In October 2018, D&R Greenway Land Trust and Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS) announced the preservation of a vital piece of the Delaware River watershed known as the Woosamonsa Ridge preserve. Now after almost two years of preparation, it is fully open to the public.

D&R took the lead in the acquisition from land owners Jay and Amy Regan. The Regans shared their motivation at the time. “Our children grew up on this land and our grandchildren love to play in the woods. By ensuring its permanent preservation, it makes it easier for us to move on, knowing that the land is protected and our children and grandchildren can come back and still enjoy it.”

D&R Greenway and FoHVOS jointly manage the property and had big dreams for such an amazing site. Plans included extensive trails, land stewardship, an informational kiosk and signage, and the final step was enlisting Hopewell Township to complete a small parking area. Now almost two years later those plans are complete and the preserve are open to all.

“By preserving this land with the Regan family, D&R Greenway and FoHVOS have provided a beautiful new wilderness experience that is now available to the residents of Hopewell Township,” stated Linda Mead, President and CEO of D&R Greenway Land Trust. “Hundreds of volunteer hours, led by Alan Hershey of Pennington, resulted in low trails along the stream and high trails to the summit and the long view over Hopewell.  What a treasure to have a whole mountain preserved right here in our own community!”

George Snyder, Director of Hopewell Township Public Works, worked closely with our preserve management team and in February was just waiting for a dry day to complete the work. Then the pandemic hit and work was shut down until the state began reopening. In July Mr. Snyder reported, “Public Works completed the Woosamonsa parking lot. Dave Guerard and the entire Public Works team did an excellent job on the project!”

While D&R, FoHVOS and Hopewell Township jointly own Woosamonsa Ridge. The original funding partners also included The Nature Conservancy, New Jersey Green Acres Program, and Mercer County’s Open Space Fund.

For FoHVOS, the entire process has been a delight. Our partners really step up and we work as a close-knit team. FoHVOS specializes in land stewardship and our staff botanist and ornithologist have both reported that Woosamonsa has rich habitat to explore. Our wellness expert can’t wait to lead guided hikes and our Board Trustees are thrilled that FoHVOS is associated with the two most beautiful mountains in Hopewell Valley — our offices atop the Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain and Woosamonsa Ridge. We’re certain the community will love it too.

An excerpt of this article appears in September’s Hopewell Valley Neighbors Magazine.