Round Valley Recreation Area
Lake · Lebanon, New Jersey
A fifty-five-billion-gallon reservoir in a natural bowl in the Hunterdon hills, dammed in the 1960s and now THE DEEPEST LAKE IN NEW JERSEY at about a hundred and eighty feet. The depth and the geology make the water exceptionally clear, which is why SCUBA DIVERS TRAIN HERE and why it looks nothing like the rest of the state's murky brown water. There is a swimming beach, thirty-odd miles of trail, hike-in wilderness camping and record-book trout fishing. IT IS ALSO GENUINELY DANGEROUS: the bottom drops away steeply and abruptly, and there have been drownings.
1220 Lebanon-Stanton Road, Lebanon, New Jersey, 08833, United States
Open dawn to dusk year round. A seasonal per-person day-use fee applies at the beach area on summer weekends and holidays, with free access at other times and at trail access points. SWIMMING IS PERMITTED ONLY AT THE DESIGNATED BEACH DURING POSTED HOURS AND IS LIFEGUARDED IN SEASON ONLY, roughly late June to Labor Day — THE BOTTOM DROPS AWAY STEEPLY AND ABRUPTLY BEYOND THE SHALLOW SHELF, THE WATER BELOW THE SURFACE IS VERY COLD ALL YEAR, AND THERE HAVE BEEN DROWNINGS. THE DAY-USE AREA REACHES CAPACITY on hot summer weekends and entry is then closed until people leave. Boat launch is seasonal with a modest fee, ELECTRIC MOTORS ONLY, and there is NO HIRE ON SITE. Wilderness campsites are HIKE-IN ONLY, some nearly three miles, reserved online.
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