Abbott Marshlands – Roebling Park & Watson Woods
Highways and treatment plants are never fully obscured from view here—but neither are history, nature conservation, islands, beaver dams, and every kind of habitat imaginable. Park either at the east…
Mapleton Preserve Trail
Deer, wild turkeys, foxes, eagles…. they’ll be startled by you in this tranquil, precious collection of trees and pathways. Several building relics and countless intriguing tree species stand tribute to…
Aquetong Spring Park
Aquetong’s cold limestone spring serves up refreshment for all of your senses at once! Cool water gushes from a clear pool over an 8 foot (ish) drop and gushes into…
Giving Pond
Giving indeed! This 90-acre rectangular pond, squeezed between the Delaware River and Canal, is an excellent place to walk, fish, kayak and even island hop! Once a quarry, the submerged…
Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park
What looks like ruddy wasteland as you whiz past on the freeway turns out to be a magical network of rivulets and trails meandering across a thriving salt marsh. Pathways…
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 –…
Big Rock Preserve
An unexpected bevy of oases are hidden under tree canopies and behind hedges in the small but wondrous Big Rock Preserve. While the paths are pristine and carefully delineated, you…
Chino Hills State Park Trails
Seas of orange poppies and deep blue lupines give way to corridors of yellow mustard flowers every spring in this famous wildflower terrain. Bloom time generally spans from March through…
Theodore Payne Foundation Wildflower Trail
This sweet adventure includes a native plant demonstration garden, education center, native plant nursery, gift shop, and Wildflower Trail. Bring a picnic to enjoy in your choice of canopied terrace,…
Port Hueneme Lighthouse Promenade
From Hueneme Wharf Plaza, the newly-repaired Lighthouse Promenade threads between the beach and the port to a hidden architectural treasure presiding over the port entrance: the Port Hueneme Lighthouse. Art…
Ireland Brook Conservation Area Trail
Ireland Brook Conservation Area offers small, medium, and large adventures over rolling forests, meadows, and marshes—and connecting to neighboring preserves. From the Riva Ave. end, the sweet little Blue Loop…
Princeton Highlands / Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve Trail
For someone who is ever in search of the English countryside, these tree-lined rolling meadows come quite close. From the parking lot, there’s a trail leading in every direction and…
Rockingham Loop Trail
A short path loops from Rockingham’s parking lot down through the woods to the D & R Canal path, back up the hill and returning through the Rockingham grounds –…
Shallow Brook Woods
A paved path, ideal for strollers, scooter and bikes, skirts the woods that separate the neighborhood homes from Shallow Brook. A dirt footpath loops through the woods to another world…
Maidenhead Road Trail
Hidden away behind the Maidenhead soccer fields, this under-a-mile footpath loops from just behind the playground, along a meadow ridge, through the woods, and along a greenway. The path hides…
Summerland Lookout Park Trail
Poised atop a seaside cliff, this place would be marvelous even without the bocci court, ping pong tables, grape trellises, nice playground, clean toilets, and dog washing kiosk (not kidding).…
Nature Treasure Chest
This little hive of a nature cupboard inspires kids to pay close attention outside and curate their own collection of natural wonders. YOU’LL NEED: a shallow cardboard box with flaps…
Mount Rose Preserve
In the end, Nature always wins. [mic drop] Ok, I’m back. Turning into the driveway leading to the parking lot, you’ll pass unexpected relics of the time when the nation’s…
Rose Valley Falls Trail
Our crew spanned from 8 years old to over 80 and everyone made it, safe and enchanted, to the falls. Under a mile long, the well worn out-and-back trail flanks…
Oxbridge Footpath
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…
Coffin Family Trail
You’ll feel as if you’ve wandered into a landscape painting. A really pricey one. This kind of magic just doesn’t usually show up in real life. The trail flows generally…
Garden of the Gods Trail
The ghosts of Hollywood’s by-gone cowboys play here all day long, I think. You can practically hear shwa-pings hitting the boulders as you shimmy between them and duck into caves.…
Reinhardt Forest Preserve Trail
A simple, serene yellow-blazed 1.2-mile loop wraps around these sweet woods, with a red and blue trail through the middle, skirting what appears to be a shallow pond. A stream…
Orcutt Ranch Trail
Surprises linger around every corner of this hidden garden. One third of it is formal and manicured, often featuring a bride; another third is a park-scaped barranca with picnic areas…
Sourland Mountain Preserve Trail
