeavor.
Vibbert said they received money through the New Jersey Conservation Foundation to move the park forward, which included the addition of a picnic area, a city water and sewer system, a park nature center, trails, a crabbing bridge, a cedar swamp boardwalk, an irrigation system, landscape planning and improved campsites.
Vibbert said his academic career outlook of managing state parks was not what he had thought when he began at Cheesequake.
He shared that he was picking up trash with the hope the can was not filled with maggots.
“That was my introduction to management,” he said, which brought laughter from the attendees. “It did help build up my character.”
Gomolka served as superintendent for 12 years, from 1998 to 2010.
He said his grandfather, who lived in South Amboy, was a professional commercial artist and would hike the trails, set up his easel and paint the landscape of the area.
“When I started my career here, my father told me my grandfather traveled all over the world, but said Cheesequake had the nicest lands he saw in his life,” he said. “Cheesequake is special,”
Gomolka said he loved his job as did everyone else.
“We not only spent eight hours [at work] but would come back after hours to play basketball,” he said, adding that the staff would spend free time together. “We were family.”
Gomolka said the land near Hooks Creek Lake was a regulation baseball field at one time. He said they would play ball on a team called The Quake.
Wisniewski presented Donnelly with an Assembly proclamation.
“This is one of my favorite places to come when I need to get away,” he said. “I leave my cellphone in the car and go for a walk on the trail or bring my bike.”
Wisniewski said Cheesequake is where he and his wife would bring their daughters when they were young.
“It’s a quiet oasis in a very busy part of the state,” he said.
Henry, who grew up in Old Bridge, said he spent a great deal of time at Cheesequake as a young boy and still does to this day, going hiking, kayaking and more.
“We are fortunate that in 1940 there was a vision to maintain this piece of heaven a mile away from chaos,” he said.
Walker said she previously worked at the park and was amazed that people from around the world — as far away as Germany — would camp at the park.
“Some people in Old Bridge do not know that this is in their own backyard,” she said.
Walker said one of the highlights of her time at Cheesequake was when actor Ed Harris came into the park office.
“He was doing a movie shoot at the park,” she said.
Also, back then the fee to get in the park was $5 per car, and she was amazed at how many people would squeeze into a car.
“I saw hands and arms sticking out of the car,” she said. “There were no seatbelt laws back then.”
In 1940, the park saw 33,000 visitors; this past year that number has grown to over a million.
Donnelly said Cheesequake State Park is the third smallest state park in the state, but has the third largest attendance.
He said the park has become part of people’s daily lives, which was evident after superstorm Sandy.
“The park was closed for 12 days, and it was amazing that we had to turn so many people around,” he said, adding that people were looking for normalcy such as their “Cheesequake walk” at the time. “It was sad [that we couldn’t provide that].”
Donnelly said they had no idea what to expect from the 2012 storm that devastated the tri-state area.
“I was here at 7:30 a.m. the next morning,” he said. “The lawn that we are sitting on right now had 4 feet of water and we are 6 feet above sea level … it was a mess.”
Cheesequake State Park was named after the Lenni Lenape Indians, who frequented the area to hunt and fish. The land for the park was purchased by farmers, who then sold the land to the state.
The state park offers an opportunity for swimming at the 6-acre Hooks Creek Lake, freshwater fishing, a crabbing bridge, a nature center, picnic areas, and numerous campgrounds and hiking trails.
In 1950, construction of the Garden State Parkway split the park.
The park is home to various flora including pinxterbloom azaleas and fauna including osprey, bluebirds, swallowtail butterflies and more.
Texel said as they move forward, funding is key for the upkeep of the park and said they are always looking at ways to become more sustainable. He said recently they created an online registration for campers, which has brought in extra money because it has reached more people out of state.
Upcoming events at the park include a guided hiking tour exploring the trails and sharing interesting facts about the park on June 21; and “Crab Time,” when people can learn about the species of crabs that inhabit the park on June 27.
In July, there will be kayak eco tours on Cheesequake Creek. For more information, contact the park at 732-566-3208.