Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain is Hopewell Township’s largest contiguous forest. Because of this distinction, it is home to numerous unique and rare plant and animal species and is an Audubon Important Bird Area. A series of trails wind through the preserve. This preserve is co-owned with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Mercer County Park Commission and Hopewell Township.
The Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain stretches approximately 1,200 acres on a ridge running roughly east-west between Fiddlers Creek Road to the south and Pleasant Valley Road to the north. Baldpate Mountain offers some of the most challenging hikes in Mercer County. An extensive network of trails, old logging roads and some specially built trails, lace the southern and northern flanks of the ridge, and a 2-mile trail runs along its spine. The most popular trail, the Summit Trail, starts at the Fiddler’s Creek Road parking lot and ascends over 400 feet to the top. A dedicated band of volunteers spent months constructing this trail in 2006. After reaching the top, hikers can enjoy great views of the Delaware River to the south and even a view of the Philadelphia skyline on a clear day.
The Honey Hollow trails start at Church Road just east of Fiddler’s Creek Road. Look for a very large white oak that is at the trail head. Honey Hollow was the site of a 19th century settlement and is reported to have been occupied by some 50 families before being abandoned. Remnants of foundations and chimneys of houses still exist in the area.
Most of the land was preserved as open space in 1998 by a consortium of Mercer County, the State of New Jersey, Hopewell Township, and Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space. Ted Stiles, PhD, who died in 2007, was the long time president of FoHVOS who was instrumental in the preservation of Baldpate Mountain.
The top of Baldpate Mountain was home to Strawberry Hill, the country estate of the John Kuser family in the early 20th century. The main house and nearby lodge were restored by Mercer County in 2008. FoHVOS restored Strawberry Hill’s original walled garden for native plants in 2014 and created a ten acre wildflower meadow at the summit in 2015.
A large map of trails of Baldpate Mountain can be seen on the kiosks at the start of the Summit Trail off Fiddlers Creed Road and at the Ridge Trail off of Pleasant Valley Road. For more information, visit the Mercer County Park Commission’s website here.
Click here to read the stewardship plan for detailed ecological information.
The Ted Stiles Preserve has a gravel parking area with room for 20 cars at the Fiddler’s Creek Road entrance. Look for the “Baldpate Mountain” Mercer County Park Commission sign at the entrance. Click here for directions. Use the address 28 Fiddler’s Creek Road, Titusville, NJ for a GPS or the coordinates 40.317231, -74.889563.