Of several ways to come at the Sourlands, this is the most direct and popular – and it boasts an irresistible boulder obstacle course! Points of particular interest include those…
Camping Cakes
Oranges roasting on an open fire – oozing with orange-infused cake! This is a fantastically simple and exciting way to bake outside – whether in the woods or at your…
Oak Creek Canyon Whole Access Trail
Braille signage and a guide cable running the full length of the level, half-mile Oak Canyon Whole Access trail help those with impaired vision find their way – and the…
Farrington Lake (Lower Trail)
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…
Holiday Bird Feeder Wreath
Easy, lovely and kind. A wreath is a good way to serve up all sorts of foods that nourish birds in the winter months. To make the wreath, you just…
Canal Link Trail
This is one of our favorite secret passages—leading to wide open prairies, horse stables, age-old craggly Osage Orange trees, a charming waterside historic hovel, a windmill, bumpy and forgotten woods,…
Sensory “Fruit Tree” Countdown Calendar
This lovely count down idea checks all the boxes: anticipation, excitement, yumminess, sensory intrigue, education – and it looks beautiful, too! And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, count all the…
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…
Wagner Farm Children’s Garden & Trail
From March through December, Wagner Farm Aboretum welcomes families to explore their bright and adventurous children’s garden – complete with a gazebo, blueberry patch, mini maze, sensory garden, instrument corner,…
Las Posas Equestrian Trail
Secret passages tunnel through a stately neighborhood along a towering, aromatic row of eucalyptus trees, between blooming hedgerows and through a sandy canyon. It takes a little investigating to link…
Lois Howe Nature Trail
A pretty little loop through Colonial Park’s woods swoops from the parking lot across a boardwalk, along Spooky Brook Pond and back again. There were plenty of fish to occupy…
UCSB Lagoon Island Labyrinth & Trail
Racing scoops of pelicans and tucking into gangly tree hideaways along the grooved paths above the Pacific was already a lovely adventure …. and then we found the labyrinth! Bigger…
Freedom Trail
This seemingly simple, out-and-back bike path between Ridge Rd. and Stouts Ln. tucks away a few surprises. First, there are picturesque swamps, lily ponds, and streams on both sides of…
Van Nest Wildlife Refuge Trail
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…
Colonial Park Rose Garden Trails
From the first day of spring to the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden is not only open, but BLOOMING! We visited just before Halloween…
America’s Teaching Zoo
America’s Teaching Zoo is the happy ending to each of its inhabitant’s unsettling story; when living in the wild becomes unsurvivable, a cage doesn’t seem so bad. “Happy,” the crocodile…
Willowwood Garden & Arboretum Trails
This magical mashup of so many distinct worlds is a natural amusement park. From the parking lot, manicured lawns curve around idyllic barns to a vibrant cottage garden with sculpted…
Emma Wood River Trail & Seaside Wilderness
The shrubby, duney, jungled wild space between Emma Wood State Park, Ventura River’s estuary, the freeway, and the ocean is etched with footpaths. There are two jumping off points from…
Bamboo Brook Garden & Trail
Bamboo Brook’s lovely garden is full of surprises—a trickling waterfall, trellis tunnel, views across expansive meadows, and ribbons of winding flower-lined paths—all of which lead back to the sunken circular…
Seaside Gardens (Secret) Path
This secret seaside garden will sweep you off your feet. One enchanted, tucked away space begets the next – with several pretty seating areas along the way. It’s the marvelous…
Leonard Buck Garden & Trail
This verdant gorge with a lake at its heart and wooded slopes around its perimeter is bursting with blooms, rock gardens, and footbridges in all the spaces between. Leonard Buck,…
Chumash Village Trail
This shaded half-mile footpath dives into Chumash history and heritage, anchored by the Chumash Indian Museum and leading to a replica of a Chumash village. The village burned in the…
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
One of the most dramatic hawk-watching lookouts here is wheelchair accessible and less than a mile from the parking lot – and the other one, at the summit, is just…
Haskell’s Beach / Hel’apunitse Trail
Shrouded in history and surfers’ lore, Haskell’s Beach is partially named after the surfer who used to hold the key back when you needed one. Hel’apunitse, which is the Chumash…
Natirar Trail
One of the Garden State’s most majestic rambles, the grounds of Natirar include a hilltop English manor and sweeping meadows with enchanting, hidden away nature trails at opposite ends. Each…
