Lord Stirling Park
Nature preserve
397 acres0.5 mi of trail
Unblazed
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Basking Ridge
11% of Basking Ridge’s land is conserved, and 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Lord Stirling Park (0.5 mi). 11% of Basking Ridge’s land is conserved, about 460 acres. 467 acres are parks and preserves, 59 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
11%
460 acres · of 6.8 sq mi of land
Trails
2.0 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
467 ac
59 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
3
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Lord Stirling Park, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by New Jersey Audubon
2 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
All 5 parks & preserves
Lord Stirling Park397 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsScherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New Jersey Audubon
DirectionsSouthard park18 acres
DirectionsFireman's Field2 acres
DirectionsGreat Swamp National Wildlife Refuge1 acres
Who protects it
460 conserved acres
11% of Basking Ridge’s land. Who manages Basking Ridge’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County393 ac
Town or city84 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service11 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government3 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 466 acLocal Park · 11 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 11 acAgricultural Easement · 3 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 12 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Stirling Park Local Other or Unknown | County | 393 | Open |
| Bernards Township Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| Bernards Township 2 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Southard Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Rebel Hill Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 11 | Restricted |
| Mount Airy Heights Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Chimney Ash Farms Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Scherman Hoffman Sanctuary Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1 | Open |
Things to do
1 places to go in Basking Ridge
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Basking Ridge
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unblazed0.5 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
8Tennis
4Baseball
3Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Basking Ridge: April to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 42 | 50 | 63 | 72 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 77 | 65 | 54 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.9 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Basking Ridge →
Next door
Basking Ridge and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Harding Township45 miBernards Township25 miBernardsville8.5 miLyons3.1 miBasking Ridge2.0 miLiberty Corner1.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basking Ridge | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bernards Township | 16% | 1.0 | 92 | 96% | A+ |
| Harding Township | 53% | 2.2 | 188 | 75% | A+ |
| Bernardsville | 9% | 0.7 | 58 | 90% | A |
| Lyons | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Liberty Corner | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Basking Ridge
Where can I hike in Basking Ridge?
The longest trail networks: Lord Stirling Park, 0.5 miles; Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Basking Ridge’s trails?
Lord Stirling Park and Southard park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Basking Ridge?
40,858 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Basking Ridge or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 468 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Basking Ridge neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →