Patriots’ Path

27 Mendham Road
Morris Township, NJ 07960

Hours:
M-F: Daily, sunrise to sunset, except in horticultural sites. Please see individual horticulture site hours for more information.
Sat-Sun: Daily, sunrise to sunset, except in horticultural sites. Please see individual horticulture site hours for more information.

Directions

Paved pathway winding through a lush, green forest with tall trees and sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Journey through the natural heart of Morris County and link to an array of trails, parks, historic and recreational sites.

Patriots’ Path offers more than 70 miles of hiking, cycling, and riding trails, following the corridors of the Whippany and Black Rivers and the South Branch of the Raritan River.

It links federal, state, county, and municipal parks and trails, as well as watershed lands, historic sites, and many other points of interest throughout Morris County and neighboring Essex, Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren counties.

With its extensive network of trails, Patriots’ Path is easily accessible for most county residents and provides a local option for dog walking, fishing, enjoying green spaces, and more.

Plan Your Visit
Maps
Programs & Activities
History
Trailheads

Plan Your Visit

The main stem of Patriots’ Path extends from East Hanover and connects the Lenape Trail in Essex County to Allamuchy Mountain State Park in Sussex County, intersecting with the Columbia Trail in Washington Township. The purpose of the trail system is to provide opportunities for passive outdoor recreation while protecting and enhancing the environmental and aesthetic integrity of the stream valleys and uplands through which it passes.

For your safety

The surface of the Patriots’ Path treadway varies with locality and terrain. Two miles of paved path run from Lake Road to Washington Valley Road in Morris Township. Other sections are stabilized with crushed stone and gravel, and still others are left as narrow paths on soil, grass, and rock. Several miles lie on cinder and gravel beds of old railroad lines in Morris and Chester Townships. Boots with ankle support and water resistance are recommended when hiking this trail network due to changing trail surface and seasonal access limitations.

Snow and ice are not removed from the trail system.

Patriots’ Path was preserved to protect the Whippany River and its tributaries. The Park Commission does not plow the trail system for a number of reasons, including:

Snow pushed to the side of the trail negatively impacts the vegetation along the trail, which buffers the stream
Most importantly, there is no effective snow/ice melting product that can keep the trails free of ice.

Alternate Trails

The Traction Line Recreational Trail, which begins/ends across the street from Washington Headquarters and begins/ends at Danforth Avenue in Madison Borough behind Fairleigh Dickinson University, with a number of additional access points in between. This trail is cleared of snow and ice due to requirements of the funding source that was used to construct the trail.
The sidewalks of Central Park of Morris County are also maintained during the winter season.
There is also a paved trail around the Giralda Farms corporate center that is possibly plowed; it can be accessed via Woodland Avenue in Chatham Township and Loantaka Way in Madison Borough. This trail is overseen by the corporate center.
The Pompton Valley Rail Trail, a 5.1-mile porous pavement/boardwalk trail, is in Pequannock and Wayne Townships.

Points of interest along Patriots’ Path

More info

With so many trail spurs and interconnections, it’s best to navigate Patriot’s Path by downloading the trail map.

Click/Tap here to learn a few tips about sharing this regional trail with your fellow outdoor enthusiasts.

Having an event along Patriots’ Path? Clubs, organizations, businesses, and groups of 25 or more persons utilizing any Morris County Park area are required to make a reservation and obtain a permit. Click/Tap here to learn more.

Maps

Large – 11″ x 17″ (2 pages)

Try MCPC Explorer, a web-based, interactive experience, where you can view your current location, search parks by activity/amenity, find trails by permitted uses, easily download offline maps to your mobile device and more!

See the Trailheads tab for more locations to explore along Patriots’ Path!

Programs & Activities

Hiking
Biking
Cross-country skiing
Snowshoeing
Horseback riding (limited to certain areas)
Fishing
Leashed pets welcomed along portions of trail (except within horticulture sites)

History

The first parcel of land was acquired in September 1968, and there was a bikeway dedication ceremony held on September 12, 1975. In 2014, the development of Patriots’ Path is nearly completed. Plans are underway to create a September 11th National Memorial Trail. The Patriots’ Path section of the Liberty-Water Gap Trail in Morris County will be included as a portion of this proposed historic trail. Once completed, the trail will connect all of the September 11th memorials through numerous states, from the Pentagon Building in Arlington, VA to the field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to Ground Zero where the World Trade Center in New York City once stood.

Patriots’ Path was registered as a National Recreation Trail (NRT) on August 20, 1980.

Trailheads

Click below for driving directions

Central GPS Address for Patriots’ Path:
270 Mendham Road, Morristown, NJ 07960

Harrington Park:
90 Rock Road, Washington Township, NJ 07853

Schooley’s Mountain:
91 East Springtown Road, Long Valley, NJ 07853

Fairview Avenue:
113 Fairview Avenue, Long Valley, NJ 07853

Gillette Trail:
76 E ast Mill Road, Long Valley, NJ 07853

Palmer Park:
Palmer Park, Bartle y, NJ 07853

Chubb Park:
Chubb Park, Chester, NJ 07930

Cooper Gristmill:
Cooper Gristmill, C hester, NJ 07930

Kay Environmental Center:
200 Pottersville Road, Chester, NJ 07930