New Jersey park among top in the nation for tick-borne illnesses
Round Valley Reservoir ranks fourth in the country.
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A state park in Hunterdon County is gaining national recognition as a hot spot for tick-borne illnesses.
Round Valley Reservoir came in at No. 4 on World Atlas’ list of state parks with the most tick-borne illnesses.
“New Jersey ranks among the top states for Lyme disease, close behind Pennsylvania and New York, and Round Valley’s heavily wooded trails run through a well-known tick population in the Hunterdon County hills,” the World Atlas ranking said.
The list named park areas with documented tick activity or firsthand accounts of infection. The rankings are based on “the severity of the tick-borne disease problem” in the region, especially states with the highest numbers of Lyme disease cases.
Round Valley is a popular spot for fishing, hiking and camping. Visitors often have to pass through leaf litter and brush, areas favored by ticks, according to World Atlas.
The report documents one case of Lyme disease involving a musician who spent decades working in New Jersey parks. He contracted the disease in 2025 after several tick bites.
“The infection attacked his nervous system, cost him hearing and short-term memory, and took the use of his arms and shoulders, leaving him unable to hold a guitar,” World Atlas said.
According to the New Jersey Department of Health, at least 600 cases of Lyme disease were reported in Hunterdon County in 2024, the most current data available. Warren, Sussex and Morris counties also recorded high numbers of cases that year.