Shalawa / Hammond Meadow Trail
A secret passage in plain sight whisks you to this venerated seaside meadow. From the small parking lot, a footpath squeezes between the hedgerows, across Montecito Creek, past estate gardens…
Sayen Garden & Trail
Formal gardens surrounding the Arts and Crafts era Sayen bungalow, dense woods and a beautifully landscaped park share this compact 30-acre corner in Hamilton – connected by a wonderfully convoluted…
Hartley Botanica Garden Paths
A beguiling marriage of the natural and the unnatural, of hummingbird baths and peacock paths and sculpted caves under waterfalls – this secret garden rewards eager feet and keen eyes.…
Lakeside Village Trail – Mercer County Park
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…
Paramount Ranch Trail
Trails explore prairies in all directions from the parking lot – but the centerpiece here is entirely “Western Town,” which 2018’s Woolsey fire reduced to the picturesque white church featured…
Oxnard Historic Farm Park Path
A vibrant oasis of Oxnard’s agricultural heritage, Oxnard Historic Farm park is brimming with community heirlooms, including three buildings that have held their ground as acres and acres of farmland…
Duke Farms Trail
How privileged we all are, with our open invitation to step into this timeless, seemingly boundless, no-expense-spared, aristocratic park at our leisure (Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30am to 6pm). From the…
Taft Gardens and Nature Preserve
The speakeasy of gardens! Over the hills and not so faraway there rests a paradise of exotic botanicals, grand views, tunneling colonnades, a zen garden, art exhibits, sculpture, and wildlife.…
D & R Canal Trail – Mapleton Road & Millstone Aqueduct Trail
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,…
Crystal Lake Park Trail
Dense woods, open meadows, bike paths, horse riding trails, hawks, herons, lake views, water lilies, fishing nooks, level pathways, steep plummets, rhododendron groves, wistful benches…. few places let you choose…
Pea Teepee
One of our favorite sweet snacks from the garden in the summertime is a handful of fresh, chompy, succulent sugar snap peas. And they’re not just delicious and healthy, they…
Skyview Preserve Trail
It’s easy to miss the tiny parking lot adjacent to the wisp of a footpath that introduces this preserve, but oh what a miss…. especially in late summer. What begins…
Baldwin Lake Wildlife Area Trail
A broad trail parallels the railroad tracks before curving into the woods, where small paths veer off to the river beaches and view of the old stone railroad bridge. After…
Dawn Chorus
The dim, brisk, wee early morning is all yours, wrapped up together in a blanket relishing silent sips of hot chocolate, ears pricked up, eyes searching the dawn greyscape, no…
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 a little…
Drinking Nature
Add Sweet Woodruff (ideally before it has bloomed) to lemonade, apple juice or white wine for 45 minutes and drink in the Spring! In the words of an astute 7…
High Tower Elevator & Pathways
For key-carrying residents, the High Tower is a 1920s elevator from a bank of garages to the meta level of meandering pathways leading to quirky stoops and gateways. For the…
Venice Canals Pathways
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…
Fresh Plants from Vegetable Scraps
It’s almost magical, the way some fruits and vegetables regenerate if you put their heads or feet in water – and an exciting process to witness. In some cases, you’ll…
Watershed Boardwalk & Stony Brook Trails
The beautiful new boardwalk takes you by the feet from the nature center and deposits you at the Stony Brook trail, which loops to the river and back. Along the…
Allaire State Park – Robinwood Dinosaurs Trail
Note: what follows is pure nostalgia, sadly. We haven’t had the heart to investigate news that the Dinosaur sculptures have been vandalized—or to take down this post of what they…
Allaire Village Trail
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,…
Pine Creek Railroad at Allaire State Park
The New Jersey Transit Museum has made its captivating home here since 1952, showcasing turn of the century railcars and locomotives. Its Pine Creek Railroad is one of the oldest…
Sea God Cemetery Beach Path
See those things sticking up over there on the beach between the cobblestones and the mini jungle to the south of the pier? You should definitely take a closer look!…
Leo Carrillo Beach Trail
We will forever call this “the cave beach,” which is an utter injustice to the tide pools, overlooks, life guard station and crab coves. You could spend the whole day…
Snowflake Muse
It’s amazing how perfectly kaleidoscopic snowflakes look when you really examine them closely. Seed pods, leaves, and dried flowers in your garden are great places to investigate – where individual…
Snow Ice Cream
