NEW JERSEY TRAILS ASSOCIATION

Distance:

4 Miles of Walking Trails 2 Miles of Biking Trails

Time:

Various

Markings:

Meter high stout posts painted brown with a top the color of the trail (red, orange, brown, green, red/blue) mark the beginning, junction and end of each trail.

Trail Usage:

Walking/Hiking, Accessible by wheelchair and baby stroller, Dogs permitted on leash, Mountain biking

Elevation:

Less than 30 feet; Flat terrain throughout

Difficulty:

Easy walking throughout

Parking:

1. North Entrance – There is parking for 109 cars by the picnic area, garden and playground.

2. East Entrance – Parking for 16 cars near the World War II helicopter.

3. South Entrance – there is parking for a total of 376 cars in the various athletic field parking lots. The amphitheater and ball field parking lots are nearest the trails and can hold 103 cars.

4. West Entrance – The parking area can hold 25 cars.

Tips:

The park is suitable for strollers and wheel chair accessible in many areas.

Amenities:

There are public restrooms at two locations in the park. There is also a playground in the park

Directions:

1. From Interstate 295: Take Exit 63 (Route 33 West, Trenton) off of I 295. Turn right at the stop sign at the bottom of the off ramp. This is route 33, Nottingham Way. Get into the left lane. Turn left onto Klockner Road at the first traffic light. Go straight through 3 traffic lights (2.7 miles). The North Entrance is on the right.

2. From Interstate 195: Take Exit 3B (Hamilton Square). As you come off the ramp you will be on Yardville-Hamilton Square Road. Go to the first traffic light. This is Kuser Road. To go to the South entrance, turn left onto Kuser Road. The South Entrance will be on the right in 1.2 miles.

To go to the East entrance, continue straight on Yardville Hamilton Square Road. The East entrance will be on the left in .2 miles.

3. To go from one entrance to another: It is possible to go from any entrance of the park to any other entrance by driving around a large rectangle of streets.

From the North Entrance, turn right (East) on Klockner Road. Turn right at the light onto Yardville Hamilton Square Road. The East Entrance in .2 miles on the right. Continue on to Yardville Hamilton Square Road to the next light and turn right onto Kuser road. In 1.2 miles the South Entrance will be on the right.

To get to the West Entrance continue on Kuser Road .4 miles to the next light and turn right onto Hamilton Square White Horse Road. In one mile the West Entrance will be on the right. If you continue straight for .2 miles the second light will bring you back to Klockner Road. Turn right for the North Entrance.

There are seven walking trails in addition to the paved bikeways in the park. The trails are named by colors and are marked with thick posts the tops of which are painted the color of the trail. All trails are relatively flat and wide with benches, and outlooks along them.

Yellow (Woodland) Trail:

This short (.17 mile) loop wanders through a mature hardwood forest.

Orange Trail:

This half mile long trail follows the lake inlet stream through young sweet gum woods to a viewpoint on Robert G. Martin Lake. Look for turtles, ducks, geese and woodland birds on the way.

Green Trail:

This .65 mile trail starts in the picnic area at an intersection with the orange trail. After wandering through a red oak, white oak, sweet gum woods the trail comes out at two view points. The first is across the shallow Robert G. Martin Lake to the dam on the other side. The second (at a bench) is across an inlet called the water garden. Note the willows, river birch and loosestrife in this marshy area.

Blue Trail-Red Trail:

These two trails join and make a figure “8” in the central part of the park. On the eastern loop of the trails the Blue Trail wanders through woods in which Azalea and Rhododendron have been planted along the path. The red part of the loop goes through a mature sweet gum forest. On the western loop both trails skirt a boggy area with masses of skunk cabbage and go through a lovely old floodplain forest.

Brown Trail:

This trail runs .75 miles from the East Entrance to the intersection of the bike trail in the center of the park. It closely follows the shore of Robert G. Martin lake and the inlet stream, thus it is likely to be under water in wet weather. Along the way it goes through young floodplain woods, a dogwood thicket and sweet gum copses. At the lake overlook, look for geese, great blue herons, egrets and cormorants.

Bog Garden Boardwalk:

This delightful trail starts from the West Entrance parking lot and wonders through a lovely swamp, ending at an old road which is part of the Blue Trail. In the swamp look for blueberry, wild summer sweet (Clethra), swamp red maples, arrowwood and a variety of ferns.

The woodland trails (Yellow, Orange, Green) wander through young and mature woods of sweet gum, red and white oak, red maple and some hickory and beech. At the overlooks of the lake look for mallard ducks, cormorants, geese, turtles, and jumping fish. The junction of the Red and Blue Trails on the eastern loop is an excellent place to look for woodland birds such as towhees, downy and hairy woodpeckers, and migrant warblers.

Do you have information about this trail?

Click Here to contribute.

Located centrally within the township, this magnificent 333 acre park was built in honor of Hamilton’s veterans in 1977.

Do you have information about this trail?

Click Here to contribute.

Photos

Videos