NEW JERSEY TRAILS ASSOCIATION

Distance:

There are over five miles of trails to explore through mature beech woods, wet meadows and the shoreline of 50-acre McCormack Lake. The Blue Trail is the longest, a 2.15-mile loop plus 1.4 miles on the White Trail to get to and from the parking lot. See trail map for specific trail distances.

Time:

Red and Yellow: One Hour; Orange and Purple: 30 minutes; Blue Trail: Three hours, depending on pace.

Markings:

Red, yellow, white, orange, purple, green, and blue trail markers

Trail Usage:

Walking/Hiking; Birdwatching

Elevation:

Flat terrain throughout

Difficulty:

Easy to Moderate.

Red and Yellow Trails are pleasant walks with children and/or for a lunchtime walk.

White Trail along the dirt road is a longer walk, but offers very flat terrain.

Blue Trail is the longest trail.

Maggie’s Trail offers views of McCormick Lake.

Parking:

Parking lot holds 50 cars. Visit: Plainsboro Preserve.

Tips:

The trails are open until 7:30 PM during the Summer, but access to the Preserve generally closes about one hour before dusk, seven days a week (as posted). The Red and Yellow Trails and much of the Blue Trail are in densely wooded areas, therefore the prudent hiker should be out in the open or back to the parking area well before dusk. Trails are open year-round. Seasonal closing times are posted at the front gate.

No pets or horses, no fishing or hunting, no bicycles or motorized vehicles beyond parking area, no swimming, no boating, no alcoholic beverages, no walking in areas marked as agricultural easements. Picnicking in designated areas only, near the parking lot and education center.  No picnicking on the trails.

Amenities:

The education center is a great resource for bird and other natural history books and contains a children’s area and restroom facilities. The center is open 10-4 Tuesday-Sunday; closed on Monday and Holidays.

Directions:

Phyiscal Address: 80 Scotts Corner Road, Cranbury, NJ 08512.

Follow US Route 1 North or South to the Scudders Mill Road exit in Plainsboro. Exit on Scudder’s Mill Road and follow to the traffic light at the intersection with Dey Road (County Road 614). Make a left onto Dey Road and follow to the first traffic light which is Scotts Corner Road. Turn left onto Scotts Corner Road. Plainsboro Preserve is one mile up on the left. Turn left and follow to the parking lot.

From NJ Turnpike: Exit at 8A and pass through toll booth. Once through the toll follow sign for South 535 to West 32, Route 130 and Cranbury. At the traffic light, following the sign with the same information, make a left onto South 535 (Cranbury-South River Rd.). After 0.2 of a mile, bear to the right at the intersection (the first light) to get onto 32 West over Route 130 so you will need to be in the straight only lane. Cross over Route 130 and you are now on Friendship Road. Go 3.7 miles and come to a T-intersection. Turn right at this intersection onto Broadway/Scotts Corner Road. The Preserve is 0.4 of a mile on the right side of the road. If you pass Community Park, you have gone too far.

All trails begin next to the parking lot and education center. Follow the wide dirt road to explore the Preserve. Along the way keep an eye out for interpretive plaques that explain some of the features you will be walking past. As you start off you will be on the White trail. Turn left after the field to get on the Yellow and Red Trails, an easy stroll with children or for a lunchtime walk. The Yellow and Red Trails are entirely within a beautiful beech woods that offer a pleasant relief on even the hottest summer days. The Red Trail is a separate loop off the Yellow Trail. The wooded trails are blazed with markings and are easy to see. In the spring you will see oyster scale and turkey scale on fallen logs. Check your footing for occasional depressions, roots and sink holes on the trails. There are also sweet gum trees along the Red Trail and in the Fall, you will see the sweet gum balls on the forest floor.

For a longer hike with spectacular views of McCormack Lake, follow the White Trail on the dirt road straight back and turn right at the open field. Follow the trail and make a right turn onto Maggie’s Trail to see McCormack Lake. You will see a 50-acre lake brimming with waterfowl, such as Canada Geese, Snow Geese, and Mergansers. On a crisp spring morning, one may also glimpse Bufflehead Ducks or even Loons swimming among the geese. The White Trail is sandy and strewn with lichen in all shades of green.

The Blue Trail requires the most time to explore. The trail travels into the northern corner of the preserve and may fool one into thinking the route is shorter than it really is. Also, be advised that due to the wet nature of the forested areas along this trail, the mosquitoes can be quite aggressive any time of day during the summer. Plan accordingly! Access the trail by taking the White Trail from the parking lot. The less-experienced hiker is advised to turn left and follow the old roadway past abandoned industrial relics, carefully watching for occasional blue marks painted on various trees and wooden stakes. The complete loop is around 2.15 miles and offers a combination of forests, wetlands, vernal ponds and meadows. There is a trail that dissects the loop, but goes through vernal ponds and is quite wet in the spring, depending on the amount of rainfall. The Blue Trail is quite flat most of its length, especially along the Amtrak Railroad tracks. Eventually, you will pass from the woods into an open brush and scrub area. You will see a cultivated field on your left and McCormack Lake. This is NOT the field you saw entering from the parking lot. Look for an entry back into the woods, with the lake on your left. After a delightful passage through the woods, you will see the field again on your right, and White Trail (dirt road) back to the parking lot on your left.

The trails should be visited in all seasons due to the tremendous diversity found there. The Blue Trail offers the hiker a walk along the floodplain of Devil’s Brook in search of a wide variety of birds and amphibians. In August, September, and October wildflowers such as orchids and ladies tresses can be seen along the White Trail and pretty much throughout the Preserve. Remember there is no picking, removing, or harming any plants or animals. According to naturalists there are ten threatened/ endangered plant species throughout the Preserve, including rare bladderworts, orchids, and soapwort gentian.

The trails should be visited in all seasons due to the tremendous diversity found there. The Red and Yellow Trails are entirely within a Beech Forest that offers shade even on the hottest days. The Blue Trail offers the hiker a walk along the floodplain of Devil’s Brook in search of a wide variety of birds and amphibians. In August, September, and October wildflowers such as orchids and ladies tresses can be seen along the White Trail and pretty much throughout the Preserve. Remember there is no picking, removing, or harming any plants or animals. According to naturalists there are ten threatened/ endangered plant species throughout the Preserve, including rare bladderworts, orchids, and soapwort gentian.

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Plainsboro Preserve is an expansive 1,000 acres close by the Route One corridor in the Township of Plainsboro. The Plainsboro Preserve came about from a partnership among the Jeffers family, the County of Middlesex, the Township of Plainsboro, and New Jersey Audubon. Since the Fall of 2021, the Preserve has been managed and maintained by the Township of Plainsboro, with support from the County of Middlesex. The result is one of the region’s most significant ecological treasures within minutes of the busy Route 1 corridor.

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