BASKING RIDGE, NJ – Somerset County cut the ribbon on the newest trails at Lord Stirling Park, launching an interconnected network totaling 22 miles that branches throughout the Park. The new parking lot, trailhead, and trails off Lord Stirling Road just east of South Maple Avenue in Basking Ridge will connect the Environmental Education Center and the Stable at Lord Stirling Park for the first time. Additional improvements include new information kiosk, directional signage, trail markers, fencing and gates, and expanded parking.
“Cutting the ribbon on these trails is a great milestone for the Park Commission and Lord Stirling Park, and to do it on Earth Day is just incredibly appropriate,” said Somerset County Park Commission President Nancy D’Andrea. “Lord Stirling is one of the most beautiful and historic parks in central Jersey, and this is yet another step in maximizing its benefits to the community and visitors.”
Parks Commission Director Dan Hayes and the team that built the new Lord Stirling Park Trail Head and parking area.A stroll or ride along the current 22 miles of Lord Stirling Park trails – ten miles dedicated to equestrian use at the Stable, nine miles for hiking at the Environmental Education Center, and three miles connecting the two for both horses and pedestrians -- gives visitors the chance to see a wide variety of native wildflowers and plants as well as many of the more than 244 species of birds, fox, deer, turtles, and frogs that make the Great Swamp their home.
“Earth Day reminds us all of the importance of our natural surroundings, and of our obligation to recognize and protect them,” said Somerset County Deputy Director Sara Sooy. “But it is also a reminder that the natural world is a joy, and few places resonate that joy more than the trailways at Lord Stirling Park.”
Subsequent expansions of the trail network will connect Lord Stirling Park to surrounding areas. Plans are being developed to connect the trail system to the Revolutionary-era Boudinot-Southard-Ross Farmstead, future Park Commission outdoor event spaces, Bernard Township’s Southard Park, and adjacent residential neighborhoods to the west of the Park.
Currently the Stable has 12 public horses, and another 23 horses boarded by paying residents. In addition to guided rides and public riding access to trails, the Friends of Lord Stirling Stable hold dog walks every Saturday morning from the Stable. Organizations can also use the trails for nature walks, educational programs, or even fundraising 5K races. Except for during scheduled events, dogs are prohibited on the trails as are bicycles and motorized vehicles. For more information on participating in scheduled programs or to reserve the trails, please call (908) 722-1200 Ext.5528.
The Environmental Education Center not only features its trail network, but also naturalist led programs, school field trips, fun festivals, nature themed exhibits, facility and classroom rentals, a resource library, science and conservation research, and more. To learn more about available programs and projects visit https://www.somersetcountyparks.org/environmental-education-center.
The Stable at Lord Stirling Park’s programs were suspended when COVID struck in 2020, and Somerset County and the Park Commission used the down time to develop plans to ensure the Stable could provide fiscally responsible community equine services. Part of the expansive new plan, developed by the Lord Stirling Stable Advisory Group, included the creation of interconnected, multi-use trails that would provide access to all amenities at Lord Stirling Park. This network would connect all aspects of the Park to each other to increase awareness and use of everything available at the Park.
The goal of the completed trail network is to encourage local visitors to leave their cars at home and head into Lord Stirling Park on foot to save gas, reduce emissions, and just enjoy the great outdoors. This helps to advance the goal of the Open Space Preservation Plan to have every Somerset County resident within a 10 to 15 minute walk or 30 minute bike ride to a county park.
Lord Stirling Park is 1,015 acres of beautiful parkland, natural waterways, and open space in the northern area of Somerset County alongside the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge that is home to the Stable, Environmental Education Center, Revolutionary War-era Boudinot Southard Ross Farmstead, and more scenic and historic sites. Lord Stirling Park is one of the largest in Somerset County’s Park system, second only to the 6,000-acre Sourland Mountain Preserve.
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