Hours & Fees
Spruce Run Recreation Area's gate opens daily at 8 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. Once Labor Day has passed, you pay nothing to enter until Memorial Day weekend. In the summer fee season (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day), a car costs $5 for New Jersey residents and $10 for non-residents on weekdays, and $10 or $20 on weekends and holidays. Walking or biking in costs $2 per person. New Jersey residents 62 and older get in free with a senior pass.
Hours and Fees at a Glance
Hours
- Gate: opens 8 a.m., closes 4 p.m., seven days a week.
- Park office: 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday. Phone 908-638-8572, email sprucerun@dep.nj.gov.
- Campground: April 1 to October 31. Campers arriving after the gate closes need to call ahead (camping).
The office is where you buy firewood, pay at the dump station, apply for boat storage and pick up maps.
Entrance Fees (Per Vehicle)
- Off-season: free every day, starting the day after Labor Day and running until Memorial Day weekend.
- Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, weekdays: $5 for a New Jersey vehicle, $10 for a non-resident vehicle.
- Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, weekends and holidays: $10 for a New Jersey vehicle, $20 for a non-resident vehicle.
- On foot or bicycle: $2 per person, residents and non-residents alike, in season.
- Oversized vehicles pay double. NJDEP counts any vehicle or vehicle-and-trailer combination too big for a standard 10 ft x 20 ft parking space as oversized: RVs, campers, and cars towing a trailer or another vehicle.
- Bus groups pay $65 (in-state) or $120 (out-of-state) in season, plus a $25 reservation deposit. Buses may visit only on weekdays (directions).
Ways to Pay Less
- Annual State Park Pass: $50 for New Jersey residents or $75 if you live out of state, with a $3 administrative charge on top. It gets you in for a calendar year at every state park and forest that charges daily walk-in or parking fees. A second family vehicle pass costs $25 (NJ) or $35, bought at the same time. Buy it online through NJ Outdoors. It doesn't cover camping or guarantee entry when a park is full.
- Seniors and people with disabilities: if you live in New Jersey and are 62+ or totally disabled, you qualify for a free pass for free admission and parking. Apply at any state park office.
- Come in the off-season: once Labor Day passes, entry costs nothing until Memorial Day weekend.
When the Park Fills Up
New Jersey's state parks have a set capacity. On busy summer weekends and holidays, once a park is full, the entrance closes and cars are turned away, even if friends are already inside. Only people with camping or shelter reservations are let in then. NJDEP's park operating status map shows in real time whether a park is open, closed or full.
Other Fees at Spruce Run
- Group picnic area: $100 (NJ) or $150 a day in summer, when every car also pays entry; $125 or $175 the rest of the year (plan your visit).
- Camping from $20 a night; dry boat storage from $200 a season (boat launch).
Hours & Fees FAQ
What are Spruce Run's hours?
The gate opens at 8 a.m. and shuts at 4 p.m., seven days a week. Office hours run 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday through Friday; the office is closed on weekends.
What does it cost to visit Spruce Run?
Nothing in the off-season, which starts the day after Labor Day. In summer a car costs $5 (NJ) or $10 on weekdays and $10 or $20 on weekends and holidays.
Is Spruce Run free?
Yes, outside the summer fee season, which runs Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, and New Jersey residents 62 and older get in free all year with a senior pass.
Does the NJ State Park Pass work at Spruce Run?
Yes. The annual pass, $50 for residents or $75 for non-residents plus $3, covers entry at Spruce Run and every state park that charges a parking fee. It doesn't cover camping.
Facts checked against the NJ State Parks page for Spruce Run Recreation Area on October 24, 2026.