Princeton Battlefield State Park and Institute Woods (Blog Hike #1077)

Trails: Trolley Track, Founders' Walk, River's Edge, and Far Trails
Hike Location: Princeton Battlefield State Park and Institute Woods
Geographic Location: Princeton, NJ (40.32944, -74.67631)
Length: 2.5 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: September 2025
Overview: A flat lollipop loop starting at a Revolutionary War battlefield.
Park Information: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/princetonbattlefieldstatepark.html
Hike Route Map: 

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming April 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: Northeast of Trenton, take I-295 to US 1 (exit 67B).  Exit and go north on US 1.  Drive US 1 north 1 mile to Quakerbridge Road.  Exit and go north on Quakerbridge Rd.  Drive Quakerbridge Rd. 2.8 miles to Mercer Road and take a soft right on Mercer Rd.  The signed park entrance is 0.2 miles ahead on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, and park in the only blacktop lot.

The hike: The first few months after the Americans declared independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776 did not go well for the American Patriots.  Patriot victories were almost nonexistent, and American General George Washington was forced to conduct a fighting retreat from east to west across New Jersey.  Washington only managed to save Pennsylvania and the American capital at Philadelphia by a brilliant stroke of strategy: after crossing the Delaware River with his army, he ordered all boats moved to the west side of the river.  Thus, the British were unable to get their army across the river until later in the winter when it would freeze solid enough for safe ice crossing.

            Knowing that the British were temporarily stymied and that many of his soldiers' enlistments were about to expire, in late December Washington embarked on a bold and risky counterattack that historians would come to label the Ten Crucial Days.  The first day was the night of December 25, 1776 when Washington and his men famously crossed the icy Delaware River during a winter storm.  That crossing led to a surprise Patriot attack and victory at Trenton the next day.

            The subsequent maneuvers and skirmishes came to a head on January 2, 1777 with the Second Battle of Trenton, another Patriot victory.  The Patriots withdrew to Princeton, where they faced a combination of British and Hessian forces the next day in a snow-covered field.  Against long odds the Patriots were victorious for a third time, and that battle at the conclusion of the Ten Crucial Days came to be known as the Battle of Princeton.  Although these victories would be short-lived, they kept the revolution going when it was on the brink of falling apart.

            The field in which the third battle occurred is today preserved as Princeton Battlefield State Park.  The park was established in 1946, and at only 40 acres it protects the battlefield but not much else.  Fortunately, the Institute of Advanced Studies, an academic research institution loosely affiliated with Princeton University, owns and maintains an adjacent 588-acre tract of woods known as the Institute Woods.  While visitors are not allowed at the Institute, they are allowed to hike the trails in the Institute Woods.  This hike starts at the battlefield and forms a lollipop loop through the Institute Woods, thus getting the most hiking possible out of this historic park.

Mercer Oak at Princeton Battlefield

            Before hitting the trail, walk over to the northeast side of the parking lot to view the battlefield.  Interpretive signs point out the famous Clarke House and the famous Mercer Oak.  The Clarke House dates to 1772 and was owned by Quaker farmer Thomas Clarke.  The Mercer Oak marks where Patriot Brigadier General Hugh Mercer watched his men fight the battle; Mercer refused to leave his men even after he was severely wounded by a British bayonet.  Mercer was transported to the Clarke House after the battle, where he died 9 days later.

Trail entering the Institute Woods

            When you are ready to begin the hike, head to the southwest corner of the parking lot and pick up the gravel trail that heads across the mowed-grass field and into the woods.  Trails in the Institute Woods are mostly laid out in a row and column configuration.  The trails are wide and easy to follow, but not all of them are well-marked.  Thus, the picture I took of the trail map at the information board came in handy several times during my hike.

Princeton Friends Meeting House

            At 0.2 miles, you pass the rear of the Princeton Friends Meeting House, an historic Quaker building.  The Quaker religion requires a vow of pacifism, and during the Revolutionary War both the British and the Americans became disgusted with the Quakers because they refused to fight for their side.  As the war drug on, many Quakers decided that the revolution's righteous cause was more important than their vow of pacifism, and many Quakers joined the Patriots.

Hiking the entrance trail, Institute Woods

            0.3 miles into the hike, you reach a major trail intersection that forms the loop portion of this hike.  Many trail intersections in the Institute Woods are signed, but the signs are small and therefore hard to find and read.  I turned left to head northeast on the Trolley Track Trail, thus hiking the loop clockwise.

Hiking the Trolley Track Trail

            The wide, nearly straight, and nearly flat Trolley Track Trail heads through beautiful forest that features some large maple and tulip trees.  I saw quite a few birds here including a grey catbird, and the hiking is very pleasant.  Ignore trails that exit right or left until you intersect the Founders' Walk at 0.8 miles.  Turn right to begin the Founders' Walk.

Yellow F marking the Founders' Walk

            The Founders' Walk is the only blazed trail in the Institute Woods: yellow F's painted on trees mark the way.  The trail descends gradually, but the Institute Woods occupies very flat land: the difference between maximum and minimum elevation on this hike is less than 60 feet.  Overall, the going remains easy, and the hiking remains pleasant.

Swinging bridge over Stony Brook

            At 1.3 miles, you reach the most popular destination in the Institute Woods: the swinging bridge over Stony Brook.  The thin metal cables and thin wood deck make the bridge look intimidating, but the concrete abutments provide some assurance.  This bridge leads to the old Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath, so many people enter the Institute Woods via this bridge.  Because this hike started at Princeton Battlefield, the bridge represents the furthest point on our loop.

Stony Brook

            To begin your return route, turn right and begin hiking the River's Edge Trail with Stony Brook through the trees on your left.  The dark waters of Stony Brook come into view several times, and the stream seems poorly named: the watercourse is more muddy and grassy than stony at this point.  Ignore the Middle Trail as it exits right, but when you get to the southwest corner of the Institute Woods turn right to begin the Far Trail; the River's Edge Trail dead-ends in just a few feet.

Hiking the Far Trail

            The Far Trail heads northwest through more of the same beautiful forest you hiked through earlier.  Just past 1.9 miles, you reach an intersection with the Pipeline Trail.  You could go straight or left here, but the shortest route back to the trailhead turns left on the Pipeline Trail.  The Pipeline Trail follows a sewer line corridor, and therefore it does not make for the most inspiring hiking.  At 2.3 miles, you close the loop.  Continue straight to hike back past the Princeton Friends Meeting House and return to the battlefield to complete the hike.