Join New Jersey Conservation Foundation for our new
Step Into Nature hiking series at our preserves all over the state. The free hikes will be guided by staff members. Starting times for some hikes have not yet been determined; for updated information, check our website the week prior to the event or contact Meghan McMahon at
908-234-1225 or Meghan@njconservation.org. Advance registration requested but not required.
Saturday, May 17
9-11 a.m.
SPRING BLOSSOMING WALK
Join Dr. Emile DeVito, one of New Jersey’s top biologists and storytellers, on a relaxing hike through John A. Roebling Park in Trenton to discover plants and animals in the midst of springtime activity. Learn about the rich variety of plants and animals that live in and migrate through our state’s capital.
Meeting time: 9 a.m.
Duration: Two hours
For directions, e-mail Meghan@njconservation.org
Saturday, May 17
9-11 a.m.
DOROTHY PRESERVE EXPLORATION
Come explore NJCF’s Atlantic White Cedar and Pine Barrens savannah restoration projects in Estell Manor, Atlantic County. Pack your binoculars, as you may have a good chance of seeing rare red-headed woodpeckers. Two-hour morning hike.
Meeting time: 9 a.m.
Length: 1.5 miles
Meeting place: Entrance on Beech Avenue
For directions, e-mail Meghan@njconservation.org
Note: No dogs, please, if you want to see wildlife!
Saturday, May 31
10 a.m. - noon
CELEBRATE SPRING IN GLOUCESTER COUNTY
Join us to explore NJCF's new 100-acre wooded preserve on Ferrell Road in South Harrison Township, Gloucester County. This hike on mostly flat terrain will introduce you to one of the last remaining untouched native hardwood forests in the Oldman's Creek Watershed. The property includes several vernal pools that attract migratory songbirds. Two-hour morning hike, appropriate for families. Local naturalist Carl Anderson will serve as guide to flora and fauna.
Meeting time: 10 a.m.
Duration: two hours
Meeting place: Daniels farm, Ferrell Road, South Harrison Twp.
For directions: e-mail Meghan@njconservation.org
Rain date: Sunday, June 1, 10 a.m.
Saturday, June 7
NATIONAL TRAILS DAY HIKE
Celebrate National Trails Day with a moderate hike over rugged terrain to a picturesque highlands reservoir at the Apshawa Preserve in West Milford, Passaic County. Two-hour morning hike.
Saturday, August 23
HUNTERDON BUTTERFLY WALK
Join biologist Emile DeVito at our new nature preserve in Franklin Township, Hunterdon County. Learn to identify butterflies on this walk through woods, fields and around eight former fish ponds. The property contains two finger tributaries of the headwaters of the Wickecheoke Creek, which flows into the Delaware River. Two-hour morning hike.
Sunday, September 21
FOREST HABITAT HIKE
Take a leisurely hike through the unique Burden Hill Forest in Quinton Township, Salem County. This 14,000-acre forest is one of a kind, with a combination of northern and southern plants, including some found nowhere else in New Jersey. Three-hour morning hike.
Saturday, October 18
FALL FOLIAGE HIKE Enjoy fall’s beautiful colors at the Apshawa Preserve in West Milford, Passaic County. Hike along rocky outcrops overlooking thousands of acres of preserved forest. Along the way we will pass tumbling brooks, a pond and artifacts of the site’s history as a source of drinking water. Rigorous three-hour-plus morning hike.
Saturday, October 25
COLD BROOK WATERSHED PROJECT – LANCE TRAIL DEDICATION & HIKE
Join us in opening and dedicating trails on the Lance property in Tewksbury ownship, Hunterdon County, acquired by the Tewksbury Land Trust in a multi-agency effort to protect the headwaters of the Cold Brook. The trails have long been available to equestrians but the trail network will now be expanded and opened to the public. A brief dedication ceremony will be followed by a walk along cornfields and into the woods, continuing onto the Upper Raritan Watershed Association’s Fox Hill Preserve. Bring a bag lunch and join us for a picnic afterward. Moderate two-hour morning hike. Rain date: Oct. 26.
Saturday, October 25
EVERT TRAIL HIKE
See the foliage changes where outer coastal plain meets the outer coastal plain of the Pine Barrens in the hardwood forests of Pemberton Township, Atlantic County. One-hour morning hike in boggy terrain.
Sunday, Nov. 9
ANNUAL DONALD JONES MEMORIAL HIKE
Meet at the historic Prallsville Mill in Stockton and explore NJCF’s Wickecheoke Creek Greenway by hiking various preserved properties. The hike was stablished in recognition of the preservation work in the region accomplished by the late Donald Jones. The hikes are followed by a tea at the Prallsville Mill.
PAST STEP INTO NATURE HIKES
Saturday, April 19
EARTH DAY ON THE BLACK RIVER
Join us for a pleasant hike along the Black River through 78 acres of preserved land in Bedminster Township, Somerset County. The dramatic forest overlooks the Lamington River, and opens up into lively fields surrounded by picturesque farmland. Meet afterward for lunch at the Black River General Store.
Saturday, March 15
10:30 a.m. - noon
DOG DAYS OF WINTER HIKE
While the bugs, ticks and heat are gone, there’s no better time to bring your dog on a hike of NJCF’s Wickecheoke Creek Preserve. Enjoy the winter views and explore the trails as you and your pal meet other furry friends. Special guests will be Mary Jasch, author of Best Hikes with Dogs; and Lance Casper, one of America’s top 20 dog trainers.
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