Lawrence Hopewell Trail

New Jersey

11 Reviews

The Lawrence Hopewell Trail (LHT) offers more than 19 miles of pathway on a developing loop through public and private land in Lawrence and Hopewell Townships, about 5 miles north of Trenton. The route links business districts, parks, schools, historical villages, and playing fields, and it provides views of farmland and woodlands. Though the trail’s surface is largely porous pavement (which offers better stormwater control than traditional pavement), there are some crushed-stone sections, such as through Carson Road Woods, Maidenhead Meadows Park, and Mercer Meadows.

About the Route

The LHT is broken into 16 named segments, each with its own unique historical and natural features and trail characteristics. The first one, called the Mount Rose Distillery Segment—a 1.1-mile excursion through the wooded Mount Rose Preserve—begins at the north end of the trail in Hopewell.

Moving clockwise around the loop from there, trail users can pick up the trail again in Lawrence on the Educational Testing Service campus. After looping around the property, the trial continues another 4 miles south to the end of this section at Princeton Pike. Along the way, the route traverses Carson Road Woods, which includes numerous walking paths throughout the pristine preserve, and passes the campus of another major employer, Bristol-Myers Squibb. Approaching the end of this section, use caution as the route heads through Maidenhead Meadows Park; the trail here can be challenging to navigate with a road bike or hybrid.

A gap of less than a mile separates this section from the next. Pick up the trail farther down Princeton Pike at Meadow Road. What follows next is the longest continuous section of the trail.

Staying on the LHT, the trail pops out of the trees into a business park environment. Soon, the trail is on a northwest course winding through the Lawrenceville School campus, with its redbrick buildings, and Village Park, a popular spot with numerous athletic facilities and playgrounds. A highlight of the route is a passage through Mercer Meadows, a sprawling 1,600-acre park with native grasses and wildflowers, lush woodlands, and two lakes, where one might spot deer, rabbits, and other wildlife. The Lawrence Hopewell Trail passes through this section on a boardwalk trail. A unique attraction in the park is the Pole Farm, a historical relic of a telecommunications company once located here. Mercer Meadows also offers equestrian riding opportunities, including on portions of the LHT.

Approaching the trail’s western end, the trail loops back and reenters Hopewell, passing through the nature reserve of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, and reaches the end of the trail just 0.4 miles from the eastern end of the trailGreen.

Connections

At Dyson Tract Rd, trail users can connect to the Delaware and Raritan Canal Trail.

Parking and Trail Access

The Lawrence Hopewell Trail runs between 351-377 Carter Rd. (Hopewell) and Chauncey Hotel and Conference Center, 1 Chauncey Rd. (Princeton), with parking available on both ends.

Parking is also available at:

100 Maidenhead Lane (Village Park)
Mercer Meadows, 111-167 Cold Soil Rd. (Lawrence Township)

Please see TrailLink Map for all parking options and detailed directions.

good ride…map old

June 2025 sdigerol

They connected the two major pieces with an elevated bridge through the meadow park

Enjoyable ride with varied scenery

August 2023 mick22

Parked in the Lawrenceville Fuel parking lot on Gordon Ave, crossed Gordon Ave to James Street, then headed Southwest - following the zigs and zags and ultimately heading North to Moore's Mill - Mt. Rose Road.

This is one of the more scenic trails I've been on in New Jersey - you will go thru parks, wooded areas, and past farmland. Trail markings are pretty good for the most part, though there are a few places that could use better signage...having a map or trail app with you can't hurt if it's your first time.

It's more hilly than your basic canal or rail trail, but nothing too hairy. There are a lot of unshaded areas, so sunblock is a good thing to take along. All in all, it's an enjoyable ride with varied scenery.

Lawrenceville school closed the route

August 2022 rajeev_tl

This route is easy and mostly flat. However, due serveral avenues and routes closed, I had to get back to Princeton Pike via the main road and to the parking. I anticipate the construction will go through this year.

