Home | Department of Parks and Recreation | Park Guides & Trail Maps | Cold Brook Reserve

LOCATION

ABOUT

AGRICULTURAL USE

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

HUNTING

WILDLIFE

SUMMARY OF RULES AND REGULATIONS

PRINTABLE BROCHURE (pdf) updated 4/2010

TRAIL MAPS & GUIDES

ABOUT COLD BROOK RESERVE

PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 65 OLD TURNPIKE ROAD, OLDWICK, NJ 08858

Location: Cold Brook Reserve is located in Tewksbury Township. The park is open from sunrise to sunset. Please note that there are no restroom facilities at this park.

Directions from the Clinton Area: Take Interstate 78 east to exit 24, Oldwick/Whitehouse. Proceed north from this exit on Route 523 towards Oldwick. Continue straight on Route 517 when Route 523 turns to the right. After passing through the center of Oldwick, the park entrance will be on the left. A gravel parking lot is located on the right side of the driveway.

Cold Brook Reserve is comprised of 180 acres of Hunterdon County parkland, along with 107 acres of conservation easements on privately-owned properties (without public access). Benjamin and Emma Van Doren acquired the majority of the property as farmland in the 1850s and planted an extensive peach orchard, a popular commodity of the era. Their son John switched to dairy operations around 1910 and had the first farm in the area to install milking machines. In 1955, John Jr. took over the farm, planting crops and establishing a 400-acre apple orchard. In 1973, the farm was sold to Malcolm and Miriam Klein. The property was acquired from a developer by the New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF), who added additional acreage and ensured its preservation. The property was subsequently purchased from NJCF and added to the Hunterdon County Park System, in 1984.

Additional Information:

The Hunterdon County Parks and Recreation Department is dedicated to preserving open space and natural resources, providing safe parks and facilities, and offering educational and recreational opportunities, all contributing to an enhanced quality of life for present and future generations.

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AGRICULTURAL USE

County contracts much of the land to a local farmer. In accepting the agreement, the farmer has agreed to farm the property while complying with a management plan.

Please be considerate. Stay on the trails and do not pick or damage any crops.

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RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Cold Brook offers many forms of recreational activities. Visitors can hike over two miles of easy trails. The trail takes advantage of existing farm roads and field edges. Horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and
mountain biking are permitted on the trail system. Visitors are exposed to a variety of habitats along the trail which include meadows, wooded areas, and the edge habitat between them.

View the Cold Brook Reserve Trail Map (pdf file)

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TRAIL MAPS & GUIDES
NOTES: All links below are to PDF files - Adobe Acrobat Reader is required. Trail Guides are set up as foldable brochures. Please print and fold in half vertically to view in proper order. Additionally, you may have to rearrange pages. Maps should be printed on Legal Size Paper.

• Trail Map
• Cross-Country Sking Reference Guide
• Download Park Brochure/Guide - updated 04/2010

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HUNTING

In order to control the population of deer on park property, hunting is permitted. Hunters must obtain a special permit issued by the Parks Department to be able to hunt on the preserve. See the Departments Controlled Hunting Rules and Regulations for additional information. Visitors during hunting season are strongly encouraged to wear blaze orange or confine visits to Sundays.

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WILDLIFE

The fields of Cold Brook offer a wonderful opportunity to view and find evidence of some of the County’s predators. Scan the skies to see if any raptors are hunting in the area. Red-tailed Hawks are common and Northern Harriers have been known to reside here during the winter season. While walking the trails, look for scat and tracks of coyotes and foxes.

Northern Harrier flying over field There is an abundance of edge habitat throughout Cold Brook. The field edges provide shelter to several birds throughout the season. Some of the rarer species sighted include Fox Sparrows and Brown Thrashers.

Small mammals, such as rabbits and skunks, also take advantage of this terrain. Old debris and wood piles, which are scattered about in the old fence rows and tree lines, provide excellent habitat for snakes. Potential sightings include Black Rat Snakes and Eastern Milk Snakes.

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