What a hidden gem . It's a beautiful preserve that has trails and indoor education center. They offer many classes for the community. We happen to arrive here for a plant swap event. I was pleasantly surprised with the kid friendly activities too. read more

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The Plainsboro Preserve is a lovely, serene space to walk. It has many trails. We walked the white trail as the other takes you along the lake. It's very pretty with the lake and the trees especially at this time of year in the Fall. There is an environmental center in the front with educational materials, bathrooms and educational displays. read more

Plainsboro Preserve - Parks Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

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It's a great place to walk and enjoy nature the way it was meant to be enjoyed. There are great seating areas and great trails to walk and enjoy, long and short. It's my new spot for sure. read more

Unique. Relaxing. Hidden gem. TIP: If you are looking to hike, bring pair of boots because it could get really muddy. No kayaking or picnics allowed in the park. Plainsboro Preserve is a hidden gem! Not many people know about it, so it's quiet and secluded. It's so secluded that you can even come across a beaver casually passing by. There are many trails around so be prepared to walk a lot. Thank you for reading this and I hope you find this helpful. read more

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I've lived in the area my whole life and can't believe I have never paid a visit to this preserve until recently. I came on a nice late winter's day to get some much needed fresh air and quiet time. This is certainly the place to do it! The preserve has many serene trails and pathways that will allow you to reconnect with nature. I highly suggest taking Maggie's Trail to get to Maggie's Point, which is a peninsula that gives breathtaking lake views. The trails are rocky or are dirt paths and pretty much on flat surfaces. Perfect for families. Heads up: there are benches but they're far and few between. I did come across lots of people during my hour spent there, but it's very easy to social distance and wasn't what I'd call crowded. I did spot some wildlife, like geese and birds, but that was about it. I'm sure depending on your visit, you're bound to see more furry friends. After seeing some fellow Yelper's posts, I can't wait to return in the fall and see beautiful foliage, but it's truly beautiful year round! read more

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The ongoing pandemic has definitely taken a toll on a lot of businesses and public places since a consumer's mindset to buy anything outside of essentials or to visit a public place like a park or beach, has crippled down significantly. Now by living with what has become the new normal, it is commendable on how these businesses and public places continue to remain open and cater to the general public by following the safety standards. It is now all the more important that we as customers, support these heroes during these dark hours to mankind. We were looking for some nice place to hike when we were visiting a tailor in the plainsboro area and ran into this based on Google maps suggestion. The place was nothing short of magnificence. The place looked like a private property with a compound and an iron gate as we entered and as we drove in a bit, we found the parking space on the right which wasn't too big. We luckily found our parking spot and hopped off for a hike. They have clear signs on which hikes to take and the map indicates the lengths and geographies of all of them. Dog owners, you are prohibited to bring your pets here, unless it's a service dog. There's a 200 m walk past a sitting bench and after that the trails take different directions. This is the point where you can take a stop and enjoy the view of Lake McCormack shoreline. Since we arrived a little late, we took the Yellow trail which was the shortest and got back before it became dark. The park had good number of visitors who respected Social distancing and wore masks. The park was well maintained and had a serene atmosphere. Once Spring arrives, we definitely look forward to going back and exploring the remaining trails of this beautiful park. read more

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Absolute local gem that is under-appreciated and under-utilized. Lovely and well maintained trails. In the few miles of trails you have grasslands, woodland, and lakefront to explore. There are some wide open hard packed trails and few slightly more rustic ones. All trails are well marked and very easy to follow. Their association with the National Audubon Society also means there are numerous well built and well maintained birdhouses throughout the entire preserve, leading to fantastic birdwatching. The staff here are absolutely amazing as well. Prior to the pandemic, the school I work for would always have field trips here, and every single tour guide we worked with was amazing. This is the kind of place that requires absolutely no outdoors or hiking experience to enjoy. Strap on a pair of sneakers, bring a few bottles of water and enjoy! read more

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Such an easy and beautiful hike. This is within a mile of my apartment and it is super easy to navigate. My family is not very active and I would feel very comfortable bringing them on the hike. Keep in mind that it does get pretty muddy at parts after it rains. There is a small visitors center with restrooms, (very clean), and a small aquarium with rescued animals. Love this place. read more

Plainsboro Preserve - Parks Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

What's there to say? This place is awesome! You will forget you are in Plainsboro, NJ as you meander through the wooded trails and stumble upon a beautiful picturesque scene at Maggie's Point. The breathtaking lake, even more so with the fall foliage change taking place is stunning. I grew up in Plainsboro and didn't discover this place until several years after leaving the town. There's generally very few people there, but you will encounter other wildlife. Lots of birds, deer, squirrels and chipmunks will certainly cross your path. Looking for a quiet and peaceful place for a hike or walk, the Plainsboro Preserve is the ticket! read more

