Limestone buildings, narrow streets, the old Moravian village plan and surviving eighteenth-century structures give Hope a character unlike most nearby towns.
Warren County · Northwest New Jersey
Hope Township
Moravian Village · Jenny Jump · Family Attractions · Rural Warren County
Hope is one of Warren County's most distinctive small towns: an eighteenth-century Moravian planned village surrounded by farms and forest, with Jenny Jump State Forest, a major family amusement park, historic architecture, local dining and lodging, and easy access from Interstate 80.
Hope Township · Warren County, New Jersey
NJTGO coverage: Hope has enough independent business, dining, lodging, real-estate, visitor, classified and employment content to support a complete seven-page NJTGO set. This flagship page is the community overview; the six dedicated guides below provide deeper local coverage.
Coming up in Hope: Current Township events include the Town Picnic on September 26, 2026 at Swayze Mill Park, Halloween on October 31 at the Community Center, the township-wide Craft Market on December 5–6, and the Moravian Christmas Tour on December 12.
1,8352020 Census population
18.29 sq. mi.Township area
1769Moravian settlement established
1839Township incorporated
140Current PK–8 school enrollment
4,466 acresJenny Jump State Forest
Explore Hope
Use the dedicated Hope guides for businesses, dining, property information, visitor planning, classifieds and employment.
Business & Shopping
Current Hope businesses, retail, contractors, professional services and local organizations.
Food & Drink
Local restaurants, pizza, deli, coffee, tavern dining and visitor food options.
Real Estate
Historic homes, rural housing, land, Highlands considerations, zoning and property resources.
Visiting & Lodging
Jenny Jump, Land of Make Believe, historic Hope, local lodging, camping and trip planning.
Classifieds
Community marketplace categories, notices, items for sale, garage sales and more.
Jobs
Local attractions, schools, municipal resources, county employers and regional opportunities.
About Hope Township
Hope is an 18.29-square-mile rural township in northern Warren County. Interstate 80 and County Routes 611, 609, 521 and 519 cross the municipality, but the heart of the community remains the small historic village and its surrounding agricultural landscape.
Outside the village, Hope is dominated by countryside, wooded ridges, scattered homes and environmentally sensitive land.
Hope's location directly off Interstate 80 makes its attractions unusually accessible for a small rural Warren County township.
Hope lies within both the New Jersey Highlands Planning and Preservation Areas, making water, land-use and environmental review important parts of local planning.
Moravian Hope
Hope is one of the earliest planned communities in the United States. German Moravians established the settlement in 1769 after purchasing land from John Samuel Green Jr. Their plans laid out streets, homes, wells, farms, businesses, a school, tavern and church as parts of an organized community.
The Moravians created an intentionally planned village rather than allowing development to emerge randomly around farms and crossroads.
The first major industrial building was a grist mill and millrace, followed by a distillery, store, tavern, sawmill, pottery, tannery and other trades.
After the village was formally accepted by the Moravian Church, its name was changed to Hope in February 1775.
The Moravian community was sold after nearly four decades, but its physical village plan and many historic structures survived.
Hope Township was incorporated from portions of Knowlton and Oxford townships.
The Village of Hope was entered into the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.
Historic Places
The small museum occupies a restored nineteenth-century toll-keeper's house and displays photographs, documents, local memorabilia, primitive furniture and Moravian history. Current public hours are Sundays from 1–3 p.m., June through October.
Self-guided walking-tour information is available from the Historical Society for exploring the village's surviving architecture and sites.
The cemetery—often called God's Acre in Moravian tradition—is an important surviving part of Hope's original settlement.
Hope's church buildings and former religious sites reflect both the Moravian settlement and later nineteenth-century community growth.
The historic inn incorporates buildings connected to Hope's early mill complex and remains a distinctive local lodging, dining and event property.
The Mount Hermon area developed around Green's Chapel and the Honeywell educational legacy beginning in the late eighteenth century.
Jenny Jump State Forest
Jenny Jump is one of Hope's biggest outdoor assets. The state forest covers 4,466 acres and offers dramatic glacial terrain, rocky outcroppings, mountain views, hiking, camping, fishing, picnicking, cross-country skiing and public astronomy programs.
Summit Trail reaches about 1,090 feet and offers views toward the Delaware Water Gap and Great Meadows.
Visitors can combine hiking and overnight camping in one of northwest New Jersey's most scenic upland forests.
The United Astronomy Clubs of New Jersey operates Greenwood Observatory at Jenny Jump, with evening presentations and observing sessions when weather permits.
The park office currently operates daily from 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Check NJDEP before a special trip.
Land of Make Believe & Pirate's Cove
Hope is home to one of New Jersey's best-known independent family amusement parks. Land of Make Believe combines amusement rides, children's attractions, shows, picnic areas and Pirate's Cove water park on a 30-acre property at 354 Great Meadows Road.
The current 2026 schedule also includes the weekend of September 12–13 after Labor Day. Normal public hours are 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
The park includes the Thriller roller coaster, carousel, train, Scream Machine 360, Pirates Fury and other family attractions.
Water attractions operate as part of the admission package, with separate water-park clothing and safety requirements.
The park continues to advertise free parking and designated picnic areas for guests.
Parks, Recreation & Outdoor Life
The park hosts community activities including the annual fishing derby and 2026 Town Picnic.
Hope maintains youth recreation programs and local sports leadership through the Township.
The Silver Lake area became a popular early twentieth-century summer-cottage and recreation district within Hope Township.
Hope's local roads provide a quiet driving landscape linking the village, state forest, farms and surrounding Warren County communities.
Education
320 Johnsonburg Road
Hope, NJ 07844
908-459-4242
The district currently reports enrollment of about 140 students and a 7:1 student-to-teacher ratio.
809 Oxford Street
Belvidere, NJ 07823
908-475-4025
Hope students attend Belvidere High School through the current sending/receiving partnership.
Students may also pursue county vocational and technical programs subject to current admissions requirements.
Public higher-education resource in Washington Township with degree, certificate and workforce offerings.
Government & Public Services
Hope, NJ 07844
908-459-5011
Regular business meetings are generally held on the second Wednesday of each month, with current 2026 schedule exceptions published by the Township.
908-459-5011 ext. 1
Municipal records, licensing, public notices and administrative services.
908-459-5011 ext. 2
908-459-5011 ext. 6
908-459-5011 ext. 3
Shared court serving Hope, White and Hardwick townships.
Community Life & Events
Hope's event calendar is unusually active for a township of fewer than 2,000 residents. Community programs use Swayze Mill Park, the Community Center and the historic village throughout the year.
Swayze Mill Park
Annual township community gathering.
Hope Community Center
Current Township Halloween event.
One of Hope's signature annual traditions, bringing craft vendors and visitors into the historic community.
Guided tours highlight Hope's Moravian architecture and holiday history.
Clubs & Organizations
Nearby Communities
Hope shares municipal boundaries with several rural Warren County townships and sits within easy driving distance of larger service centers.
Dining, shopping, schools and additional visitor resources.
Rural Warren County neighbor.
I-80 and Delaware River corridor access.
Farmland and Belvidere-area services.
Rural residential and recreation areas.
Connection toward Great Meadows and Hackettstown-area services.
Promote Your Hope Business or Organization
NJTGO welcomes corrections, community information and advertising inquiries from Hope businesses and organizations. Standard business listings do not include external commercial website links; enhanced paid listings may.
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