Ginkgo Roses
A single ginkgo leaf is a perfect, elegant beauty. Each November, we are lavished with a thick yellow carpet of them. To preserve at least a few, my crafty mom…
Hartshorne Woods Trail
One of the highest points on the Atlantic Coast, Hartshorne Woods includes 14 miles of trails, including the adventuresome one that led us to a secret beach! The park’s elevation…
Sourland Mountains Kulak Preserve Trail
From its launch pad on Featherbed Lane, the trail crosses the Kulak Preserve and then mingles with other Sourland trails. In Autumn and Winter, a thick layer of leaves thoroughly…
Nayfield Preserve Trail
A broad meadow welcomes you at the very start of the trail, along with ecological art in the form of intriguing flower sculptures that function as bee coves. A lovely…
Leaf Lanterns
What to do with all of those gorgeous leaves? Make them glow! You just need wax paper, an iron, construction paper, string, a twig and a battery-powered tea light. Heat…
Buddhist Vihara Meditation Trail
Even as an unabashed construction site while the temple is added, this place is a worthwhile experience. The Samadhi (meditation posture) statue of Buddha is the largest of its kind…
Woodlot Park Trail
Hidden in plain sight, a wonderland of trails and little creek canyons weaves through the Woodlot Park woods. We dove in behind the pond and followed the yellow trail to…
Goat Hill Overlook Trail
Typically, it takes a moderate to intensely treacherous hike to reach a view like this – but at barely a mile on a broad path with a gentle incline, your…
Leaf Kites!
On a gusty Autumn day, bring some string along to an open meadow and collect an assortment of large, broad leaves (maple and oak work well). Tie them at intervals…
Zega-Lockatong Preserve Trail
Old stone walls, shimmering meadows and the picturesque Lockatong Creek frame this timeless footpath. Over a small hill from the parking lot, the path remains level and easy to follow…
Leaf Regalia
Simple yet magnificent! Next time you head into the woods, bring along a 2″ x 20″ long strip of card stock (or, we stapled together 2 folded letter-sized colored paper…
Zaitz Preserve Trail
Channeling through the dense, boundless cloud of Sweetpepperbush underbrush beneath the high canopy of Zaitz woods quickly takes on a meditative ease. While there are intriguingly lovely twists and turns,…
DIY Fossil Sifter
Sifting for fossils requires…… a sifter! Below are links to some easy instructions for building the ideal tool. That said, anything that separates bigger pieces from sand is a good…
Big Brook Preserve Trail
It’s not every day you find a 60-million-year-old shark’s tooth…. unless you’re spending every day at Big Brook Preserve, where “just one” is underwhelming. Lovely in its own right, the…
Poricy Park Fossil Beds Trail
Oh the fossil rush! It sets in as soon as you find the first shark’s tooth or ossified shell. But even without that amazing treasure hunt, the trail is a…
Bull’s Island Trail
Well it’s an island, so that’s a thousand enchantment points right from the get-go. And it over-delivers once you’re “tide-pooling” on the beach at its tip. There’s ample parking on…
Watershed Blue Trail (Moore’s Mill Mt. Rose Rd. to Crusher Rd.)
Bridging the beginning and end sections of The Watershed Blue Trail, this is a lovely amble through thickets and woodlands with a delightful and unexpected clearing in the middle. LEARN…
Watershed Blue Trail (Broad St. to Crusher Rd.)
