Mercer County Park

Regional:

New Jersey Delaware River Region Mercer County Lawrence (08648) , Princeton Junction (08550) , West Windsor (08550)

Primary Address:

Get Directions West Windsor Township
New Jersey 08550

Daylight:

Sunrise: Sunset:

Contact:

Special Connections:

Other Places found within / connected to Mercer County Park are: Mercer County Park Disc Golf Course

Around the Web:

Activities:

Disc Golf / Frisbee Golf
Equestrian / Horseback
Fishing
Hiking
Jogging / Running
Mountain Biking
Paddling - Kayak/Canoe/Row boat
Playing in the playground
Walking

Amenities:

Volleyball Courts
Bathrooms
Boat Launch
Dog Park / Dog Area
Disc / Frisbee Golf Course
Picnic / Sitting Area
Playground

Trails:

Flat / Easy
Surface Type: Dirt
Surface Type: Paved
Walking Paths

Parks & Gardens:

County Parks
Dog Parks
Park (General)

Mercer County Park encompasses over 2500 acres covering areas of the Townships of West Windsor, Hamilton and Lawrence. The Park has year round facilities for all ages and includes both active and passive recreational opportunities. Miles of trails loop almost completely around the park that are well traveled and well maintained. Besides the wooded dirt trails, you will find a 5 mile paved path, hiking area for every level, cartop boat launch, multiple playgrounds, a boathouse for local crew teams, many picnic areas, tennis courts, a dog park for both large and small sizes, and special events year round.

Trail & Path Info

Though many hikers and bikers do not consider Mercer CP to contain challenging trails, we certainly do recommend everyone to come out and explore, no matter your level. Most of the trails are flat, since there is only a tens of feet elevation change. With many rooty sections, you will find yourself bumping around a good bit. The blue trail in the north eastern section of the park is not traveled by most, but is a LOT of fun. The western section of the park (near the Vannest area) offers a nice section of trails, along with some somewhat technical looping trails. The paved path is very nice, and is about 4 miles long. You can find yourself putting in 10-14 miles of riding / walking with the proper loops.

Tips and Tricks

Park in the east picnic area on the night of the yearly 4th of July fireworks. Though it adds about a mile and a half from car to festival, your walk back will contain a beautiful light show from thousands and thousands of lightning bugs!

Admission & Guidelines

There are no fees for individuals using the general park during regular hours. Some special events do charge a nominal fee that is closely monitored by the MCPC and is used for either operation, maintenance or capital expense related to Mercer County Park and programming.

Facilities

17 Athletic Fields used for soccer, football, lacrosse, Frisbee and more
18 Hole Disc Golf Course
Ice Skating Center
Tennis Center -28 total courts, all of which are lighted
Festival Grounds
Cross Country
Mountain Biking
Boathouse/Marina
Finn Casperson Rowing Center
Crew Course
Hiking and Trails
Fishing
Nature Study
Nature Photography
Jogging
Bike Trail and Inline Skating
Picnic Areas
Basketball Courts
Dog Park-One each for large and small dogs
3 Sand Volleyball Courts
2 Cricket Pitches
10 softball fields
Vietnam Memorial
9/11 Memorial
Grandparents Grove
Public restrooms are available at all Facilities

Parking

There are multiple parking areas around the park. Please view the map for these locations.

Related Groups / Organizations

S.M.A.R.T.

Monthly Trail Work:Every third Saturday of the month, you can give back to the park by working with JORBA/Save Mercer And Ride Trails (S.M.A.R.T.)by cleaning up and maintaining the trails of MCP. Please check the SMART website for specific dates. Membership/waivers are needed before you can officially join the group.

Typical TM Day Agenda:
Volunteers meet in the designated parking lot at 9:00 am. We will divide into work parties and hike (or bike) into the work areas. We usually finish up no later than 1:00 pm. Tasks will include: clearing overgrowth, removing small blowdowns, litter collection (depends on turn-out).

Stuff to bring:
Signed Waivers (Mercer & JORBA once a year) work gloves, Bug spray, snacks/lunch, water. We will supply tools.

Trail Maintenance Volunteers:
TM volunteers are people who have performed trail maintenance at Mercer County Park (after having signed the waivers of liability). JORBA membership is strongly recommended if you wish to do TM at Mercer.

Mercer County Disc Golf Club

The Disc GOlf Course in the park has a dedicated group of folks working directly with the park system to develop, maintain, and promote the recently expanded Disc Golf Course in the park. They organize weekly events and days to help give back to the course. You can see these events on their Facebook Group