We definitely scream for this ice cream! It’s as easy to make as it is yummy. With the intense sweetness of condensed milk, our favorite flavor so far is raspberry…
Summerland Loop Trail
This horseshoe-shaped trail through wildflowers around a canyon ridge gives you constant views of the Pacific over Summerland’s rooftops. You can turn the horseshoe into a loop through verdant neighborhoods…
Snow Taffy
Turn maple syrup (or honey) into a taffy lollipop! Not only was this a scrumptious activity, it also precipitated discussions about matter changing from solid to liquid to gas and…
Manning Park Pathways
A congregation of wonderlands connected by stone steps and zigging pathways is tucked into one of Montecito’s verdant canyons. There are rose-lined lawns, colonades draped in vines, a picnic meadow…
Ennisbrook Open Space
Ambling in perpetual shade through passageways of bent and gnarled oak trees, this flat lollipop trail generally follows San Ysidro Creek, crossing it twice over charming stone bridges. Nasturtiums and…
Ballona Lagoon Marine Preserve Trail
Tucked away between Venice beach and Marina Del Ray harbor, Ballona Lagoon is one of the last tidal wetlands in southern California, with high and low tides twice daily. A…
Ojai Demonstration Garden Path
A dressing room for landscapes, Ojai’s Demonstration Garden sends you along stepping stones and narrow pathways to audition an intriguing spectrum of plants and learn about garden tending. Nestled between…
Channel Islands Visitor Center Hidden Garden Path
Just across from the Children’s Beach, this sweet little garden tucks neatly into the little triangle beside the Visitor Center entrance. Signage and boxes at the start describe the flora…
Nature Medallion
You can spiral-weave anything that’s long, pliable and not too frail into a medallion. And the treasure hunt for items which meet that criteria in your own garden (or on…
Rutgers Ecological Preserve Trail and Natural Teaching Area
300 acres of meadows and woods hold this ground, wedged between campus and apartment buildings. Running through the middle, the charismatic Buell Brook presents lots of sweet stepping stone and…
Pryde Point – Alexauken Trail
The scenery changes from moment to moment here. First, the yellow trail sets off through a long meadow, dives through some woods and then follows a sloping gravel road to…
Meher Mount
Reverence for nature is inevitable when you take in the view at Meher Mount, which is exactly as Meher Baba intended. Affectionately called “Baba,” he was an important spiritual leader…
Spring is in the house!
This one’s like a magic trick. A simple (looking) stick – or wand, if you will – placed in water at the end of January sprouts flowers by the time…
Highland Park Meadow Trail
This hidden away .6-mile nature trail loops through a pocket of land beside the Raritan River. It features a stony river beach looking out at the vintage Raritan River Bridge.…
Harmon Canyon Trail
A fire road forges the main path through Harmon Canyon, alongside and across the creek to a lookout, ostensibly 3.5 miles in – and up. But we got happily distracted…
Pleasant Valley Charles Honn Botanical Garden Path
This sweet little garden wedge is brimming with curiosities and pollinators. It’s a designated urban bee lab for UC Berkeley and includes a certified wildlife habitat area. On a Saturday…
Potrero Ranch Trail
The green rolling meadows, bright wildflowers and winding sandy pathways against a dramatic mountain ridge backdrop had me imagining I’d rambled straight into the Pyrenees – until I glimpsed inimitable…
Bridlewild Trail
From the road, the horse trail skirts a vineyard and then plunges down to follow and cross the dry creek, diving under oak canopies and sidling along classic white split…
King Gillette Ranch Trail
Mr. Gillette’s glamorous, elaborate Spanish Colonial Revival style villa in its sea of sprawling lawns floats like a green island in the rolling caramel-colored, oak-dotted Calabasas hills. From the Visitor Center,…
Ventura Botanical Gardens Trail
Draped with endless strands of loops and switchbacks connected by steep, sculptural stone stairways, the hillside garden reveals exquisite plant life and a breathtaking view at every bend. From the…
Ronald Rogers Arboretum Trail
Founding member of Friends of West Windsor Open Space (FOWWOS) and lifelong conservationist, Ronald Rogers was known as West Windsor’s Forester. His dedication to community forestry is honored here in…
Ventura Marina Jetty to Soter’s Point Beach Path
If Ventura’s Marina Park were an amusement park, this would be its adventure ride. Past the big lawn, beach, sand dunes, playground and marooned “pirate ship,” the first part of…
Ventura Harbor Ecological Reserve Trail
Don’t let the chain link fence keep you from exploring this wonderland; the gate off of Angler Court is unlocked daily between 9am and 5pm. Sandy pathways loop around the…
