10 peaceful places in New Jersey to relax and get your zen on

Let's face it — everyone is exhausted. Between the flurry of messages pushed straight to your phone, to endless threads of emails, 24-hour news coverage and constant social media updates, there's little time or occasion to just "be."

When you're constantly on the go, it can be as much of a challenge to find a place to dedicate to personal wellness, as the time to do it in. When you can find the time, here are some peaceful places in New Jersey to go to unplug.

Troy Meadows Nature Preserve, Parsippany

Troy Meadows is a 3,100-acre nature preserve which straddles East Hanover, Hanover, and Parsippany-Troy Hills. The National Natural Landmark contains remnants of the prehistoric Glacial Lake Passaic and is home to dozens of types of plants and wildlife prime for peepin'.

What you'll find besides tranquility are miles of trails through forest and wetland with beautiful natural vistas, calling geese and a PSE&G boardwalk above the marshy water. Bring waterproof boots for your mental health hike — these wetlands are wet.

Go: 201 Troy Meadow Rd., Parsippany; wildlifepreserves.org/preserves/troy-meadows.

New Jersey Botanical Gardens at Skylands, Ringwood

On the land once owned by civil engineer Clarence McKenzie Lewis and his wife, stands 13 specialty gardens on the land surrounding Skylands Manor. Here you can take time out for quiet contemplation on the paths which wind through the surrounding woods.

If all those gardens sound overwhelming, walking tours of the gardens are offered free every Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. from May through October. Each garden has its own theme, from annual blooming flowers, to perennial blooming flowers, peonies, azaleas, and a winter evergreen garden.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day most of the year; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in winter.

Go: 5 Morris Rd., Ringwood; njbg.org.

D&R Canal, Frenchtown

Hike, bike or kayak along the Delaware and Raritan Canal Trail, which stretches over 77 miles along the Delaware and Raritan rivers. Along the way, you'll find whimsical yard decorations like gnomes and flamingoes, stumps and benches on which to sit and contemplate and plenty of shade and sun.

Quiet Frenchtown, a small borough of 1,300 people, is dotted with restaurants, galleries and craft shops, many with brightly-painted facades, lending itself to an afternoon of exploration after enjoying the trail.

Greenway hours are are sunrise to sunset.

Go: Bridge Street, Frenchtown along the Delaware River; dandrcanal.com.

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Greenwood Gardens, Short Hills

In the early 20th century, self-made multi-millionaire Joseph P. Day established the gardens as a private retreat from the hectic pace of city life, and now you can enjoy it too. The meticulously-manicured 28 acres of gardens also include a number of structures including a stone tea house framed by ceremonial hand-washing basins, numerous cottages on the grounds and reflecting pool.

The garden is closed for viewing until May 1, when it's open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but events at the gardens and manor house continue year round. Admission is $10 for adults.

Go: 274 Old Short Hills Rd., Short Hills; greenwoodgardens.org.

Laurelwood Arboretum, Wayne

The once-commercial azalea nursery has become a sanctuary for nature, tucked off the beaten path in Wayne. The 30-acre garden incorporates a native plant garden, barrier-free sensory garden and rock garden into the landscape of trees, foxgloves, various rhododendrons and other flowering plants. A wood gazebo and numerous benches facilitate moments of quiet reflection.

Hours are 8 a.m. to dusk year round.

Go: 725 Pines Lake Dr. W, Wayne; laurelwoodarboretum.org.

Stone Harbor Point, Stone Harbor

Stone Harbor Point is not your typical beach. The designated conservation area for coastal birds is a place to enjoy a long walk, fishing, beachcombing and bird watching — not swimming, parking your boat or taking your dog for a walk.

While out on the beach, keep an eye out for the Black Skimmer, Sanderling and the other local birds which call the beach home.

Go: 120 3rd St., Stone Harbor; stoneharbornj.org/community-interest/stone-harbor-point.

Manasquan Reservoir, Howell

Over 1,200 acres of land and water await visitors to the Monmouth County reservoir which features fishing, boating and trail walking. If you want the full experience of the scenic grounds, borrow a self-guided safari backpack for free from the environmental center.

The park is open daily with hours varying by season.

Go: 311 Windeler Rd, Howell; monmouthcountyparks.com/page.aspx?Id=2531.

Downtown Ocean Grove, Neptune

History and novelty combine in downtown Ocean Grove, between the streets lined with Victorian houses and rows of small cottages in "tent city." In the center of downtown is a massive Great Auditorium — a church and concert hall — which is framed by the streets angled outwards toward the beachfront.

Stop by the Centennial Museum and travel back to the 1880s, when the community was established, or take one of the community's seasonal walking tours. In the summer, wooden cottages surrounding the concert hall blossom into a "tent city" with quaint whitewashed porches and hanging plants which lend themselves to introspection.

​​​​​​Go: 21 Pilgrim Pathway, Ocean Grove; oceangrove.org.

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Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton

Get ready to wander at Grounds for Sculpture, an outdoor contemporary art gallery that is home to more than 250 sculptures on 42 acres. The outdoor art gallery, opened in 1992 by sculptor and philanthropist J. Seward Johnson, sets sculpture among gardens, trees, water and floral arrangements throughout the former grounds of the New Jersey State Fairgrounds.

Don't keep to the beaten path here. There are some pieces of art you can only stumble upon by accident.

Hours vary by season.

Go: 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton; groundsforsculpture.org

Barnegat Lighthouse, Barnegat Light

Barnegat Lighthouse on the northern tip of Long Beach Island stands as a sentinel at what was once regarded as a crucial point for coastal vessels. The lighthouse, a historic monument, sits in a 32 state park which offers fishing, walking paths and a picnic area.

If you find yourself falling in love at 127 feet above sea level, New Jersey is home to 11 lighthouses. If you're moved to visit the Garden State's lighthouses — and climb them all — there's an October challenge made just for you.

The state park containing the lighthouse is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Go: 208 Broadway, Barnegat Light; state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/barnlig.html.