Skip to toolbar

Some of the most enchanting adventures hide among “the in-betweens” – like this pretty, wooded one, in-between Montgomery Park and the Oxbridge neighborhood, cloaking Back Brook. A gravel, paved path…

Read more

Narrow Farrington Lake and Davidson’s Mill Pond are connected by Lawrence Brook – and you can walk along all three. We’re calling this portion of the trail the lower end…

Read more

Hidden away down an overlookable dirt road, this loop thatches together creekside pathways, historic relics, sweeping lake views and sweet little beaches. The start of the loop is quite easy…

Read more

There is something for absolutely everyone here. Rent a boat, play beach volleyball, stroll along a waterfront footpath and into the woods, grab a snack at the concession stand (open…

Read more

This hub of lanky bridges, peaceful lake vistas, fishing nooks, historic landmarks, and paths-less-taken is an especially charismatic section of the D & R Canal Towpath. A cool feature here,…

Read more

Venice’s real magic doesn’t happen on the Pacific, if you ask us, but 2 blocks from it at a different waterscape. The Venice Canal Historic District is what remains of an…

Read more

Pretty wooded and riverside trails are spun around the pristinely restored early 19th century Allaire Village and Howell Iron Works Company. As you stroll past the row houses, blacksmith shop…

Read more

These woods are stocked with every feature you could wish for – all in a mile-long loop: meandering boardwalks under a grand canopy, Shabakunk Creek with its pretty beaches, a…

Read more

This short, sweet strip sneaks between Little Shabakunk Creek and neighborhood gardens. From the friendly turtle sculpture marking the beginning of the trail, it’s only a few steps to the…

Read more

Yes, it has that – whatever it is you’re hoping for. Lake, picnic benches, covered pavilions, paved trails, unpaved trails, hidden footpaths, playgrounds, bathrooms, dog park, historic house, connecting trails,…

Read more

In sharp contrast to the showy waterpark it’s tucked behind, Dallenbach Lake is the picture of serenity. From his hand-written welcome note at its start to the densely-educational signs along…

Read more

A former wasteland between Bob’s Furniture Outlet and Interstate 95, this meandering little eden is a beacon of green in the Meadowlands. Narrow pathways snake and intersect across the grassy…

Read more

Happily ever after its landfill and wasteland past, DeKorte Park is a wide expanse of breathtaking views. A splindling of narrow walkways cuts through a flat tidal marsh and waterscape…

Read more

Quite familiar to the herons and human fishers, the charming little footpath that winds along and across stone walls and past the Kingston Mill is otherwise quite discrete. From the…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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 –…

Read more

A sweet little escape with a hidden passageway that empties onto a lakeside meadow. From the TRI entrance, a small trail winds through a narrow band of woods flanking the…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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,…

Read more

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 –…

Read more

“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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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,…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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 and it’s…

Read more

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…

Read more

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

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:…

Read more

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…

Read more

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.…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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 (!),…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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…

Read more

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.

Read more

53/53