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    Van Nest Wildlife Refuge

    4.0 (1 review)

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    2 years ago

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    Mercer County Park - Early Winter scenery.

    Mercer County Park

    4.4(69 reviews)
    1.7 mi

    A very nice park with a boathouse where you can rent out kayaks/pedal boats, bbq area, playground,…read morewalking/biking trails. There is also an ice skating center where you can take lessons. A lot of festivals and summer concerts are hosted during the summer to fall.

    Mercer County Park is a complete park that offers something for just about everyone's needs…read more Whether you're looking to take the kids to the lake for a swim, go kayaking, let the dogs off leash in the fenced in dog park, ride your bike along paths both paved and natural, or just go walkabout to enjoy the largest park in the county. There are even a small number of campsites that can be reserved during certain times of the year. There are also large playing fields that host tournaments throughout the year for baseball, soccer, lacrosse, etc., and rowing regattas are hosted on the lake. At 3.9 square miles, Mercer County Park is a whopping 1.7% of the total acreage in all of Mercer County. The NE portion of the park is part that I like best, as it's also the part that gets the least amount of traffic, with the only folks you see being people walking the trails, birdwatchers and BMX bike riders. I wouldn't advise taking a gravel bike on the paths in this part of the park. I used to come here often with my bike, but now I'm also enjoying the trails on foot. If you're a road bike owner who's just looking for a short ride, the paved paths that run the length of the park, and the broad shoulder of the main road offer a good conditions for a road bike, but you'll need to look elsewhere for a longer, challenging ride. Also, I've yet to encounter the entitled dog owners who think that the leash regulations don't apply to them. I'm sure that they're out there, but perhaps they're not as common as they are at places like Mercer Meadows or Mountain Lakes--fingers crossed.

    Photos
    Mercer County Park - More early Winter scenery along the park's trails.

    More early Winter scenery along the park's trails.

    Mercer County Park - Pincushion moss along the Blue Trail.  Don't forget to look down now and then, or you'll miss some good stuff...or trip over it.

    Pincushion moss along the Blue Trail. Don't forget to look down now and then, or you'll miss some good stuff...or trip over it.

    Mercer County Park - 2/25/2024 mercer lake

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    2/25/2024 mercer lake

    Veterans Park

    Veterans Park

    4.5(24 reviews)
    4.3 mi

    Verterans Park is a nice sized park that's easily accessible from multiple points. The park is…read morewell equipped with various sporting facilities, including tennis courts, volleyball nets and even a small, ver basic, skate park. There's even a location for roller hockey. There are play areas for kids, and picnic tables (including covered picnic locations) for families looking to spend some time out of doors. It can be very crowded on a nice weekend, which is both good and bad, as I'm glad that they park is being used by the Township's citizens, but at the same time, you always want the nice places all for yourself. There are parking areas on different sides of the park, and I prefer to park on the Hamilton/Whitehorse Road side, but that spot is pretty small, is popular with runners, and fills up especially fast on weekends. To make matters worse, for some reason the City recently installed E-Car charging stations there (sure, pick the smallest lot--nice work, Hamilton), so parking in those four spaces is no longer available for anyone, as the even the e-cars must leave after charging. There are well paved paths that lead through the park, and there are park maps located in a few places along the main paved paths. There are also dirt trails that lead through the more wooded areas in the park, but sadly, they are very poorly marked--meaning almost not at all, and it's up to you to figure them out. However, the park isn't so big that you can really get lost, so...go out and try to get lost, and you'll figure out the dirt trails soon enough. They aren't nearly as popular as the paved trails, so they should be your destination if the sensation of having the park to yourself is a goal. There's a dog park located by the Kuser Road entrance. There's a fenced in area for large and smaller dogs, but to be brutally honest, both areas are tiny compared to the expansive dog park located at Rosedale Park in nearby Pennington. That said, if you just want to bring your dog to a place where they can socialize and you're not worried about them having a place to run, it's fine. Just make sure you walk them through the main park itself before or after so that they can get some exercise. On the negative side, other than the poorly marked dirt trails and the underwhelming size of the dog park, the main problem in Veterans Park, which is pretty much the main problem in every park in the county. The city recently put up signs saying there will be improvements made to the paths that include separate bike lanes. It's a good idea, and a necessary one , but I'll be surprised if the people on feet respect the bike lines. Prove me wrong, Hamilton!

    Great facility visited here for a USTA tennis tournament. Parking is limited, but they have…read moreextended parking options. There are restrooms within the park. They do have pickle ball courts. The surface of the tennis courts could be maintained well. They do have a hitting wall. I see a lot of dog walkers in the club.

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    Veterans Park
    Veterans Park
    Veterans Park

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    Van Nest Park - Pier

    Van Nest Park

    4.5(2 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    Parking lot. Restrooms…read more Playground. Gazebo. (a bit of a) Paved walkway. Dock. Pond. Field. ...it has all (most) of the elements you'd want/need/expect in a "park" but it's still pretty darn tiny all around. The only reason we went out of our way to visit... raconteur/enfant terrible/mastermind Orson Welles' broadcast from 1938. Early morning, first-Sunday-of-summer, perfect weather, it was a really nice and relaxing stroll through nature and getting wrapped up in the whole "Weird NJ"-ish-ness of the location. Glad to have checked it out, read up on the history/trivia of The Mercury Theater's stunt, Zen'ed out a bit looking at the pond (and fisherman out yonder) and then it was time to head back home.

    GROVERS MILL/WEST WINDSOR: thanks to the TikTok account, Vintage.newjersey, we were reminded of…read morethe legendary moment that put this small town on the map, quite literally. Grovers Mill was the accidental epicenter of the infamous 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast by Orson Welles, which caused widespread panic as listeners believed a real Martian invasion was underway. The writers reportedly chose the location by dropping a pencil on a map, launching Grovers Mill into unexpected fame and chaos. You can experience this quirky slice of history by visiting the monument commemorating the event in Van Nest Park. Follow the short, paved path to the right of the playground to find informational displays about the broadcast. Continue walking to the field, and look to your left, the monument is slightly tucked away behind some bushes. The park itself is a lovely place to relax: bring a picnic, enjoy the playground, or sit on a bench overlooking the serene Grover's Mill Pond. Leashed and friendly dogs are allowed! Just up the road, be sure to stop by the Red Barn, a charming spot and perfect backdrop for a photo.

    Photos
    Van Nest Park - Eagle Scout project

    Eagle Scout project

    Van Nest Park - "In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different." -- John Steinbeck

    "In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different." -- John Steinbeck

    Van Nest Park - "I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June." ― L.M. Montgomergy

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    "I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June." ― L.M. Montgomergy

    Van Nest Wildlife Refuge - parks - Updated August 2026

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