Rancocas Nature Center and Rancocas State Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Rancocas Nature Center
Rancocas State Park - New Jersey State Parks
The way I understood it when researching this park is that the Rancocas Nature Center (no dogs allowed) is north of Rancocas Creek and Rancocas State Park (dogs allowed) is south of Rancocas Creek.  This is true but where Rancacos Nature Center only has a couple of miles of trails, there are also state park trails on the northern side of Rancocas Creek which allow for a much longer hike.  These trails are not shown on the state park map but were on a map by the bridge, picture below.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.003201, -74.821251

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Parking at Rancocas Nature Center

TRAIL MAPS:
Rancocas Nature Center Trail Map

This map was at the bridge crossing the creek into the part of Rancocas State Park that is north of Rancocas Creek.  The state park trails are to the left of the bridge and the nature center trails are to the right of the bridge.

Rancocas Nature Center, NJ at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE: 3 miles

THE HIKE:
Where we had been heading south to hike, recent snow storms to the south have made the terrain too treacherous for Shawnee (not to mention single digit temps) so we haven't hiked in a couple of weeks.  Today I had to be in Mt. Laurel in the morning so I decided to swing by Rancocas Nature Center for a short no dogs allowed hike before heading home.  Snow had partially melted and refrozen and it made for tough going even with microspikes.  Sometimes I was walking on top of frozen snow, other times crashing through into inches of icy snow or twisting my ankles in frozen footprints if I was not paying attention to where I was stepping.  I'll go back with Shawnee to do the southern part where dogs are allowed.  If the snow and ice ever melt.

Starting on the blue trail (no blazes here) between the kiosk and the barn.  It was very rough going on these ankle-breaking frozen footprints.

A short distance in, a left on red where no man had gone before. Relatively smooth sailing here on top of frozen snow with microspikes.

When there were prints they were only small wildlife prints.

The trail skirts the edge of the conifer plantation.

Conifer Plantation

A left on blue continues through the conifer plantation to ...

... a left on orange.

Again, no footprints on orange and it was a very pretty trail through holly trees.

Rancocas Creek

It was terribly loud walking on frozen snow and ice so birds generally did not hang around when they could hear me coming from a mile away.

It was in the low 20's but it was a beautiful, clear day with the moon still visible in the afternoon.

Orange ends after a stretch along the creek - heading back.

Left on blue but not quite as many frozen footprints here so it was easy to avoid them.

The bridge over a small side creek to the state park trails.  The map above is at the other side of this bridge.

The yellow-blazed trail into the state park.

Animal tracks perfectly following the yellow trail.

Tufted Titmouse

Rancocas Creek from the yellow trail.

Back to the side creek then the bridge.

Instead of crossing the bridge I went a short distance on the brown trail along the side creek until it met up with white.  This would have made another nice loop but was running short on time so had to turn around back to the bridge.

After crossing the bridge, turned left on yellow.  I believe this part is still state park - it is obvious when you are back on the Nature Center part because the blazes on the trees end and you have to follow the numbered posts that have yellow on them.

Yellow ends at the Nature Center back at the parking lot.

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