Sourland Mountain Nature Preserve

boulder field is just off the blue trail

I went for quick lunchtime jaunt today with the dog at nearby Sourland Mountain Nature Preserve, part of the Hunterdon County Parks Sytem.

The place is highly recommended for a nice walk, being one of the loveliest 273 acres you will experience, with boulder fields, vernal ponds, beech and oak dominated forest (with lots of my favorite, ironwood), meandering streams, and swamps. The colors today were truly spectacular.

One word of advice: stay on the well marked trails (yellow or blue – here’s a map)) – the white trail at the end of the main service road trail is poorly marked.

It meanders across boulder fields that have a maze like quality.

If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself wandering in circles for hours, looking for your way back to the main trail (or any marked trails).

The boulder fields, uniform topography, and consistent cover will leave you confused. With lack of any clearly defined features and visual makers, it’s very easy to get lost:

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.

Buoy rules!