Etra Lake Trail
Past the nature center, the playground, the horseshoe pits, the lake, the stage, the wide open recreation lawn, and the farm land, the real adventure begins—in the labyrinthian arboretum. If…
Conejo Botanic Garden & Nature Trail
Bordering the charming Conejo Community Park, the Botanic Garden’s colorful blossoms burst from 15 specialty gardens spread across the hillside. Footpaths meander through Australian, Mediterranean, Desert, Rare Fruit and Butterfly…
Tarantula Hill Trail
This peculiar little knoll opposite the Conejo Valley Botanic Gardens boasts a panoramic view from the bench on its bald summit that extends from the Santa Monica Mountains, across the…
Shelf Road Trail
Broad and level, this sandy road clings to the hillside’s contours, providing every possible vantage point of the verdant, peaceful Ojai valley. Park at either end and back track, leap-frogging…
Carpinteria Bluffs Open Space & Seal Sanctuary
….or, “The Train Beach,” as this family pilgrimage site shall always be known to us. With trains, seals, and bathing poolets, this is a great family adventure destination – but…
The Cross Path
A cross has stood in the spot on the hill overlooking Ventura since the late 1700s, roughly since Junipero Serro founded the San Buenaventura Mission. Surrounded by a beautifully maintained…
Pine Cone Bird Feeders
Our most successful and easiest to make bird feeder yet! Coat a pine cone in peanut butter, roll it in bird seed. And hang on dainty limbs that can’t support…
Arroyo Verde Park Trail
Wedged amidst Ventura’s foothills, Arroyo Verde Park is the launch pad for trails of various lengths and climbs, though a lovely view with fragrant, pretty flora is guaranteed. Trails start…
Ellwood Bluffs
The trail leading through Goleta’s Ellwood Mesa and Bluffs to the beach is bustling with adventure. It dives from the edge of a neighborhood into a Eucalyptus forest, from which…
Coronado & Ellwood Monarch Butterfly Groves
These two adjacent famed Monarch butterfly habitats reached via the Ellwood Bluffs trail attract butterflies November through February. A decade ago, tens of thousands of butterflies would spend the winter…
Skillman Park Trail
Over 2 miles of paved pathway, ideal for bikes and scooters, loop around the park and school. And a charming mowed trail parallels the brook with pretty vignettes and wetland…
Bates Road Railroad & Rincon Tidepools
From the same parking lot, you can hover high above the ocean with the paragliders where trains whiz past, or you can crouch close to a sea anemone and watch…
Surfer’s Point Dunes Beach Boardwalk
This mini adventure along the boardwalk through the dunes at Surfer’s Point feels like an elongated viewing platform. Of course, the ocean looks beautiful from the bike path, too –…
Ice Sun Catchers
These fleeting ice beauties are a lovely way to showcase natural treasures – illuminated in the winter sun like sparkling stained glass windows. You just need treasures, string, and some…
Lord Stirling Park Trail
We expected boardwalks to go to great lengths here—but we couldn’t have dreamed of this! Crossing a patchwork of lake, swamps, forest and meadows, boardwalks make up one third of…
Cheesequake State Park Trail
A diverse and unusual extravaganza of ecosystems awaits you at Cheesequake State Park—including salt and freshwater marshes, a cedar swamp, pine barrens, and a hilly hardwood forest. If anyone needs…
Douglas Family Preserve
The water seems always to be turquoise, the horizon gently curved and shimmering with a lazy haze, a hint of Eucalyptus in the air stoked by the warm breeze, and…
Mission Steps
Stairs and pathways spider about along so many contingencies you’d need a highly methodical system and lots of spare time to track them all down – or a big band…
Franceschi Park Pathways
Floating on the Santa Barbara Riviera, this enchanting antique estate and garden provide an unparalleled panorama of Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands. From the parking lot, paths and stone…
Alice Keck Memorial Garden & Kid’s World
There’s stiff competition on either side of Micheltorena Street for kids’ attention. On one side, the Alice Keck Garden has a pond full of turtles with an island and a…
Rocky Nook Park Trail
Rocky, oaky nooks abound in the wonderful trail scramble at the back of the park along Mission Creek and behind the picnic sites and playground. Minimal in acreage, but with…
Andree Clark Bird Refuge
Tucked between the beach, the railroad tracks and the Santa Barbara Zoo, the Andree Clark Bird Refuge is an understated hideaway for birds and wildlife. With three observation platforms jutting…
Wiman Canyon & Old Pueblo Trail
From the shaded, green belly of a canyon, the Wiman Canyon Trail quickly shoots up to meet the dry, baked pathways of the Old Pueblo Trail that run behind the…
Ojai Meadows Preserve