Plainsboro Preserve - Photo from Maggie's Point - Parks Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

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Went for a hike with my daughter's Girl Scout troop. We went on the white trail, took us out to the other side of the water. Easy trail, very muddy and if I knew how muddy it was (it hadn't rained) I would have wore rain boots. We knew bathrooms were closed since visitor center is closed due to covid. Be aware that trails are closed certain days due to hunting so pay attention. Would go back again to try the other trails just will wear rain boots read more

My family and I love going to the Plainsboro Preserve. We've been living in the area for well over a decade and only recently discovered it a month ago. It's peaceful and there's usually not too many people walking along the trails. The Plainsboro Preserve has multiple trails to explore- the White Trail has some really beautiful views of Lake McCormack at points of the walk. We can't wait to see what it is like in the fall time! read more

Plainsboro Preserve - View of Lake McCormack on the White Trail. - Parks Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

Birds galore. The Audubon takes good care of this preserve. The education center is a good place for info and off you go. Nice little exhibit of local animals. Books to comb through. There are posted hours but I would not recommend going close to dusk as the bugs really come out so close to the water. I don't know a lot about birds but I definitely enjoyed the scenery. read more

This is a very lovely preserve. It's a relatively easy walk and it's very beautiful. There are a lot of deer here and other animals as well to see. Keep in mind that there is no fishing or domestic pets. Not sure why but, I kept seeing signs warning against those two things so I thought I would mention that. There are some small trails (I think Maggie's trail eventually gets to a point which has a beautiful view) and two large trails that loop around the entire preserve. There's usually a nice breeze coming off the water which is refreshing. Definitely worth a trip on a nice day. It was a relaxing, 2 mile walk for us and we met a few pleasant, friendly people along the way. I highly suggest you check at Maggie's Point as it gives you a lovely veiw of the park. read more

Plainsboro Preserve - One of the streams. I was trying to get a picture of some of the fish... - Parks Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

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As the weather is warming up, my friends and I are looking for new places outside our immediate area to take good hikes and walks- Nature Sundays if you will. My boyfriend suggested this place as he had passed it once while getting lost in Plainsboro/Princeton. It was a bit tricky to find it, as Plainsboro, and that region in particular has a lot of complexes and subdivisions as opposed to actual streets and thoroughfares, but it has a big sign that you'll be able to see from the road. I believe that this is the center for the NJ Audubon Society. There is a nice, modern center where you can find plenty of information on birdwatching and other natural interests. They also seem to sell lots of fun bird related items, stuff for kids, etc. The trail itself is quite easy, less than a mile around the lake, perfect if you have kids (saw lots of families out today) or those who might not be as apt to hike and walk. There is also Maggie's Point, which is a nice peninsula that juts into the middle of the lake. We didn't see too many birds yet, maybe a little too early, but we did see other little wildlife like woodchucks and rabbits. Will hope to return when the trees are in full bloom. It looks like you can also have children's birthday parties there; as we were leaving there were several children clutching presents heading into the center. How fun would that be! read more

Love this place! There's not much elevation change, but it's a beautiful place to go and walk around for an afternoon... a beautiful lake with a peninsula that you can hike out onto, LOTS of wildlife and beautiful greenery. Gift shop is great and the staff are very friendly!!! read more

The Plainsboro Preserve has some nice hiking trails, interesting woods and wildlife, and a great Nature Center. The trouble is that the Nature Center is seldom open during advertised hours. We were there three times in recent months, during hours when the Nature Center was supposed to be open, and we found it closed all three times. The only rest facilities are in the Nature Center, so if you need some personal relief, odds are that you'll be out of luck, unless you want to use a tree. Also, note that the entire Preserve will be closed for hunting through much of the next couple of months, so no trails, either. read more

Relatively secluded, but easy to find spot that's great for anyone looking to get away quickly from the hustle and bustle, to enjoy a relaxing nature walk. The Preserve, which was created from the rehabilitation of an old mining site, has several flat, easy, very well-marked, dirt trails, totaling about four miles. My favorites are the blue trail, which briefly hugs the water's edge, and of course Maggie's trail along the peninsula, which is not to be missed. The NJ Audubon Society has a facility with educational displays and restrooms on site. read more

don't go on the blue trail not kept up with at all trail turns into mud and grass halfway in was relieved to get out read more

You'll see wonderful assortment of birds by the Environmental Education Center feeders especially towards the colder season. You might want to wear waterproof or at least resistant shoes as the ground can hold quite a bit of water here at times. read more

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