Croft Farm Trails – Cherry Hill, NJ

Croft Farm Trails – Cherry Hill, NJ
Type: Loop trails
Hours: Dawn to Dusk

Distance: Total of 1.6 miles of trails. Have walked there half a dozen times, doing as much as two miles without much crossing back. Can do as short as 0.35 miles (The Croft Farm Nature Trail, which is the nicest section of trails)
Difficulty: 1 of 10.

Terrain – Flat. Woods along Evans Pond.

Trailheads – Multiple trailheads at Croft Farm at Wallworth Park- I started at the White Trail near the old house at 39°53’59.73″N, 75° 1’13.58″W. You can park in the park’s lot, at the arts center lot, or in the large dirt lot for the fields. The trail starts behind the old Croft farmhouse (built in 1753 and added to later).

Markings – Trail colors posted on metal posts. Loops can be confusing, there are a ridiculous amount of colors and no maps posted.

Map – Current map can be found here

UPDATES – Ongoing improvements to existing trails, but no changes in the trail structure.

Description: This trail is great, because its right down the street from my house.  That means I can go hike there very easily pretty much anytime.

That being said, this is still a pretty nice set of trails.  There are reportedly 1.6 miles total of trail (there are likely more), the shortest of which seems to be the Croft Farm Nature Trail (at 0.3 miles) and the longest of which is the Green Trail (0.75 miles).   Because I am so awesome.

Anyway, drive down the very long driveway/road/parking lot that is Borton’s Mill Road.  Pass the fields, the playgrounds, and drive slightly downhill to park in the spaces near Evans Pond.

The White Trail (not on the map) will begin on the hill.  Walk up it and admire the old Croft Farm House.  There are also some beautiful old trees in the yard.

Pat found an old tree.

Croft Farmhouse.

The trail will take you to the right on the house and up to the edge of the woods.  You will turn right and head into the woods, switching to the Croft Farm Nature Trail (brown on the map at the top of the page).  This lovely path curves along the edge of Evan’s Pond, which is split between Cherry Hill and Haddonfield.  There is a bridge over a small stream, opportunities for birdwatching, and lovely views of the lake.

Stream by pond.

Blue heron? in the pond.

Evans Pond.

Evans Pond.

Lovely bridge on the nature trail.

Treetops in winter.

Most of the way around the nature trail, just after it starts leaving the pond, you’ll turn right onto the tan trail, which stays toward the pond.  It winds around a bit in the lowlands, then heads up nearly to the soccer fields.  It will stay just into the woods and meet up with the blue trail.  Make a right onto the blue trail.

At this point, have fun wandering around in the myriad of color trails.  The blue trail is worth taking to the four way intersection (all ways blue – not suprisingly not on the official map).  Go right and complete a loop out behind the old Haddonfield Lumberyard.  You’ll loop back to the same intersection.  You can turn onto the only part of the blue trail you haven’t seen yet.  You can choose to follow this another half mile back to the parking lots, or can turn down any of the side trails and eventually pop out at the soccer fields.

Art by the art center in the park.

blue trail enters the woods near the pizza parlor.

Blue Trail following Brace Road.

Pat climbs a mighty mountain (dirt mound) on the Magenta/Dark Pink trail.

Spooky stretch of trail in the winter.

Typical of trail away from the pond.

Bortons Mill Road.

The paths are all pretty similar territory, meaning nice walks through the woods.  The lone exception is when the blue trail wanders out to Brace Road, which it will follow right next to until it reaches Borton’s Mill Road, which it also then follows.