Local Trails, Parks & More

Duke Island Park is a site of rich beauty offering varied recreational experiences. It is traversed by the historic Raritan Power Canal. The Somerset County Park Commission acquired this 340.5 acre site in 1958 and has developed it to provide a wide variety of active and passive recreational opportunities and special events for park visitors. Duke Island Park also offers bike trails, softball fields and ice skating in the winter. Activities include biking, softball, walking/jogging trail, fishing, hiking trail, ice skating, cross-country skiing, birdwatching, picnicking and playgrounds.

Located in central New Jersey’s largest remaining wilderness, historical Sourland Mountain region is a magnet for
outdoor enthusiasts, offering incredible vistas and a wealth of recreational opportunities. Home to a fascinating array of rare wildlife and flora, the mountain is
also the sole source of drinking water for tens of thousands of people.

The 70-mile Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park is one of central New Jersey’s most popular recreational corridors for canoeing, jogging, hiking, bicycling, fishing and horseback riding. The canal and the park are part of the National Recreation Trail System. This linear park is also a valuable wildlife corridor connecting fields and forests. A recent bird survey conducted in the park revealed 160 species of birds, almost 90 of which nested in the park.

With its wooden bridges and 19th century bridge tender houses, remnants of locks, cobblestone spillways and hand-built stone-arched culverts, the canal is a tremendous attraction for history lovers. The upper portion of the feeder canal follows the Delaware River through historic New Jersey towns such as Frenchtown, Stockton and Lambertville. The main canal passes the Port Mercer bridge tender’s house, through the charming villages of Kingston and Griggstown to Blackwells Mills, ending up in New Brunswick.