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The New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJ Conservation) held the grand opening for Rainbow Hill at Sourland Mountain Preserve — located just 30 miles east of Bucks County, PA — on Friday, Nov. 3.
The site spans 1,150 acres and includes woodlands, fields, and several freshwater tributaries of the Neshanic River. Meanwhile, there are plenty of opportunities for passive recreational activities like hiking, horseback riding, and bird watching.
“We congratulate New Jersey Conservation Foundation and its partners for their foresight and tireless efforts to preserve the ecological benefits and beauty of this important landscape in the Sourland Mountains,” said Shawn M. LaTourette, New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner. “The DEP’s investment in Rainbow Hill, through its Green Acres Program and Office of Natural Resource Restoration, helps protect the region’s unique natural and recreational resources, including rivers, woodlands and trails.”
The opening comes after decades of effort to preserve more than 1,000 acres of wildlife in the Garden State. The Sourland Mountain Preserve now comprises 528 acres in East Amwell and over 600 in Hillsborough Township, though it will be managed as a single space.
“East Amwell is thrilled with the opening of the new preserve,” said Dante DiPirro, East Amwell Township Deputy Mayor.
“Land preservation is critical to protecting our water, land and wildlife habitat, safeguarding our vistas and viewsheds, and maintaining our quality of life…East Amwell appreciates the dedicated work of NJ Conservation in spearheading a partnership of public and private agencies in this effort, and the commitment of all the partners. This preserve will be a legacy that will be enjoyed now and by future generations.”
Visitors can hike three finished trails at Rainbow Hill:
- Red Trail: 3.5 miles, loops from the North Hill lot across hayfields, through forests, and around meadows to the lake
- White Trail: Nearly 4 miles, provides a scenic path through fields and along streams with a mile stretch through forests scattered with boulders
- Blue Trail: A mile loop with vistas of the lake that follows along streams and through a series of forested wetlands.
“On behalf of the board, staff, and members of the Sourland Conservancy I would like to thank New Jersey Conservation Foundation and all of the partners involved in the preservation and stewardship of this glorious property,” said Robert Aluck, Sourland Conservancy’s Stewardship Director. “I look forward to walking these trails with my children — and one day my grandchildren — watching the trees and flowers grow along with them. This is our legacy.”
Click here to view a trail map.
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