Among Warren County’s greatest natural assets are clean air, clean water and open spaces for resident families, for visitor recreation, and for commerce. With only about 14 percent of its area covered by urban development, Warren County offers a great deal in the way of wholesome outdoor recreation. Nearly 40,000 acres are prime forest, and more than 61,000 acres are termed forestland of statewide importance. Parks, forests and conservation lands within the County total nearly 43,000 acres and include Jenny Jump State Forest, Stephens State Park, Allamuchy Mountain State Park, Worthington State Forest, Merrill Creek Environmental Resource Preserve, Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Educational Center, and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The county also has three sizable parcels purchased with open space preservation funds, the Marble Hill, White Lake and West Oxford Mountain Natural Resource Areas. Country roads for biking, hiking or driving offer many scenic vistas as well as country craft and antique shops for browsing, farms for picking fresh vegetables and fruits, and wineries that welcome visitors to taste their selections.

The Delaware River, with 52 miles of county shoreline, is a major recreation resource. Anglers can try for bass, muskies, shad and a variety of other fish, while outdoors enthusiasts can enjoy canoeing, swimming, tubing and boating. The Delaware’s tributary streams and rivers, each having its own picturesque setting, are alive with sport fish and offer other recreational opportunities. Camping, bird watching and hunting are other outdoors activities that many county residents and visitors enjoy.

The Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center, operated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, was sited in the Pequest River Valley because of the ample supply of pure water. The hatchery uses up to 7,000 gallons of ground water a minute to raise more than 700,000 trout each year for stocking in New Jersey’s publicly accessible waterways. Visitors are welcome at the hatchery. Opened in 1982 with 1,300 acres, the Pequest property now includes approximately 4,175 acres in Mansfield, Liberty, Oxford and White townships, and continues to expand through Green Acres purchases.

In 1993, a non-binding public referendum was passed by Warren County voters to allow an additional tax of up to 2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for the purpose of acquiring areas of scenic and environmental value throughout the county. The open space trust fund has been tapped to buy county and municipal parkland, protect historic features and permanently retire the development rights on prime farmland. In November 1999 and again in November 2002, county voters approved non-binding open space referendums by large margins, each time recommending an increase in the open space tax of another 2 cents per $100 of assessed property value. Last year, the 6-cent open space tax raised $4.87 million to help keep Warren County green. A number of municipalities have approved their own dedicated open space taxes as well, demonstrating the strong sentiment among Warren County residents for protecting the natural and historic resources that make the county a beautiful and unique place.

All or part of 14 Warren County communities are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, plus 60 other county structures or sites are listed on the register. The Town of Belvidere, the county seat, is noted for its Victorian-style architecture, with more than 200 homes listed on the register. Meanwhile, the Village of Hope in Hope Township contains many of the buildings constructed during the Moravian settlement period between 1769 and 1808.

The county offers a wide variety of cultural events through the Warren County Cultural and Heritage Commission, community groups, Centenary College, and Warren County Community College. Each spring, the Warren County Cultural and Heritage Commission organizes the Warren County Heritage Festival in Oxford Township. Reenactments, arts and crafts displays, and musical concerts are among the events that revolve around the Oxford Furnace and Shippen Manor, which were built in the mid-1700s. Shippen Manor, home to the ironmasters of Oxford Furnace, has been restored and is open as a county museum.

Meanwhile, every summer the area's agricultural heritage is on display with the Warren County Farmers' Fair in Harmony Township, music fills the air along the Delaware River in Knowlton Township during the three-day Knowlton RiverFest, which won a Governor's Tourism Award in 2000, and Belvidere puts its heritage on display with Belvidere's Victorian Days.

Located in Warren County are community parks, pools, country inns, golf courses, campgrounds, beaches, hiking trails, riding stables and fine restaurants. Warren County offers a wide variety for family enjoyment including quaint historic villages, country shopping, parks, scenic splendor, a relaxing environment, outdoor recreation, and many family entertainment attractions.