Camden: Maritime History and Parks in Camden County

Discover Camden through its maritime history and the diverse natural and historic sites across Camden County. The Camden Shipyard and Maritime Museum tells the more than 200-year history of shipbuilding on the Camden Waterfront. The parks offer everything from water access and fishing spots to trails for wildlife watching and cycling. Historic homes and registered sites span several centuries. When planning your stay, it’s worth deciding in advance whether you want to focus on the water, landscapes, or particular aspects of history.

Water Landscapes and Trails

The Camden County park system includes 21 parks and nature preserves with more than 2,000 acres of natural landscapes. Cooper River Park spans 346.55 acres across Pennsauken, Cherry Hill, Collingswood, and Haddon Township. It hosts rowing regattas; the Cooper River offers a narrow, sheltered 2,000-meter straightaway for them. The Cooper River Water Trail is 15.5 miles long and connects park areas with water access points. The regatta course and water trail thus represent different aspects of the river: sporting competitions on the one hand, and connections between park areas and access points on the other.

Other waterfront locations offer different features, too. Newton Lake Park has fishing piers at Matrimony, Lees Lane, and Bettlewood Avenue. Haddon Lake Park has a public boat launch suitable only for small boats transported on a roof rack; motors are not allowed. You can tailor your plans to the activity: here, fishing piers are the specific points of interest, while boat use there is subject to clear size and motor restrictions.

Maria Barnaby Greenwald Memorial Park offers two distinct trails to compare. The park has a 1.8-mile Watchable Wildlife Trail and a 1.2-mile bicycle path between Grove Street and Kings Highway. The bicycle path is defined by both its length and its endpoints, while the other trail is specifically intended for wildlife watching. These distinctions can help you choose among the parks’ offerings based on your interests without treating the routes as equivalent.

Historic Sites and Their Timelines

The historic buildings represent different eras and construction histories. Burrough-Dover House is an early fieldstone house built in two phases beginning in 1710. Pomona Hall Historic House dates to 1726. The present-day Quaker Store in Stratford stands on the foundation of a general store built in 1743. When comparing the dates, it’s worth noting what each refers to: the start of two construction phases, a historic house, and the earlier store on the site of today’s store.

The Peter Mott House in Lawnside offers another perspective. Built in 1845, it is the oldest known house in the community. Lawnside was founded as a settlement of free African Americans, so the house can be viewed alongside the history of the town. The Historic Berlin Railroad Station is the oldest surviving railroad station in New Jersey. Champion School in Haddon Township is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, while Croft Farm is listed on both the New Jersey Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

The Camden County Heritage Trails Map & Guide links historic sites and historical organizations throughout the county via seven Heritage Trails. Use it to plan a themed itinerary that takes in a variety of places and organizations within a broader historical context. The Pennsauken Historical Society offers tours, special events, and a small museum at Burrough-Dover House; check current visiting options before your visit.

Explore More Destinations

Explore more destinations: Atco, Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Winslow Township, Pennsauken Township, Berlin, Camden, Bellmawr, Gloucester City, Clementon, West Collingswood Heights, Runnemede, Pine Hill.

For the main travel overview: New Jersey.