In Bernardsville, nature experiences and historic sites offer different ways to shape your stay. The Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary provides a direct introduction to the area's landscape, while the Olcott Historic District and trails exploring the history of the New Jersey Brigade offer other points of interest. When looking for a hotel, you can first consider whether you would primarily like to explore nature and wildlife or historic sites.
Nature at the Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary
The Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary encompasses 298 acres of forest, field, and floodplain habitats. More than 200 wildlife species occur there over the course of the year. The various habitats define the preserve's landscape, which includes open fields as well as forested areas and floodplains.
Marked and well-maintained trails range from 0.3 to 1.3 miles long. They pass through upland deciduous forest, fields and wooded areas, and floodplain landscapes along the headwaters of the Passaic River. The trail lengths and the landscapes they traverse provide two concrete points of reference when planning a visit.
The Hoffman Center for Conservation and Environmental Education is located within the sanctuary. The center includes an environmental education center, a canopy-level observation platform, a Nature Store, the Wayrick Art Gallery, and exhibits. This named offering thus includes environmental education and art, as well as trails and habitats.
Historic Sites and Trails
The Olcott Historic District was established in 2009 and includes 56 contributing buildings. The Olcott Historic District Walking Tour is about 1.6 miles long. For a different historical focus, a hike from the New Jersey Brigade Encampment Area/Cross Estate Gardens area leads to the New Jersey Brigade encampment site; the National Park Service description gives the distance as about one mile.
The NPS description, last updated on January 18, 2017, classifies the trail to the encampment site as not ADA accessible. If this limitation is important to your plans, check the current conditions before your visit. The two historic trails also differ in their stated lengths: about one mile to the New Jersey Brigade encampment site, compared with about 1.6 miles for the Olcott Walking Tour.
The Old Army Trail connects Bernardsville with Morristown National Historical Park, including the New Jersey Brigade Area, Cross Estate Gardens, and Jockey Hollow, as well as with Morris County Patriot’s Path. The NPS hiking map lists Hardscrabble Road for driving to the Cross Estate and New Jersey Brigade parking lot. Since this map was last updated on November 25, 2022, check the access information before setting out.
When choosing a hotel in Bernardsville, it may be helpful to decide on your focus in advance: the sanctuary brings together trails, habitats, and the Hoffman Center; the Olcott Historic District and trails to the New Jersey Brigade offer historical points of interest.
Discover more destinations: Somerville, Green Brook Township, Franklin Township, Hillsborough, Basking Ridge, Warren, Raritan, Liberty Corner.
For the broader travel overview: Somerset.