Starting at the Broad Street end in Hopewell, this one is wonderfully overlookable – you will almost certainly miss it and have to swing back around. A straight, flat and…
Six Mile Run Trail
I’ve come at this natural wonder so many times and still have countless stones to turn. Known far and wide for its epic mountain biking trails, Six Mile Run is…
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…
Sunset Park Trail
Hovering between creepy and enchanted, Sunset Park is a veritable sculpture gallery with installations stationed along a 1/4 mile of adventurous tunnels through the junipers. Though the path is short,…
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:…
Stonebridge Preserve Trail
Tunnel through the cedar grove, shimmy along the dramatic river ridge, amble around the pastures and drift through the wildflower meadows – four landscapes in one footpath! There are several…
Cherry Brook Preserve Trail
From four major access points, trails amble along open farmland, curve through verdant meadows, tunnel through cedar groves, and hop across foot bridges before converging at a pretty pond. But…
Waldorf School Trail
“Idyllic” epitomized. This sweet and varied farmland footpath – with streams, pastures and cows – connects the Cherry Brook Preserve with the Waldorf School. There’s no better place to examine…
Sondek Trail
Simple as this path looks on a map, these tall old trees shelter fire pits and campsites, artwork and even an amphitheater under their gorgeous, diverse canopies. Scout troops have…
Millstone River Park Trail
As always, nature holds a lovely surprise for you in this strip of space between the Penn Medical Center and the Millstone River. The parking lot is usually empty (save…
Unexpected Masterpieces
That beauty hides in the overlooked stuff is one of nature’s wonderful life lessons. Every season offers up this teaching moment. For me, an undeniable trigger is when my allergies…
Millstone River Trail at Grover’s Mill
This wooded trail is packed with well worn as well as spindly trails, high bluffs atop dipping valleys, and dense woods that flank a broad, ambling plain of wetlands –…
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 &…
Jacob’s Creek Trail, Franz Preserve
The out and back along Jacob’s Creek past awesome bathing beaches has become a family favorite. The lovely path climbs through the woods and skittles across stepping stones – with…
Painting Rocks – With Rocks
My son discovered this cool painting technique at Jacob’s Creek, where the beaches are full of red-tinged flat rocks. He pulverized them by rubbing one against another and then used…
Roger’s Preserve Trail
So much personality is wedged into this former Christmas tree farm in a mini Bear Brook valley. From the parking lot, with its lovely view of Grovers Mill Pond, the…
Swan Preserve Trail
From its picturesque beginning at the foot of the old stone Opossum Road Bridge to the verdant, moss covered trees bending over the river banks at its end, this hidden…
D & R Canal Trail – Kingston
Kingston is an ideal portal into the wonderful D & R Canal towpath world, with ample parking and so much to see. Scenically and/or historically, it offers the Locktender’s House,…
Milford Bluffs Trail
You’ll feel like a Condor, perched atop the Milford Bluffs gazing over the Delaware River. Uphill from the wooded parking lot and through dense vegetation, the trail suddenly deposits you…
Cook Preserve & Heathcote Meadow Trails
The age-old stone bridge at its heart is a good representation of the whole preserve: timeless, intriguing, and undiscovered by most. There are woods, grassy meadows, farmland, creeks, a broad…
Ringing Rocks & Falls Creek Waterfall
Bring your hammers – and keep your kids close! Nature has really outdone herself here, serving up not one, but two distinctly magnificent spectacles. Just a few yards from the…
Woosamonsa Ridge Preserve Trail
Everything here happens under a vast, towering canopy – an excellent place to lose your mind and save your soul. Steep as the white trail trek up to the ridge…
Silver Maple Trail
From the humble wooden sign marking its beginning for about 50 feet, you’ll feel like you’ve rediscovered a lost tail. After that, it will be lost to you, too –…
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…
Pond House Trail at The Watershed
Ah, The Watershed. A perfect destination no matter your mood or endurance. With its pretty centerpiece red barn, this short trail around the pond travels through wetlands, shaded woods and…
Clover Hill Park Trail
This expanse of rolling farmland and forgotten pastures, plastered over here and there with crusted bands of weed-breached pavement seems not to be top of anybody’s mind. Combine that with…
Hamilton Veteran’s Park Trail
You’ll see a fighter jet, 911 memorial, veterans’ memorial, formal gardens, Seward Johnson sculpture and sprawling playground before you even reach the main parking lot. Explore the 333 acres a…
Rocky Brook Trail
Stepping stones kick things off across the Stony Brook at a perfectly picturesque spot where you could happily spend the day stream stopping. But then you’d be missing the magnificence…
Waterscope
Using a milk carton or yogurt tub, you can make a device that gives you a fish’s eye view of the underwater world. Cut away both ends of the milk…
Millstone Park Trail
Sneaking off behind Rocky Hill’s municipal building and magical co-op preschool is a charming path through wildflowers and grassland down a considerable slope to the Millstone River. From stream stomping…
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…
Bunker Hill Environmental Center Trail
A picturesque stream curves through a rustic frisbee golf course draped with Tibetan prayer flags. An observation deck hovers over a forgotten marsh. Stepping stones and wooden planks lead into…
Scott’s Corner Conservation Area Trail
This sweet little gem hides behind cricket fields opposite the mammoth Rowland Park grounds. Your child will love decoding the trail markers to find the lake with its gentle, mossy…
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…
Whatever Floats Your Boat!
