Woosamonsa Ridge’s rolling topography provides a vantage point that makes it unique in Hopewell Valley. It features forest consisting of large, mature oak and hickory trees and is home to plants that can only be found in high quality forests, such as the showy orchis. Woosamonsa Ridge serves as headwaters for Jacobs Creek, which in turn drains into the Delaware River, and it also contains broad rocky streams and smaller tributaries. Groundwater seeps feed the streams and serve as critical habitat for salamanders and may contain habitat for rare dragonfly species.
Parking: Paved/ Gravel parking lot.
Trail Distances:
Ridge Trail: 1.5 miles
Valley Trail: 3/4 mile
Creekside Trail: 1/3 mile
Hollow Brook Trail: less than a quarter mile
Note: The above trails in combination form several loops and are not designed to be hiked as stand alone trails.
Hiking Times:
Ridge and Valley Trail loop: 90 minutes
Ridge, Creekside and Valley Trail loop: 60 minutes
Ridge, Hollow Brook, and Valley Trail loop: 30 minutes
Trail Markers: Markers are attached to trees and to posts at trail junctions. The color of markers for each trail is as follows: White for the Ridge Trail, Yellow for the Valley Trail, Blue for the Creekside Trail, and Red for Hollow Brook Trail.
Elevation: There are some steep slopes on the Ridge Trail and Hollow Brook Trail; other trails have flat to moderately steep slopes.
Difficulty: Easy to moderately strenuous.
Trail Descriptions
Ridge Trail – Starting at the parking lot, this trail follows the base of a high ridge and makes a gradual ascent up the ridge then dips down to meet with Dinah’s Brook Trail. Beyond that trail, the Ridge Trail continues across some shallow swales before crossing Dinah’s Brook. From there, the trail makes a fairly steep ascent to reach near the highest point of a second ridge. After skirting the ridge summit, the trail descends to join the Creekside Trail near Jacobs Creek. A short distance further, the Ridge Trail crosses the Jacobs Creek and ascends part way up another ridge which forms the north side of the Jacobs Creek valley. At its end, the trail joins the Valley Trail which can be taken back to the parking area. This trail and the Valley Trail form the longest hiking loop.
Valley Trail – This trail branches off to the left from the Ridge Trail about a quarter mile from the parking area. From the Ridge Trail, the trail makes a short descent to the “floor” of the Jacobs Creek valley. After passing Hollow Brook Trail, the trail meets up with the Creekside Trail. At that point, the Valley Trail makes a sharp left turn and several yards further crosses a wide wooden bridge over the Jacobs Creek. From there, the trail goes straight up an incline to connect with the Ridge Trail.
Creekside Trail – This flat and relatively short scenic trail offers some close up views of the Jacobs Creek. Both the Ridge and Valley trails provide access to the Creekside Trail which can be hiked as part of a loop with those trails.
Hollow Brook Trail – This short trail, which is moderately steep, connects the Ridge and Valley trails. This trail, along with the Ridge and Valley trails, form the shortest hiking loop.
The name Woosamonsa is derived from a word used by the Lenape Indians who inhabited the area. The earliest spelling of the native American word, recorded in 1689, was “Wissomency” and is thought to mean “place of wrinkled trees.”1 Perhaps the word referred to a certain species’ tree bark. A later spelling of the word was Wissamonson. The current anglicized spelling came into use in the 19th century when Woosamonsa Road was laid out.2
The D&R Greenway Land Trust, in partnership with Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS) and Hopewell Township, acquired the 146 acre preserve from the Harbourton Foundation in 2018. The Foundation was established by Jay and Amy Regan who once owned the preserve’s land as part of a large estate where they lived. The Regans donated the subdivided, 146 acre forested portion of their estate to the Foundation with the intent that it be sold to the present owners and preserved forever.
The forested land of the preserve had been used for horseback riding on bridle paths which extended from the land owners’ horse barn to the far reaches of the site. These wide bridle paths provided the basis for the outstanding network of trails which now exist throughout the preserve.
Funds utilized for the acquisition of the preserve were provided by the NJ Green Acres Program, Mercer County, and Hopewell Township. The Preserve is owned and managed by the D&R Greenway Land Trust and FoHVOS.
1. Grume, Robert S., Beyond Manhattan: A Gazetteer of Delaware Indian History Reflected in Modern-Day Place Names, New York State Education Department, 2014.
2. Hunter, Richard and Porter, Richard, Hopewell: A Geographical History, The Township of Hopewell, 1990.
