Sourland Mountain Preserve
Directions
The parking lot and trailhead are located on East Mountain Road, 0.6 mile south of NJ 514 [Amwell Road], off US 206 near Somerville. GPS Coordinates: 40.473900, -74.694402
Park Overview
The largest of the open spaces on Sourland Mountain, with easy to moderate trails.
Trail Overview
The preserve contains nested loop and connecting trails through a mature hardwood forest of primarily oak, beech, and tulip trees. In all there are over 9 miles of trails plus connecting trails. The Pondside Trail [circle] is an easy 0.5-mile loop trail over level to gently sloping terrain. Another easy trail, the Maple Flats Trail [triangle], loops 1.4 miles further into the preserve. Rising and descending moderately to the ridge, the Ridge Trail [rectangle] covers 5.0 miles.
Use the Web Map link on this site to view a trail map that includes geological features named "Devil's Half-Acre Boulders," and "Roaring Rocks Boulders."
Park Description
Sourland Mountain Preserve
The largest of the open spaces on Sourland Mountain is the 4,000-acre Sourland Mountain Preserve, a Somerset County park. It occupies a portion of the northeast "point" of the Sourland Region, which stretches southwest across Hillsborough and Montgomery Townships through southern Hunterdon and northern Mercer counties to the Delaware River.
The name Sourland is believed to be derived from “sorrel-land” which describes the sorrel (reddish- brown) colored soils encountered by the pioneering German farmers.