>>1379517also NJ anon, as far as herps go I'd say its less important where you go in the broader sense, and more about finding the proper "micro habitats" and figuring out the right time to go out.
Sunny day in the afternoon? try to find big rock formations for snakes basking. wet rainy day? A well covered forest floor should be full of little salamanders (saw close to thirty the day I took this photo) and toads (3-4 over the course of the day) like these guys. Turtles and frogs like still ponds with lots of foliage around the edges to hide in.
also keep in ind that you probably won't find much until next spring
