LOCATION

MAIN ENTRANCE: 26 BAPTIST CHURCH ROAD, HAMPTON, NJ 08827

EAST ENTRANCE: 751 MECHLIN CORNER ROAD, HAMPTON, NJ 08827

Location: Hoffman Park is located in Union Township, Hunterdon County, west of Clinton and just south of Interstate 78. The gate is open from 9 a.m. to sunset.

Directions from the East/Clinton Area: Take Route 78 west to exit 11. Follow the circle around to the left and cross over Route 78, following the signs for Pattenburg. Immediately after crossing 78, turn left at the light. Proceed to the remains of an old church and veer right onto Baptist Church Road. Proceed on Baptist Church Road under a railroad bridge and shortly thereafter turn left into the park entrance, which is marked by a large brown sign.

{TO TOP}

ABOUT HOFFMAN PARK

This 354-acre park is comprised of hardwood forest, grasslands, and 32 ponds of various sizes. The ponds were created in the 1940s by Albert and Joyce Hoffman for erosion control, crop irrigation, and cattle management when the park was a working farm. Albert Hoffman was the son of the founder the Hoffman Beverage Company and the CEO until he sold the bottling plant in Irvington, NJ in 1953.

The farm buildings are currently under the jurisdiction of Union Township.

Additional Information:

The Hunterdon County Parks and Recreation Department is dedicated to preserving open space and natural resources, providing safe parks and facilities, and offering educational and recreational opportunities, all contributing to an enhanced quality of life for present and future generations.

{TO TOP}

TRAIL MAPS & GUIDES

NOTE: Trail Guides are set up as foldable brochures. Please print and fold in half vertically to view in proper order. Additionally, you may have to rearrange pages. Maps should be printed on Legal Size Paper

• Trail Map
• Self Guided Trail Brochure
• Cross-Country Sking Reference Guide
• Downloadable Park Brochure/Guide

From the parking area, Hairpin Lane winds down a steep hill towards Manny's Pond. The vista at the start of the trail offers a wonderful view of Hoffman Park's fields and forests, as well as Spruce Run and the hills of the Highlands in the distance. Once down the hill from Hairpin Lane, Hoffman Park's trails meander through woods and past ponds. Most of these trails are old gravel or paved roads that are flat and easy to hike, bike,
cross-country ski, or push a stroller on. Most of the trails are named for features one would find on them. For example, Powerline Road has a power line running along it, and Birch Way has birches growing along the trail.

{TO TOP}

FISHING

Five of the park's 32 ponds offer good fishing for bass (catch and release only) and sunfish. Anglers can concentrate their efforts at the pond along Crow's Road or at Manny's Pond, both of which have an open bank suitable for fly-casting. Manny's Pond is the largest pond in the park. Manny's Pond is stocked with trout. Fishermen need and have to display a trout stamp in order to keep the fish. Otherwise, the fish must be released.

{TO TOP}

BIRDS

A host of different bird species can be found in the forests and fields, but Hoffman Park is probably best known among bird watchers for endangered and threatened species that nest in its grassland habitat. These include Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, Grasshopper Sparrows, and Savannah Sparrows. Please keep pets on a leash as these birds nest directly on the ground and are highly susceptible to disturbance.

Eastern Bluebird nesting boxes and Wood Duck boxes were erected in 2000 as part of a Boy Scout Eagle project. The bluebird boxes can be seen in the fields, where bluebirds can be spotted year round. Wood Ducks are harder to find. They prefer wooded habitat near ponds or streams.

In the fall, this can be a good area for watching hawk migration. Northern Harriers and American Kestrels can sometimes be seen hunting over the fields in fall and winter.

{TO TOP}

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Hoffman Park's paved and gravel paths are excellent for bike riding and walking. The ponds offer good fishing, as well as opportunity for reflective nature study. In winter the paths provide a good place to crosscountry ski.

{TO TOP}

HUNTING

In order to control the population of deer on park property, hunting is permitted. Hunters must obtain a special permit issued by the Parks Department to be able to hunt on the preserve. Visitors during hunting season are strongly encouraged to wear blaze orange or confine visits to Sundays. See additional information on the Hunterdon County Park System Controlled Hunting Program.

{TO TOP}