If it floats, it’s a boat. The savvy shipwright might add a leaf sail to make it faster, use flatter, broader pieces to prevent it from capsizing or embellish it…
Baldpate Mountain Trail
Scramble up a boulderfall and through some enchanting passageways and you’ll see all the way to Philadelphia – telescope provided!
Lenape Trail
Driving past this place and not stopping shows phenomenal restraint. From the road at Mill Pond Park, between lily pads and onto a long and skinny peninsula, the sandy path…
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 1-mile loop.…
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…
Montgomery Veterans Park Trail & Arboretum
First things first: there’s a zipline here! In fact, absolutely nothing’s missing from this gargantuan recreation area made up of an amazing new playground, expansive park, arboretum and adjoining soccer…
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 a mini…
Thompson Preserve Trail
This farm preserve’s native Black-eyed Susans and Wild Bergamot will tower over you in July, as though saluting you on your way to the stream beaches or dramatic old stone…
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…
Rock-n-Roll Composer
Composing a melody has never been so easy – or fateful. You’ll need someone who knows how to read music and ideally plays a portable instrument – and 20 or…
Butler Road Natural Area Trail
Though this preserve feels sweet and discrete, it’s actually quite large. The tight, snaking purple trail is jam packed with lovely vignettes, mini pastures, creeks, and cedar passageways; it’s not…
Bessie Grover Park Trail
New playground, picnic tables, BBQ pits, flat rock beaches, shallow river, winding footpaths, mini cliffs, a port-a-potty – all waiting for you if you don’t blink as you’re driving past.…
Fieldcrest Avenue Trail
This little wisp brings you from the curb, through some woods (hold right), and to a shallow section of Back Brook, full of broad flat rocks you can lily-pad across…
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…
Rock Mill Preserve Trail
Such care has gone into sharing this magical place, buried in the woods. Beginning at the trail head, signs appoint the pathway like footmen guiding your passage, describing the historic…
Cider Mill Preserve Trail
What a gargantuan sky. You know you’re in a wildlife haven when every other human you encounter has a super zoom lens dangling around her or his neck. It’s too…
Beech Woods Park Trail
Orderly, spacious, and groomed as a country club, this park tucks its adventure all into one corner—and when you tuck into there too, the park’s name makes perfect sense. An…
Mercer Meadows Trail
Boardwalks add lots of pizazz, in my book, and this place is among the boardwalkiest of them all! And it’s a perfect place for biking with its endless sprawling acres…
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, the famous…
Brearley Great Meadow Trail
At the end of a country lane, settled in meadow, sits the home of John Brearley, one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution (now home to the Lawrence Historical…
Nature Mad Libs
The perfect pastime when everybody needs a break – or a good laugh! One person writes down 4 or 5 sentences describing their surroundings, leaving blanks for a few key…
Carson Road Woods Trail
These are the things footpathing dreams are made of—all in one demure and lovely place. You’ll find a clear, level bike path, endless meadow, towering forest, subway-like tunnels through fresh…
Omick Woods Trail
A lovely loop through the woods with 3 distinct features: stone stairways crossing a picturesque creek, a pretty overlook, and a fairyland path across a dam that empties to a…
Lawrence Brook Trail
Your choice of paved or unpaved path ambles through this unexpected corridor of wilderness, complete with colonies of beavers, a tranquil river, wetlands, and a railroad. ACTIVITIES: Train Gazing DIRECTIONS…
Sourland Ecosystem Preserve Trail
Ambling through woods and along boardwalks and leap-frogging boulders along streams, your path will be fairly level with the exception of one knoll in the Northeast section. LEARN / HELP…
