Somerset: Gardens, Nature and History

Somerset County can be explored through a range of interests: landscaped gardens and natural areas sit alongside sites from the American Revolutionary War and offerings related to art and agriculture. When planning your stay, you can focus on nature, history, or a combination of both. Natural destinations range from gardens and paved trails to landscapes featuring swamps, meadows, forests and bird habitats.

Gardens, Trails and Natural Areas

Colonial Park Gardens includes a formal rose garden, a perennial garden, a sensory garden and other horticultural collections within a nationally accredited arboretum. Colonial Park also has a 1.4-mile fitness trail on a paved path, used by walkers, joggers and cyclists. Landscaped gardens and a clearly identified route offer options for different outdoor interests.

The Environmental Education Center at Lord Stirling Park is located on a 500-acre site in the western part of the Great Swamp. The landscape includes swamps, rivers, marshland, meadows, ponds and forests. The center has about 9 miles of hiking trails, natural history exhibits and programs led by naturalists. Lord Stirling Park also has designated multi-use trails for hikers and horseback riders; the Environmental Education Center has trails exclusively for pedestrians. As trail designations may change, check the current markings before setting out.

Duke Farms is a 2,700-acre nature preserve in Hillsborough. Nature activities there include birdwatching, outdoor classes and keeping a field journal. Visitors begin their stay at the Orientation Center in the historic Farm Barn. Check current visitor procedures in advance when planning your visit.

Duke Island Park also offers a variety of trails: cycling paths sit alongside wooded riverbanks, whose trails are used by hikers, walkers and birdwatchers. The Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary is home to more than 60 species of nesting birds. Sourland Mountain Preserve offers passive recreation in an undisturbed natural landscape and provides habitat for migrating and nesting birds. Nature experiences range from explicitly designated birdwatching to the protection of nesting and migratory birds.

Sites from Revolutionary War History

Van Horne House was an important site in the Battle of Bound Brook in April 1777. In 1778–1779, it served as the headquarters of General William Alexander, Lord Stirling. The house therefore offers a look at two distinct roles during the Revolutionary War.

During the Middlebrook Cantonment of 1778–1779, Wallace House served as the winter headquarters of General George Washington. Jacobus Vanderveer House served as the headquarters of General Henry Knox during the same years. It is also the only surviving building associated with the Vanderveer family and the Pluckemin Cantonment, described as America’s first military academy. The Revolutionary War Middlebrook Cantonment-Maryland Encampment is the site where the United States flag was first officially unfurled.

Somerset County Historic Courthouse Green includes a marble courthouse dating from 1909 and the Lord Memorial Fountain from 1910. A former Dutch Reformed church dating from 1897 now serves as a jury assembly room. The former Lord Stirling estate had an elaborate courtyard, stables, orchards, vineyards, a terraced garden and a grand Palladian-style mansion. Van Doren Farmstead focuses on its connection to early Dutch settlement in Somerset County and its collection of agricultural buildings.

Art and Local Products

Pluckemin School House is home to the Center of Contemporary Art, which offers art classes, workshops and art exhibitions; check the current program before your trip. Van Veghten House has a Revolutionary War museum. Check current visitor information before visiting.

Somerset County farmers markets offer or showcase local produce, meat, cheese, crafts and wine. Individual vendors and schedules may change, so it is worth checking current market information if you have particular goods or a specific date in mind.

When choosing a hotel in Somerset, the purpose of your trip can be a helpful starting point: nature attractions, Revolutionary history and art programs appeal to different interests. Guide your search by what you want to experience during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Franklin Township, Branchburg Township, Montgomery Township, North Plainfield, Somerville, South Bound Brook, Bernardsville, Liberty Corner, Basking Ridge, Hillsborough, Warren, Bridgewater, Green Brook Township, Manville, Raritan.

For the broader travel overview: New Jersey.