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    Rutgers Ecological Preserve

    5.0 (2 reviews)
    Open • 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Rutgers Gardens

    Rutgers Gardens

    4.5(58 reviews)
    3.2 mi

    Love visiting Rutgers Gardens through the seasons! If you come in fall, don't expect much in bloom,…read morebut this place is wonderful to hike and stroll through with its various paths. If you visit in spring or summer, get ready for stunning flora and fauna that is cared for by Rutgers staff and students. I adore the lilacs that's smell delicious and envelope a walkway like a natural ceiling. So amazing! Also, I adore the wide open fields and spaces that lend themselves perfectly for a picnic or spot to lay down a blanket and enjoy a nap out in the open. PS. Very romantic spot- if you're coming here for a date, you will not be disappointed!

    Rutgers Gardens, located on the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University, is a botanical garden…read morethat is free and open to the public. I was looking for a new dog friendly park and Rutgers Gardens fit the bill. Visitors can explore the themed gardens like the Rain Garden, Herb Garden, Bamboo Forest, and Heylar Woods. The gardens host educational programs, a farmers market, and workshops throughout the year. There are a lot of glowing reviews here and I'm not sure if maybe my timing was off or most people don't venture off the main areas here. We parked near Heylar Woods and chose the blue trail which is along the water. The one major thing both me and my daughter noted immediately was the sound of traffic from Route 1 and Route 18. The non-stop buzz of cars and trucks takes away from the beauty of the surrounding nature. Further into the trail the trash all along the water is crazy. Aside from the trash and weird foam along the edges of the river, we ran into some kind of big dead animal in the water. We decided to turn back and check out the Bamboo Forest. It was a little cool out so we decided to skip the short walk and hop in the car. We parked near the field lab. Tucked away behind the building is the small but very cool Bamboo Forest. One big thing to note here, which they do warn about on signs, is the ticks. Me and my daughter came out unscathed but my poor pup ended up with a few ticks (despite the cold temps).

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    Rutgers Gardens
    Rutgers Gardens
    Rutgers Gardens

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    North Brunswick Community Park

    North Brunswick Community Park

    4.0(3 reviews)
    3.6 mi

    Great open trail for walking or hiking. The parking can get a bit crowded when there are soccer…read moregames and baseball games going on. But the trails are usually clear. The trails aren't lit, so you're better off coming while the sun is still out. If you walk on the backside of the soccer fields there's a small bridge,which is my favorite place to walk by. There's even small playground area with a mini rockwall at this park. Theres also a dog park in the front. The bathrooms are usually locked most times of year until it's soccer/baseball season. If you're coming from Adams Ln you can turn into the park from there, but you'll have to exit onto 130 because it's a one way. I love the proximity of this park, it's great for a post-work stroll.

    I enjoy this park, it is very close to me. Nice place to walk/run when the weather is nice. I give…read moreit 3 stars because it isn't really visually appealing. Most importantly you have to go when you know it will be dry ground. I went for a walk on 2/5/19, I didn't expect so have to step on so many muddy puddles and just very wet gravel all around. It wasn't raining for a few days but I know the weather was warmer, we had some am fog. But it was a splotchy mess. They should improve there grounds. You walk on gravel surface which by the way, enters my sneakers each time. I have to shake out my sneakers. It was very muddy this time around. And after just a normal rain there are so many puddles.

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    North Brunswick Community Park - Muddy

    Muddy

    North Brunswick Community Park
    North Brunswick Community Park

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    Delaware and Raritan canal - D&R Canal (New Hope, PA)

    Delaware and Raritan canal

    4.6(5 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    There are over 70 miles of paths/trails along the D&R canal, passing through many historic towns…read moreand landmarks in NJ with some pretty houses along the way, from near Frenchtown down to Trenton, then up to New Brunswick, in a V shape. The D&R runs parallel to the Delaware & Lehigh (D&L) trail on the Pennsylvania side, so you're also getting a view of the Delaware River for that part of the track. The trail is mostly flat and is suitable for walking or biking. We love riding this trail and exploring sections of it at a time and the surrounding towns. Some sections are more scenic than others. A favorite easy ride (or hike) of ours is to start in Lambertville NJ, ride up to Stockton, cross over Center Bridge to the PA side, grab a burger at Dilly's, then ride down to New Hope, PA, walk around town, and return to Lambertville via the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge. It's only about 8 miles roundtrip and makes for a leisurely day, and is very doable even for kids.

    The towpath along the Delaware and Raritan canal is a fantastic spot to stoll, run, or bicycle. The…read morepath is about four feet wide, and mostly flat packed dirt. Some spots are muddy or rutted at times. There's also some spillways made from stone blocks. Lots of people come here with small children since the towpath is smooth enough to push a stroller and even enough for little ones to walk on safely. The scenery is peaceful with lots of deciduous trees and occasional views of the majestic Raritan River. Turtles are plentiful in the canal, swimming and basking on logs. You're also likely to see snakes, chipmunks, voles, squirrels, toads, and frogs. As for birds, keep an eye out for herons, geese, and ducks in the water, and woodpeckers in the trees. The canal banks have abundant wildflowers and flowering bushes. One place to park is just off Easton Ave at the Historic Van Wickle House. Another parking lot is a couple miles further up Easton Ave by the entrance to Rte 287. Due to the current Coronavirus Pandemic, I wear a mask when walking here, and most others do too. The path is too narrow in some spots to allow for 6' between people when passing.

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    Delaware and Raritan canal - March 2025

    March 2025

    Delaware and Raritan canal
    Delaware and Raritan canal - D&R Canal (New Hope, PA)

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    D&R Canal (New Hope, PA)

    Rutgers Ecological Preserve - parks - Updated September 2026

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