Fieldston Road Dinky Line Footpath
Small but magical, especially if you’re a train gazer. This is no place for roving toddlers as the path runs between waterways and railroads. ACTIVITIES: Train Gazing DIRECTIONS
Chauncey Trail
If there are Hobbits in New Jersey, they live here. There isn’t a more enchanting little wooden bridge, mossy river ledge, or pebble beach upon which to enjoy your second…
Kendall Woods Trail
Branching off from a tucked away little park and playground is this broad walkway through tall trees flanking the Kendall Woods. It’s an excellent place to practice biking – with…
Curlis Lake & Woods Trail
A natural amusement park, this wonderful trail starts at a horse stable, glides along a swan lake, moguls over a parade of little mossy knolls past a storied abandoned Rambler…
Reichler Park
Though technically you could footpath along the pipeline, paralleling the train tracks – you don’t even have to leave the parking area to take in the full wonder of this…
Train Gazing
Whose eyes don’t widen after their ears hear the rumble of a train? It’s just plain exciting. And if yours is the kind of little one who starts jumping up…
Cypress Court Trail
If the performance we enjoyed by the deer is any indication, not too many humans take this little corridor connecting Cypress Court with Dey Road. Not a destination, in and…
Mershon Lane & Krebs Road Footpath
A sly little lake with a mini picnic meadow beside the railroad, this spot is absolutely ideal for train gazing – as long as little feet are well supervised. ACTIVITIES:…
Oh the Stories You’ll Tell
You can find a few creature faces in every tree or fallen limb. Keep your eyes open and sketch your favorites. Give them a name and a personality. Then toss…
Walking the Canopies
Hold a mirror just under your eyes on top of your nose and watch the tops of the trees as you walk. It’s another world up there – that most…
Microdetective
Grabs 4 sticks to outline a square patch on the ground. Then find at least 20 things in that square to describe. Then double down by breaking those sticks in…
Mud Potpourri
Dress appropriately for this one. On your way to your mud source (a few dependable spots below), gather fallen leaves, petals, grasses, anything on the ground that looks interesting. When…
Sculptures
With some vines or long grasses and a pile of twigs, you can make a panda bear, a giraffe or a lion. Find a nice spot for it to live…
Tree huggers
Have you ever gotten to know a tree so well that you could recognize it with your eyes closed? This game is about doing exactly that. Blindfolded, your friends lead…
Compass Detectives
Make a treasure hunt using compass coordinates on hidden notes as clues. Then see how well your friends fare! Along the way you’ll learn how to use a compass, better…
Secret Passages
Sometimes the best way to get from one place to another is on a NOT footpath. See if you can find special tunnels to move between footpaths. Your chances are…
Fairy Villages
As you stroll along in search of your favorite, most idyllic setting, pick up little twigs, seed pods, pretty fallen leaves and any other natural treasure. Then plan out your…
Al Fresco Pie Kit
From June to August, when wild blueberries, wineberries, raspberries and blackberries ripen, put together a pie kit and head for your favorite berry patch. All you really need is a…
Nature in alphabetical order
Gather everybody’s senses and focus on nature’s details all around you as you take turns finding creatures, plants, landscape in alphabetical order. “A” is for ant, “B” is for bee,…
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…
Four Paws Trail at Stephen Way
If your posse includes advanced as well as beginning bikers, this place is perfect for you. A flat, paved trail runs between neighborhoods – alongside glorious little woods with a…
Kunkel Park & Pennington Loop Nature Trail
Two charming wooden archways act as portals between the wonderworld that is Kunkel Park – with its large sandbox, play structure, covered picnic benches and rolling meadows – and the…
