Address:
27 Fox Hill Rd
Tewksbury, NJ
 

Parking:

There is a Raritan Headwaters Assoc. parking lot on Fox Hill Road at the southeastern end of the trail system. Cars can also be parked at the eastern end of the mowed field underneath the power lines at the western side of this property.

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Sullivan Preserve

Acres: 27

Type of Transaction: Fee Simple

Date of Acquisition: January 1, 2014

 

Whitman Preserve

Acres: 10

Type of Transaction: Fee Simple

Date of Acquisition: 2001

About the Preserve:

The Sullivan-Whitman (Fox Hill Preserve) is composed of approximately 37 acres (Sullivan @ 27.2 ac, Whitman @ 10.1 ac) of woodlands located in the Highlands District of Tewksbury Township. The Sullivan property was originally configured for a housing subdivision, and the remains of a roadbed with intact storm drains run through part of the tract. The Whitman property was a standalone 10-acre parcel with access from Palatine Road. Together, the emerging trail system across the property runs nearly a linear mile, forming the primary eastern segment of evolving Ten Mile Trail.  

 

Using funding from a matching grant awarded by the New Jersey Green Acres program, TLT partnered with the Township to obtain permits to allow for the construction of a hiking/riding trail that has been completed through the property. 

 

The property runs from Fox Hill Road, along the edge of a mowed field, and continues where the field meets the woods, eventually heading southeast onto the old subdivision roadbed. The elevation drops from about 700 feet (Fox Hill Road) to about 400 feet (Cold Spring Road).

 

Successional species such as poplar dominate this area, along with numerous invasive plants. 

 

Several large stone rows run through the property, evidence of previous farming. One spur of trail includes a set of stone steps that lead down to the Cold Brook. Here, a bench made of local ash provides a serene spot to observe the stream. 

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Another segment of the trail loops past a large deer exclosure where TLT is encouraging native plants to regenerate. This spur also runs directly through a surprising and lovely custom-built art installation of 16 totem-like structures made of local rock and cedar trunks. The artists, Jeff Mase and David Horowitz, named it “The Henge”, as it was inspired by the famous Stonehenge to honor the passage of time. 

 

Future plans for the property include using a grant from The Natural Resources Conservation Service for such work as removing invasive plant species and planting native species within the existing deer exclosure fence.

 

Deer hunting for the entire Whitman-Sullivan preserve is active during the regular hunting season. Note: Hikers should always wear safe colors during the season.