Shipetauken Woods
Shipetauken’s are the perfect woods to get lost in – not only because of their timeless, enchanting setting with thriving wildflowers and a weaving stream under tall, fresh canopies –…
Nature Path at Harrison St.
The D & R Canal towpath has a few secret passages, and this is a lovely one. Just a few steps south of the towpath from Harrison Street, a humble…
Battlefield Park Hideaway
Psssst. There’s a secret little park behind the Princeton Battlefield Monument – and it hides the best climbing tree in town. And a scenic little pond. With smitten geese. And…
Barbara Smoyer Park Trail
This park checks every box for every age and interest. With several entrances, the park evolves from a serene, lake side historic garden to a playground and soccer recreation field…
Broadmead Meadow Trail
This lovely neighborhood meadow and woods in Princeton proper hides in plain sight. The footpath winds from Western Way to Hartley Ave. through a narrow strip of woods that shelter…
Autumn Hill Reservation Trail
Tucked between Herrontown Woods and the Blue Spring Road development, Autumn Hill Reservation has quietly lingered under the radar for a long, long time. Quirky relics point to its history:…
Constitution Hill Trail
Secret passages really do come true! …. usually in that one area that hardly seems worth checking. In this case, an unassuming corner of Greenway Meadows (as if it didn’t…
D & R Canal Tow Path – Princeton Country Club
Two pretty bridges bracket this sweet, shaded little section of the canal, with sweeping views over the golf course and a secluded wooded trail to explore. CONNECTING FOOTPATHS: D &…
Witherspoon Woods Trail
“Nah, I don’t need to see the cave,” …. are words no child will ever speak! And the Witherspoon Woods’ Devil’s Cave has a supporting cast of a whole panorama…
Stony Brook Trail at Johnson Park School
It’s just a nudge downstream of Greenway Meadows, and yet the Stony Brook trail transforms again here – rising along higher bluffs, up a dramatic staircase and through a long…
Stony Brook at Greenway Meadows Trail
Perfectly idyllic and picturesque with pebble beaches, an easy meandering pathway and the adjoining Greenway Meadows’ playground, meadows and toilets. CONNECTING FOOTPATHS: Stony Brook at Johnson Park School, Greenway Meadows,…
Ettl Farm Trail
Just a hop down the Stony Brook from the Chauncey trail and yet it feels quite different. The beaches are shallower, the river more approachable, the woods denser and everything…
Gulick Preserve Trail
A sweet little frogtopia, ever-changing clusters of wigwams and lean-tos, natural balance beam, intersections of tiny streams, seasonal wineberry hors d’oeuvres and a Christmas tree garden – all in a…
Greenway Meadows Trail
If the great meadow were the entirety of this preserve, it would be a phenomenal destination. But instead, that marvelous sloping pollinator extravaganza/ sledding paradise presides over: an allee of…
Mountain Lakes Preserve, Tusculum Meadows & Johnson Boardwalk Trails
In the middle of Princeton, Mountain Lakes Open Space Area encompasses five distinct natural worlds, one more enchanting than the next. Mountain Lakes Preserve sits in the middle, surrounded by…
D & R Canal Trail – Canal Pointe
There’s a wilder path paralleling the towpath across the canal at Canal Pointe. It’s easy to lose the path in the tall grass, but the views are worth it. There’s…
Lake Carnegie Footpath at Rt. 27 Boat Launch
This sweet little tryst captures beautiful views of Lake Carnegie, through vignettes edged with wineberry brambles, hedge roses and water flowers. A perfect place for fishing – or just taking…
Iron Mike’s Trail
From the artisanal carved archway marking it’s beginning (on either end), this trail takes you by the hand and leads you on a sweet tour, curving through airy woods surrounding…
Community Park North & Pettoranello Gardens Trails
A paved pathway ambles around Pettoranello Garden’s pond, passing scattered picnic benches and a charming amphitheater on its way. As you head North, asphalt gives way to a footpath that…
Butler Tract (Princeton’s Unofficial Bike Training Ground)
What better place to learn to ride a bike, scooter, rollerblades, etc. than a relic of a neighborhood with all the roads and none of the traffic? A big oval…
Institute Woods Trail
Timeless pathways for Sunday promenades connect vast prairies, historic landmarks, a wild life refuge and the D & R canal – not to mention the Institute for Advanced Studies. Technically,…
Schenck Covenhoven Graveyard Trail
Hidden in plain sight, this unimposing burial ground has been here for over two centuries. Today it anchors pathways symmetrically mowed into a broad, flat meadow. Though the cemetery wall…
Charles Rogers Wildlife Refuge Trail (a.k.a. “The Swinging Bridge Path”)
Even without the swinging bridge, this would be a worthy adventure. In fact, technically, the Charles Rogers Wildlife Refuge doesn’t encompass the swinging bridge – but it’s our favorite gateway.…
Pond View Trail
This sweet wisp of a trail clings to the edge of the pond in the margins of Woodfield Reservation, sheltering some lovely views and vignettes. Passaging north, you’ll feel like…
Woodfield Reservation Trail
Trails scamper throughout this broad ridge, often across long planks and artisanal bridges with landmark destinations (like Counsel Rock or Pond View) that do not disappoint. You can spend a…
Herrontown Woods Botanical Art Garden & Trail
Unless you were at Herrontown Woods this morning, there’s something new for you to discover there. Exuberant and deft hands are clearing new trails, laying stepping stones, building yurts (!),…
Kate’s Trail
This enchanting lollipop trail, squeezed between two estates, has become much easier to find thanks to the handsome new archway at the trail head. The path seems to have been…
Carnegie Lake Trail
Even this well-groomed portion of Lake Carnegie tucks away a secret little wilderness, complete with a treehouse. Spanning the stretch of shoreline between Washington and Harrison, this footpath is as…
Grey Farm Footpath
This inconspicuous little footpath along the bluffs of Carnegie Lake and eventually down to the water’s edge hides beautiful views and wildlife watching opportunities. The path is lovingly cared for…
Historic Overlook Park Trail
This forgotten place is full of wonderful, precious surprises. An allee of trees leads to one of Princeton’s oldest specimens, “The Washington Oak,” alive when the Constitution was signed and…
Children’s Discovery Trail
Educational, mindful and conscientious, this is an ideal adventure trail for Kindergarteners and up (many stretches of planks and some rock cascades might be tough for younger feet). Lots of…