Serenity hovers in this flat basin among the brush and Eucalyptus trees, surrounded by a picturesque mountainscape. At its heart, a bridge and benches are lovely spots to peer at…
Art City Studios & Stone Garden
Stone sculpture studios meld one into the next along this otherworldly mini footpath, open to the public Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Classical alabaster nudes, rustic Buddhas, monolithic towers, exquisite pebbly jellyfish and…
Eames Preserve Trail
I couldn’t stop smiling along this enchanting sliver of paradise. Nature just feels especially gracious here. The parking spot is the highest point of the trail, and the picturesque bend…
Drexel Woods Trail & Lawrence Nature Center
These woods are stocked with every feature you could fancy—all in a mile-long loop: meandering boardwalks under a grand canopy, Shabakunk Creek with its pretty beaches, a thriving meadow lined…
Turtleback Park Trail
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…
Barnegat Light Secret “Maritime Forest” Passage Trail
Ok, “secret” might be a bit overstated—but this mini footpath ventures through an unexpected little beach jungle between tangles of old trees, with sand and snowy white shell chips underfoot…
Pinelands Batona Trail at Ongs Hat
We experienced only the very first of the 50 miles in this Pinelands haul. One lovely mile of fragrance, soft pine carpeting, and a fresh quiet that was interrupted a…
Orange Sun Catcher Garland
Dried orange slices catch the sunlight like nature’s stained glass. If you have an orange or two past their prime for eating, slice them as thinly as you can and…
Holiday Tree for the Birds
A festively adorable garden decoration for you, a bewildering smorgasbord of treats for the birds! And a really fun afternoon of nature crafting! BIRD SEED ORNAMENTS BIRD TREAT GARLANDS BIRD…
Holiday Bird Treat Garlands
Popcorn and fresh cranberries make a stunning indoor/outdoor garland – especially against a dark green backdrop. And the outside ones are a lovely snack for the birds. If you’re hanging…
Holiday Bird Seed Ornaments
Especially in the winter, birds can use a little help from their friends (that’s you 🙂 ). These seed ornaments are a perfectly festive way to nourish and entertain them…
Cross Estate Gardens & Trails
A secret garden. Right here in New Jersey—and complete with ivy-covered stone walls, trellised passageways, a romantic estate, rolling meadows, and even a Rapunzelesque stone tower. No doubt breathtaking in…
Jockey Hollow Preserve Trail
It was literally, technically, and absolutely freezing cold the day we journeyed through Jockey Hollow—all the better to empathize with the soldiers who huddled here long before we did. Replicas…
Van Dyke Farm Trail
Across the street from Van Dyke farm’s barn and grazing horses, a small parking lot marks the beginning of this short, pond-abundant trail. The blue trail ambles toward the pipeline,…
Loveless Preserve Trail
A curtain of evergreens surrounds the trail head, revealing a long, beckoning corridor through the woods – a fitting welcome since the Loveless family formerly ran a Christmas tree farm.…
Rosedale Park Trail to the Historic Hunt House
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,…
Woolsey Park Trail
What a compact wonderland this is, complete with 4 stepping stone stream crossings, a dense evergreen forest, a broad meadow, an anciently twisted and scraggly osage orange hedgerow, high ridges…
Holiday Bird Treat Ornaments
If you’ve got some O-shaped cereal (no sugar or other stuff added), maybe a few fresh cranberries and some wire, you have the makings of a beautiful holiday ornament for…
Flap the World’s Biggest Wings!
What does it feel like to have the biggest wings on the planet? The Wandering Albatross knows, with a wingspan of up to 12 feet! – and so can you….…
Dallenbach Nature Trail
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…
Holiday Orange + Clove Aroma Globes
These don’t look half bad – but their glory is in the festive, spicy-citrus scent they share. You just need an orange, a string or ribbon and 20+ cloves to…
A Special Thank You….
Protecting nature and keeping her clean are crucial ways to show our gratitude. And a beautiful thank you note is nice too…. Next time you’re exploring, collect a few treasures…
Mill Creek Marsh Trail
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…
DeKorte Park Trail
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…
Kingston Mill Footpath
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…
Titus Farm Footpath
“For 53 years, Thomas Titus and his descendants farmed this plot of land. Once an enslaved person, his remains lie here in an unmarked grave, as if keeping watch over…
Helmetta Pond Trail
The T-shaped pier was what drew us here: a perfect place to read and picnic while watching hawks circling overhead. After a quick stop at the playground, we drove to…
