Sourland Mountain Preserve
Managed by Somerset County Park Commission
1,334 acres2.7 mi of trail
Tributary TrailTributary ConnectorMaple Flats TrailRoaring Rocks Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Khurt · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Montgomery Township
27% of Montgomery Township’s land is conserved: 5,499 acres
3,946 acres are parks and preserves, 165 per 1,000 residents. 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 27 miles of mapped trail cross Montgomery Township, 0.8 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #51 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
27%
5,499 acres · of 32.3 sq mi of land
Trails
27 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,946 ac
165 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
16 mi
8.7 mi lanes · 5.7 mi paths
Highest peak
440 ft
Pheasant Hill
Lakes & rivers
3
What kind of outdoors town is Montgomery Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Montgomery Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Montgomery Township is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #51 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Montgomery Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land27% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (27 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land165 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,946 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13AParks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · NJ 98% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 89%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Montgomery Township’s 27% is ahead of 80% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 59% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Sourland Mountain Preserve, with 2.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Montgomery Veterans Park
Park
99 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Skillman Park
Managed by Somerset County Park Commission
245 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Parking Lot AWebsite ↗
All 13 parks & preserves
Sourland Mountain Preserve1,334 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · Somerset County Park Commission
DirectionsHobler Park51 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMontgomery Veterans Park99 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsSkillman Park245 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Somerset County Park Commission
DirectionsMill Pond Park52 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSunset Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsVan Horne Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAutumn Hill Reservation1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park364 acres · New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
DirectionsLubas Field6 acres · Montgomery Parks and Recreation
DirectionsBessie Grover Park2 acres
DirectionsInverness Neighborhood Park1 acres
Harlingen Gazebo1 acres · Montgomery Parks and Recreation Department
Who protects it
5,499 conserved acres
27% of Montgomery Township’s land. Who manages Montgomery Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County3,447 ac
Town or city2,348 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits366 ac
Other state land299 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government244 ac
State natural resources88 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)73 ac
Agricultural Easement · 3,092 acLocal Other or Unknown · 2,005 acLocal Conservation Area · 1,173 acLocal Park · 410 acLocal Resource Management Area · 185 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,070 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 22 of 195 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sourland Mountain Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 1,374 | Open |
| Montgomery Township Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 778 | Open |
| unknown Local Park | Not recorded | 263 | Open |
| Ingersoll Rand Park Local Park | Not recorded | 258 | Open |
| Skillman Park Local Other or Unknown | County | 246 | Open |
| Montgomery Township Forest Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 185 | Open |
| Mill Pond Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 143 | Open |
| Montgomery Veterans Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 99 | Open |
| Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park State Park | State natural resources | 88 | Open |
| Montgomery Township Agriculture Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 65 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
39 places to go in Montgomery Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Montgomery Township
35 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Montgomery Township
2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Montgomery Township
Pheasant Hill440 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Montgomery Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
6 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.3 miUnpaved · 8.7 mi
Tributary Trail1.9 mi
orange trail0.5 mi
Tributary Connector0.4 mi
Maple Flats Trail0.3 mi
Unmarked0.2 mi
Roaring Rocks Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
16 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
5.7 mi
off-road bike paths
2.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
74Tennis
16Basketball
15Baseball
13Soccer
5Pickleball
5Equestrian
3Softball
3Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →9 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Bridgepoint Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1975
About itReformed Dutch Church of BlawenburgBuilding · listed 1985
About itBlawenburg Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1990
About itBedens Brook BridgeStructure · listed 1994
About itBedens Brook Road BridgeStructure · listed 1994
About itRock Brook BridgeStructure · listed 1994
About itMaplewoodBuilding · listed 2000
About itDirck Gulick HouseBuilding · listed 2003
About itMount Zion African Methodist Episcopal (AME) ChurchBuilding · listed 2021
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Montgomery Township: April to June and August
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 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 43 | 51 | 63 | 73 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 66 | 55 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 5.1 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Montgomery Township →
Next door
Montgomery Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Franklin Township58 miPrinceton48 miHillsborough Township45 miMontgomery Township27 miGriggstown7.0 miKingston3.9 miRocky Hill3.0 miEast Rocky Hill0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Township | 27% | 0.8 | 165 | 99% | A+ |
| Franklin Township | 26% | 1.3 | 111 | 96% | A+ |
| Rocky Hill | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| East Rocky Hill | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Griggstown | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Princeton | 20% | 2.7 | 66 | 99% | A+ |
| Hillsborough Township | 32% | 0.8 | 182 | 98% | A+ |
| Kingston | — 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 Montgomery Township
Where can I hike in Montgomery Township?
The longest trail networks: Sourland Mountain Preserve, 2.7 miles; Hobler Park, 2.3 miles; Montgomery Veterans Park, 0.9 miles; Skillman Park, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Montgomery Township is conserved land?
27% of its land, against a typical 11% for a New Jersey town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Montgomery Township’s trails?
Sourland Mountain Preserve and Hobler Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Montgomery Township?
16 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.7 of painted or protected lanes, 5.7 of off-road paths and 2.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Montgomery Township?
61,076 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Montgomery Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,954 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Montgomery Township have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #51 of 468 in New Jersey. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Montgomery Township 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 →