ABOUT

LOCATION

TRAIL INFORMATION
Trail Guide (pdf) updated 6/2009

STONY BROOK - NORTH

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

HUNTING

HABITAT AND WILDLIFE

SUMMARY OF RULES AND REGULATIONS

PRINTABLE BROCHURE updated 6/2009

ABOUT SOURLAND MOUNTAIN PRESERVE

The park’s 273 acres are comprised of a deciduous forest with a swamp surrounded by two streams. This area was known as Pero Hill and was valued by commercial industries for its large boulders composed of gray diabase or “trap rock,” which produced railroad ballast, concrete aggregate, and surfacing for road beds. There is speculation that some of the road beds in Trenton were constructed from blocks taken from this site. Evidence from quarrying can still be found embedded along the fissures of some boulders as a testimony to the park’s past activities.

The Sourland Mountains are also steeped in mysticism and history. Some say compasses do not work in these hills; others say the mountains are haunted. John Hart, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, hid in these hills while fleeing from the British during the Revolutionary War. The Lindbergh Estate, the site of the famous baby kidnapping-murder, is an adjacent property.

LOCATION

PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
233 RILEYVILLE ROAD
RINGOES, NJ 08551

and

13 RIDGE ROAD
RINGOES, NJ 08551

Sourland Mountain is located in East Amwell Township, the southeastern most section of Hunterdon County. There is a small parking area off of Rileyville Road. No restrooms facilities are available.

Directions from the Flemington Area:

• Take Route 202/31 south from the Flemington Circle for 5 miles to the jughandle for
• Wertsville Road . Exit onto Wertsville Road (Route 602) and use the traffic light to
• crossover Route 202/31. Continue on
• Wertsville Road for about 3.3 miles to
• Rileyville Road (Route 607). Turn right onto Rileyville Road and go about 1.7 miles. The park entrance is on the left and is marked by a Green Acres Sign as well as a County Park Sign. The entrance is shared by two other driveways, continue up the center driveway to the small parking area. Do not block the gated access road.

A small satellite parking lot is available on Ridge Road. Proceed back to Rileyville Road and turn right. Make the first right onto Ridge Road. The lot will be about 1/2 mile on the right.

Directions from the Lambertville Area:

• Take Route 202 North for about 6 miles to Ringoes. Turn right onto Wertsville Road (Route 602).
• Then follow the direction as above.

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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.

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TRAIL MAPS & GUIDES
NOTES: All links below are to PDF files - Adobe Acrobat Reader is required. 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.

• Printable Trail Map - updated 6/2009
• Cross Country Skiing Reference Guide
• Download Park Brochure/Guide

Service Road Trail: There is only one main trail in the park. It is very wide and flat, with a short uphill slope at the end. The trail winds through a beautiful deciduous forest, strewn with large boulders. About halfway down the trail you will come to a large marsh on the left side.

South Loop Trail: This trail branches off to the Service Road Trail, about a quarter of a mile from the parking area. It can be a very wet trail and crosses a small stream where you must rock hop or get your feet wet. In spring, many wildflowers can be found along this trail.

White Trail: This trail connects the end of the Service Road Trail with the South Loop Trail. It traverses a few rocky areas and can be seasonally wet in a couple of locations.

Blue Trail: This trail branches off the Service Road Trail and connects to the satellite parking area on Ridge Road. It climbs through the boulder area and crosses one of the creeks in the area. The creek crossing may be impassable during the wet spring season. This trail also uses a D&R Trail easement. Please follow the established trail.

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STONY BROOK-NORTH

Stony Brook-North is public open space that is owned and managed by the D&R Greenway Land Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving habitat along the Sourland Ridge. They only permit recreation hiking within their park. They have linked their trail system with the County’s for increase public opportunities. For more information on Stony Brook-North to the D&R Greenway contact them by phone at (609)-924-4646 or visit their website at www.drgreenway.org.

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RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

This park offers easy hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing. Horseback Riding and Rock Climbing are prohibited in the preserve.

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HUNTING

Hunting is allowed in the park to control deer numbers. Hunters must obtain a special permit issued by the Department. During hunting season, visitors to the park are asked to wear blaze orange or confine their visits to Sundays. See information on the County's Controlled Hunting Program.

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WILDLIFE AND HABITAT

The Sourland Preserve is a second generation oak forest. The original forest was cut down when the area was an active quarry. When the quarrying stopped, the area was reclaimed by nature. This forest is still in development. Most of the trees that make up the canopy are the same size and width, and the under canopy is just developing.

The property has many vernal (temporary) pools which provide perfect breeding habitat for amphibians. Frogs and salamanders will lay their eggs in these pools to avoid fish predation. By the time these pools dry, the young have usually matured and are no longer fully aquatic. Spotted Salamanders, Wood Frogs, and Gray Treefrogs are just a few of the amphibians that you may find here.

The rocky terrain of the mountain is an impermeable layer that channels and retains water in depressions. This layer is what permits the marsh’s existence along the Service Road Trail.

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