Hartshorne Woods Park
Encyclopedia
Hartshorne Woods Park is a 736 acres (297.8 ha) county park located in Northern Monmouth County, New Jersey
, United States, in New Jersey's Bayshore Region
. The park has 16 miles (25.7 km) of trails, several old military bunkers and a small beach with a fishing pier. It is roughly bordered to the north and west by Navesink Ave and Route 36. Its southern borders are Hartshorne Road and the Navesink River
. Its eastern border is the Upper Shrewsbury River
. The Park is split into three sections from west to east: The Buttermilk Valley Section, the Monmouth Hills Section and the Rocky Point Section.
for thirteen shillings after sailing to the Highland
in 1670. Rocky Point, the 224 acre (0.90649664 km²) easternmost section of the park, contained a World War Two era Coast Artillery site known as Battery Lewis. Later, the Highlands Air Force Station
, a long-range air defense radar installation and the Highlands Army Air Defense Site (HAADS) were constructed here. The Air Force closed its installation in 1966. The Army continued to operated HAADS through 1974 to support Nike missile batteries throughout the region.
Ridge Trail (a moderate trail) traverse this section. The Cuesta Ridge Trail goes along the northern section of the park and is the most direct connection from Buttermilk Valley to Rocky Point. This section of the park has facilities located along the southern loop of the Grand Tour Trail.
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
, United States, in New Jersey's Bayshore Region
Raritan Bayshore
The Raritan Bayshore region of New Jersey is the area around Raritan Bay from The Amboys to Sandy Hook, mostly in Monmouth County, including the towns from Keyport, New Jersey, "Pearl of the Bayshore", to Highlands, New Jersey. At Keansburg is a traditional amusement park while at Sandy Hook are...
. The park has 16 miles (25.7 km) of trails, several old military bunkers and a small beach with a fishing pier. It is roughly bordered to the north and west by Navesink Ave and Route 36. Its southern borders are Hartshorne Road and the Navesink River
Navesink River
The Navesink River is an estuary, approximately 8 mi long in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is surrounded by the communities of Middletown, Red Bank, Fair Haven and Rumson....
. Its eastern border is the Upper Shrewsbury River
Shrewsbury River
The Shrewsbury River is a short stream and navigable estuary, approximately 8 mi long, in central New Jersey in the United States....
. The Park is split into three sections from west to east: The Buttermilk Valley Section, the Monmouth Hills Section and the Rocky Point Section.
History
The park is named after Richard Hartshorne, who acquired the land from the LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
for thirteen shillings after sailing to the Highland
Highlands, New Jersey
Highlands is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,005. It is the home town of film maker, director, and comic book writer Kevin Smith. The eastern part of the town is built on a high bluff that overlooks Sandy...
in 1670. Rocky Point, the 224 acre (0.90649664 km²) easternmost section of the park, contained a World War Two era Coast Artillery site known as Battery Lewis. Later, the Highlands Air Force Station
Highlands Air Force Station
Highlands Air Force Station was a Navesink Highlands military installation in Middletown Township near the borough of Highlands, New Jersey. The station provided ground-controlled interception radar coverage as part of the Lashup Radar Network and the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment network, as...
, a long-range air defense radar installation and the Highlands Army Air Defense Site (HAADS) were constructed here. The Air Force closed its installation in 1966. The Army continued to operated HAADS through 1974 to support Nike missile batteries throughout the region.
Buttermilk Valley
The Buttermilk Valley section of Hartshorne Woods Park can be accessed from a parking lot on Navesink Ave. This section of the park has several moderate and easy trails and two overlook spots: the Navesink overlook and the Claypit Creek Overlook. This section of the park has maps and information as well as facilities located near the parking lot.Monmouth Hills
The Monmouth Hills section of the park is accessible by trails from the other two sections of the park. The Grand Tour Trail (a challenging trail) and the CuestaCuesta
In structural geology and geomorphology, a cuesta is a ridge formed by gently tilted sedimentary rock strata in a homoclinal structure. Cuestas have a steep slope, where the rock layers are exposed on their edges, called an escarpment or, if more steep, a cliff...
Ridge Trail (a moderate trail) traverse this section. The Cuesta Ridge Trail goes along the northern section of the park and is the most direct connection from Buttermilk Valley to Rocky Point. This section of the park has facilities located along the southern loop of the Grand Tour Trail.
Major trails
Classification:- Green Circles indicate: Easy Trails for walking.
- Blue Squares indicate: Moderate Trails for hikers, equestrians and all-terrain bicycles.
- Black Diamonds indicate: Challenging Trails for experienced hikers, equestrians and all-terrain bicyclists.
Buttermilk Valley
- Kings Hollow Trail- easy loop (0.7 mile)
- Candlestick Trail- easy (1.5 miles) - Navesink Overlook
- Laurel Ridge Trail- moderate loop (2.5 miles)
Monmouth Hills
- Cuesta Ridge Trail- moderate (1.6 miles)
- Grand Tour Trail- challenging (6 miles)
Rocky Point
- Lewis Overlook- easy loop (0.2 mile) - There is a trail to the top of Battery Lewis with great views.
- Battery Loop- moderate loop (1.3 miles) - Paved surface
- Black Fish Cove- moderate (0.3 mile) - Steep trail to pier
- Command Loop- moderate (0.4 mile) - Paved surface
- Bunker Loop- moderate (0.3 mile)
- Rocky Point Trail- challenging (4.1 miles)