Roebling Park Dendrology

A walking tour of Roebling Park in Hamilton, NJ.

Roebling Park is owned by the Mercer County Park Commission and is part of the Abbott Marshlands. The Abbott Marshlands is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in NJ, and has hundreds of plant species. This tour previews a select few of the trees and shrubs in the park. I made this tour for a college project. The Abbott Marshlands is one of the best archaeological sites in the state. The oldest standing house in the county is part of the park, and many Lenape artifacts have been found in the area (removal of artifacts is illegal). Spring Lake and the area around it used to be an amusement park, called White City. A staircase and part of a shoot the chute can still be seen around the lake. The Tulpehaking Nature Center is part of the park. It is open several days a week, and feature exhibits on the area (it is currently closed because of Covid). In addition to this tour, the park is a great place to picnic, boat, birdwatch and fish. Many nature programs are offered in the park.

For this tour, I recommend wearing long pants, such as jeans, and sturdy footwear. Poison Ivy is common and many plants have thorns. Some trails also flood after heavy rains, and downed trees can be expected after storms. Creeks and wetlands in the park are tidal. It is important to stay on the trails and not go in water. Watson's Creek (marked as Rowan Lake on Google Maps) appears gentle, but has extremely strong currents and many submerged objects and is deeper than it appears. Muddy areas exposed at low tide are very easy to get stuck in. Staying on the trails can help minimize damage to the natural area, and can prevent the risk of you catching Poison Ivy or getting pricked with thorns.

Tour created by Nick Alpeza.