Central Jersey : Mercer

Mer 24:
Autumn Hill Reservation

Summary
Trail Description
Trail Map
History
Flora & Fauna
Print Guide
Print Map

Trail Description

Trails marked in yellow and green leave from opposite ends of the parking lot and merge after 0.1 mile. The main trail (green) continues through a muddy area and across a footbridge before climbing slightly to an intersection with the main loop. Remaining on the green trail in either direction will eventually lead back to this point. The yellow trail branches off from the left leg of this loop and after 0.2 mile crosses the right leg twice, once from either side.

Three short spurs, marked in orange, branch off from the above trails. Going right on the green loop leads very shortly to a spur to the right, marked with a “Dead End” sign, that actually connects with Autumn Hill Lane. Continuing on the green loop to the far end leads to another spur, marked with signs saying “Scenic Outlook”, that also goes to the right, to a pleasant vista that looks beyond the Montgomery Woods townhouses to the town of Rocky Hill, the Millstone River valley and rising slopes toward the north. These hills are the southernmost remnants of lava that filled a fissure as North America and Europe began drifting apart in the age of the dinosaurs.

A less cluttered view, without the townhouses, can be had by taking the first yellow trail to the right and watching for an orange marker designating a spur. Also to the right, the trail leads out onto the gas pipeline easement. From here there is an unobstructed view to the northeast. The spur reenters the woods at the far side of the pipeline and runs downhill to Cordova Road. There is actually a view for quite a stretch along the northern boundary with Somerset County, but this is much better in the winter because of all the deciduous trees in the area.

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