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Print Friendly MapThe Lawrence Hopewell Trail (LHT) offers more than 19 miles of pathway on a developing loop through public and private land in Lawrence and Hopewell Townships, about 5 miles north of Trenton. The route links business districts, parks, schools, historical villages, and playing fields, and it provides views of farmland and woodlands. Though the trail’s surface is largely porous pavement (which offers better stormwater control than traditional pavement), there are some crushed-stone sections, such as through Carson Road Woods, Maidenhead Meadows Park, and Mercer Meadows.
The planned 22-mile route is nearly complete with four gaps remaining, some of which traverse busy roads. The trail is anticipated to be finished in 2021. Additional connections to adjacent communities are also being planned, and the trail is part of a developing network in the Greater Philadelphia and Camden region called the Circuit Trails, which will encompass 800 miles of trail when complete.
The LHT is broken into 16 named segments, each with its own unique historical and natural features and trail characteristics. The first one, called the Mount Rose Distillery Segment—a 1.1-mile excursion through the wooded Mount Rose Preserve—begins at the north end of the trail in Hopewell.
Moving clockwise around the loop from there, you can pick up the trail again in Lawrence on the Educational Testing Service campus. After looping around the property, you’ll continue another 4 miles south to the end of this section at Princeton Pike. Along the way, you’ll traverse Carson Road Woods, which includes numerous walking paths throughout the pristine preserve, and pass the campus of another major employer, Bristol-Myers Squibb. As you approach the end of this section, use caution as you travel through Maidenhead Meadows Park; the trail here can be challenging to navigate with a road bike or hybrid.
A gap of less than a mile separates this section from the next. Pick up the trail farther down Princeton Pike at Meadow Road. You’ll now begin the longest continuous section of trail. In 0.5 mile, you’ll come to a T-junction; head right to continue on the LHT. Go left to reach the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail in 0.3 mile; the expansive trail stretches nearly 70 miles and takes travelers into Trenton.
If you stayed on the LHT, you’ll pop out of the trees into a business park environment. Soon, you’ll be on a northwest course winding through the Lawrenceville School campus, with its redbrick buildings, and Village Park, a popular spot with numerous athletic facilities and playgrounds. A highlight of the route is passage through Mercer Meadows, a sprawling 1,600-acre park with native grasses and wildflowers, lush woodlands, and two lakes, where you might spot deer, rabbits, and other wildlife. A unique attraction in the park is the Pole Farm, a historical relic of a telecommunications company once located here. Mercer Meadows also offers equestrian riding opportunities, including on portions of the LHT.
Approaching trail’s end, you’ll enter Hopewell again, passing through the nature reserve of the Stony Brook–Millstone Watershed Association, and end just 0.4 mile from where you started.
To reach the parking lot in the Mount Rose Distillery Segment from the intersection of US 206 and Princeton Pike in Trenton, head north on US 206. In 4.8 miles you’ll reach the unincorporated community of Lawrenceville, where you’ll take a left onto Carter Road. Follow Carter Road north 4.2 miles to the trailhead, which will be on your left. From the intersection of US 202 and US 206 in Somerville, head south on US 206, and go 14.2 miles. Turn right onto Cherry Valley Road, and go 4.75 miles. Turn left onto Carter Road. Go 0.4 mile, and the trailhead will be on your right.
To reach parking at the Watershed Institute in the Stony Brook–Millstone Watershed Reserve, take I-295 to Exit 72. Follow NJ 31 northbound 1.4 miles. Make a slight left to continue on NJ 31 N, and go 3.1 miles. Turn right onto Titus Mill Road; follow it 1.2 miles east to the parking lot.
I did this trail yesterday morning. Of the trails I’ve done this summer, this one has the most variety of surface types by far. You can manage it on a road bike but a hybrid would be a better choice. Asphalt, concrete, crushed stone, gravel and dirt. This trail has it all. A scenic ride that loops through farmland, The Lawrenceville School and a couple office complexes. A few places to stop for a snack and drink in downtown Lawrence. ¿¿
Great trail with plenty of views. Ponds woods and fields.
The LHT is many trails in one. We rode from the parking area (98 Carson Rd. in Princeton) to Bristol Meyers Squibb in Hopewell. To create a loop, we took Elm Ridge Rd. to Carter Rd. and back to the trail at the Educational Testing Service, then back to the car. If you map to this parking area, your GPS takes you to the right location. (I've mapped many trail parking areas that aren't where they say they are. ) It's obvious that the community has put a lot into the development of this trail. I would give it a B+ for signage. There were only 2 or 3 spots where it wasn't quite clear. One major one is if you ride through Maidenhead Meadows Park, there's a point in the woods where you come to a T-intersection. There's no marking to indicate you go to the right. When you reach the road (Princeton Pike), take a left to ride along the road. There is a decent shoulder, which makes for safe road riding. Within about a half-mile, you'll see the Brearley House sign at Meadow Rd. This is a short, worthwhile side trip to see the 1761 home of a Constitution signer. This is where the D&R Canal trail is located. It's also a nice area for a short rest and snack. This trail has a mixture of settings - historical, woods, roads, neighborhoods (beautiful homes), and parks. Any type of bike can be ridden on most of this trail. The wooded areas had a lot of downed branches and leaves that might make them a little tricky with a road bike. Princeton is a great town for its architecture, shops, and restaurants.
The section of the trail from Lewisville Rd to the end of Wargo Rd is a great ride through varying landscapes. However the trails could be marked better. I would not recommend going beyond Wargo Rd at this time because the need to ride on roads that have little or no shoulder (especially Carter Rd).
Parked at the Brearley House and did the LHT to Rosedale Lake. Surface was pavement and cinder with a few gravelly spots to repair washouts. Two crossings of busy roads, but these were at crosswalks with traffic lights. Short lengths on quiet roads, but most of the trail was through parks. Trail signage was good. Lots of side trips available. All in all a great ride.
Much of the LHT has been completed since the last review. A superb paved path (Oct 2013) from Princeton Pike to the Lawrenceville School is the final step in connecting the Delaware & Raritan (D&R) canal path to Mercer Meadows (MM).
As can be seen on this map
http://lhtrail.org/LHTrailMap.pdf
some trails in MM are part of the LHT. MM is a great place to explore. New wooden bridges traverse boggy areas; there are observation towers, bird blinds, toilets, water, and historic monuments. Thank you Mercer Co Parks Dept!
My ride starts at Princeton Turning Basin Park on Alexander Road. I go south on the D&R path until the LHT connector (BH on map) and make my way north through Village Park to MM. Allow about an hour to MM, an hour (or more) exploring MM and an hour back. Mountain bike or hybrid with knobby tires recommended.
We roll this trail on 7/1/2012. Find this trail here and it looks and sound interesting. so I start look for more information because is not much here. With google search I found their official website http://lhtrail.org/ this site have tons of information about this trail.
The total of this trail is listed 20+ miles, however, some of the trail is not competed at this time. We also have hard time to follow the trail path, some trail path signage is very good and some are unclear. Some of the trails are going through residents area, they looks like townhouse parking lots and some large corporation parking lot as well. We also got loss when we are at section 9 or 10 inside Rosedale Park. This section of trail is covered with mud and tall grass. The trail had split and the sign is unclear, we pick the wrong trail and ends up to nowhere. We only did about 12 miles and we have to head back because of the heat wave.
Overall this trail is nice and flat but need some more work to get it complete. Too bad my GPS have indicated many useless path with this trail because we got loss many times. Otherwise I will upload the GPS trail here.
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