Schoolhouse Trail at Schuss Woods
Squeezed between Orchard Hill and Montgomery Middle Schools and along Back Brook, the trail gets its name from the sweet one-room schoolhouse still perched at the edge of Schuss Woods.…
Van Horne Park Trail
Hidden in plain sight, this spacious park is an excellent place for strollers or taking off the training wheels. A paved path encircles a large deer wilderness as well as…
Davidson’s Mill Pond Park Trail
A lake, lily-padded ponds, vibrant wetlands, creeks, wide open meadows, grand old forests, boardwalks, sweet meandering footpaths with loads of natural stone steps and broad, shaded bikeable trails …. not…
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. You…
St. Michael’s Farm Preserve Trail (West)
If you’re a fan of the English countryside like me, your heart will swell at the views in this lovely shire, complete with a village steeple and farm silos. On…
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…
Hobler Park Trail
The expansive recreation lawn, brand new playground, and large gazebo with plush BBQs come into view when you pull into the large parking lot. The wonderfully intricate and naturally ornamental…
Herrontown Woods Botanical Art Garden & Trail
Unless you were at Herrontown Woods this morning, there’s something new for you to discover here. Exuberant and deft hands are clearing new trails, laying stepping stones, building yurts (!),…
Kingston Grotto Berm Path
Two paths hug the canal heading South from the Kingston Locktender’s house. This is definitely the one less traveled by. It follows the canal past Kingston’s historic nursery lands with…
Maidenhead Meadows Trail
There’s the straightforward route along the spacious meadow and lollipopping through the woods – which is lovely – and then there are the wispy footpaths less traveled that lead to…
Heathcote Brook Trail
Part meditatively tranquil and predictable, part rambling meadows and all around, forest that few humans ever breach (at least, that’s what the fox told me). Connects to Kendall Woods trail.…
Metro Park / Dinky Line Trail
The skinny little path from the parking lot is a portal to another world that magically fits into this wild wetland space between office parks. We like to pretend we’re…
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…
Rocky Hill Knoll Footpath
This teeny trail on a mini hill is perfect for picnicking, Easter egg hunts, pretending you’re on an island, rolling or sledding down the hill, and hide-and-seek (especially if you…
Negri-Nepote Native Grassland Preserve Trail
There are woods – on the edges – but the substance of this lovely walk is tall, breathy grass. Scope and distance take on a meditative scale. Wooden pedestals along…
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…
Cedar Ridge Preserve Trail
There’s an epic aura to this place—Sherwood Forest meets the Serengeti. Trails start from either Van Dyke or Stony Brook Roads; and either way you begin at a grand meadow…
Bunker Hill Natural Area Trail
We waded in Huckleberry Finn’s footsteps here. Broad, mowed trails on the hill drop to an under realm of pure adventure. From the parking lot, paths lure you through the…
Otto’s Farm Park Trail
Sloping views sweep across farmland and forests in this beautifully maintained preserve with picnic benches scattered at meandering intersections. Natural arches beckon to be explored and timeless stone steps lead…
Zion Crossing Park Trail
The centerpiece of this post-industrial naturescape is the waterfall (especially after a good rain). At 7 acres, the linear adventure is limited, but oh the possibilities for play headquartered at…
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…
Audubon’s Plainsboro Preserve Trail
Audoban’s Plainsboro Preserve is as inviting to the rich wildlife it hosts as it is to its visitors with a welcoming nature center and trails that are perfect for little legs and still full of intrigue and adventure as they pass through butterfly gardens, along scenic bluffs, through shaded woods and past bird viewing platforms.
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…