The short distance I did following the trail route is beautiful (in the evening) with folks walking, playing and having picnics while the deer graze about few hundred feet from them.

avoid Laurence prep school as construction has closed trail in that area

July 2022 keith_dyke

Really nice ride when you can get to the trail, lots of secondary route options and rest areas (bring picnic) Gravel sections not too deep but some care is needed 2 on a scale 1-10 for gravel difficulty. Will definitely repeat visit

Lawrence Hopewell Trail Reviews

Submit Review

Accordion

Good Ride in Mercer County

August 2020 c.landara2

I did this trail yesterday morning. Of the trails I’ve done this summer, this one has the most variety of surface types by far. You can manage it on a road bike but a hybrid would be a better choice. Asphalt, concrete, crushed stone, gravel and dirt. This trail has it all. A scenic ride that loops through farmland, The Lawrenceville School and a couple office complexes. A few places to stop for a snack and drink in downtown Lawrence. ¿¿

very enjoyable

July 2020 lancealot03_tl

Great trail with plenty of views. Ponds woods and fields.

Nice combination of trails

January 2019 slipsoup

The LHT is many trails in one. We rode from the parking area (98 Carson Rd. in Princeton) to Bristol Meyers Squibb in Hopewell. To create a loop, we took Elm Ridge Rd. to Carter Rd. and back to the trail at the Educational Testing Service, then back to the car. If you map to this parking area, your GPS takes you to the right location. (I've mapped many trail parking areas that aren't where they say they are. ) It's obvious that the community has put a lot into the development of this trail. I would give it a B+ for signage. There were only 2 or 3 spots where it wasn't quite clear. One major one is if you ride through Maidenhead Meadows Park, there's a point in the woods where you come to a T-intersection. There's no marking to indicate you go to the right. When you reach the road (Princeton Pike), take a left to ride along the road. There is a decent shoulder, which makes for safe road riding. Within about a half-mile, you'll see the Brearley House sign at Meadow Rd. This is a short, worthwhile side trip to see the 1761 home of a Constitution signer. This is where the D&R Canal trail is located. It's also a nice area for a short rest and snack. This trail has a mixture of settings - historical, woods, roads, neighborhoods (beautiful homes), and parks. Any type of bike can be ridden on most of this trail. The wooded areas had a lot of downed branches and leaves that might make them a little tricky with a road bike. Princeton is a great town for its architecture, shops, and restaurants.

Lewisville Rd to Wargo Rd

September 2015 e.kuriskin_tl

The section of the trail from Lewisville Rd to the end of Wargo Rd is a great ride through varying landscapes. However the trails could be marked better. I would not recommend going beyond Wargo Rd at this time because the need to ride on roads that have little or no shoulder (especially Carter Rd).

Brearley House to Rosedale Lake

May 2014 back2bikes

Parked at the Brearley House and did the LHT to Rosedale Lake. Surface was pavement and cinder with a few gravelly spots to repair washouts. Two crossings of busy roads, but these were at crosswalks with traffic lights. Short lengths on quiet roads, but most of the trail was through parks. Trail signage was good. Lots of side trips available. All in all a great ride.

Princeton to Mercer Meadows

December 2013 pecos

Much of the LHT has been completed since the last review. A superb paved path (Oct 2013) from Princeton Pike to the Lawrenceville School is the final step in connecting the Delaware & Raritan (D&R) canal path to Mercer Meadows (MM).

As can be seen on this map

http://lhtrail.org/LHTrailMap.pdf

some trails in MM are part of the LHT. MM is a great place to explore. New wooden bridges traverse boggy areas; there are observation towers, bird blinds, toilets, water, and historic monuments. Thank you Mercer Co Parks Dept!

My ride starts at Princeton Turning Basin Park on Alexander Road. I go south on the D&R path until the LHT connector (BH on map) and make my way north through Village Park to MM. Allow about an hour to MM, an hour (or more) exploring MM and an hour back. Mountain bike or hybrid with knobby tires recommended.

Incompleted trail but nice ride

July 2012 pk9394

We roll this trail on 7/1/2012. Find this trail here and it looks and sound interesting. so I start look for more information because is not much here. With google search I found their official website http://lhtrail.org/ this site have tons of information about this trail.

The total of this trail is listed 20+ miles, however, some of the trail is not competed at this time. We also have hard time to follow the trail path, some trail path signage is very good and some are unclear. Some of the trails are going through residents area, they looks like townhouse parking lots and some large corporation parking lot as well. We also got loss when we are at section 9 or 10 inside Rosedale Park. This section of trail is covered with mud and tall grass. The trail had split and the sign is unclear, we pick the wrong trail and ends up to nowhere. We only did about 12 miles and we have to head back because of the heat wave.

Overall this trail is nice and flat but need some more work to get it complete. Too bad my GPS have indicated many useless path with this trail because we got loss many times. Otherwise I will upload the GPS trail here.