Cove Trail – Palmyra Cove Nature Park – Palmyra, NJ

Cove Trail – Palmyra Cove Nature Park – Palmyra, NJ
Type: Out and back.
Hours: Nature Center hours are 9 AM – 4 PM during the week, 10 AM – 4 PM on weekends. The park hours themselves are not posted, probably dawn to dusk.

Distance: 1.8 miles out and back (0.9 miles one way, but no pick up at the other end)
Difficulty: 3 of 10.
Total score: 7 of 10.

Terrain – Flat, but underfoot can be muddy and tangled.

Trailhead – Park at the Palmyra Nature Center – 40* 00′ 30.86″ N, 75* 02′ 29.10 W

Markings – Yellow trail markings, usually on metal posts. Well marked, as are side trails. Only weird part is toward the middle of the hike. The water closes in on both sides and you start walking through brush on both sides. This is a part of the hike, you’ll pop out at the bridge across the mouth of the cove very soon!

The end of the trail is not well marked. When the trail is hard to follow and you see a couple of “No Tresspassing” signs, you can turn around.

Description: This is a great way to spend an hour or so. The trail starts next to the Palmyra Nature Center. Duck in for a few minutes to grab a map and check out the exhibits. After that, check out the views from the Talcony-Palmyra Bridge from right behind the center (the hike starts almost at the bass of the bridge). Then it’s time to hit the trail.

The trail parallels the Delaware River, so it’s really hard to get lost on. Its starts out as a really wide strip of grass. Don’t worry, it’ll get more interesting. You’ll soon get closer to the river, check out the views as you go along. Some trails will split off to the left, I’d save them for the way back if you have time.

Eventually, the Palmyra Cove will appear on your left. The trail will follow a gradually diminishing spit of land between the two until you run out of land. There are nice views on either side – the cove covered in birds on the left and the river on the right. The trail then gets to just a few feet across. Just when you think that you can’t go any further, you reach the bridge that carries you across the mouth of the cove.

The trail the curves to the left and follows the land between the cove and Pennsauken Creek. The trail here follows boardwalks until the trail ends at private property. At this point, time to turn around.