This 75-acre natural area located just outside of downtown Princeton is a favorite for family walks, birding, and fishing. Originally part of King George III's land grant to William Penn, it was farmed until the late nineteenth century. In the early 1980s, it was purchased by Princeton Township- in part through the Green Acres funds- and is now preserved as open space. With the Preserve’s two lakes, numerous rocky creeks, wooded wetlands, and upland forests, this park provides a diversity of ecosystems for native flora and fauna.
An 8-mile network of maintained trails traversing this Preserve, Mountain Lakes North, John Witherspoon Woods,parts of Tusculum (private) and Community Park North makes a variety of loop hikes possible. Pathways include a boardwalk (over wetlands) and paved bicycle roads. Click here for a trail map of the entire open space area, provided by the NJ Trails Association (2009).
Mostly flat terrain: from 100 ft. at the lakes to 280 ft. in the NE corner of John Witherspoon Woods.