White Trail – Mount Laurel State Park – Mt Laurel, Burlington County, NJ
Distance: Lost the trail a bit, went 0.6 miles.
Type: Loop
Difficulty: 4 of 10.
Terrain – Woods and a big ol’ hill
Trailheads –Trailhead is located in the parking lot of the old Mount Laurel Farmer’s Hall (currently the historical society) at the intersection of Moorestown – Mt Laurel Road and Hainesport- Mt. Laurel Road. It’s located directly behind the handicapped spot.
Markings – White trail markers. These are sometimes not in line with the trail, can be lost at some points, and head off through the woods at random with no sign of an actual trail at other points. Luckily, the park just isn’t that big.
Trail marker.
Description: I used to drive past this park twice a week while working in Moorestown. I always admired the meeting house and the old grange hall, but ignored Mount Laurel from which the township gets it’s name. It’s not labeled, and if not for the state park signs on the trees, I would assume it’s green acres land. Because the temperature went down 2 degrees on Saturday (from a high of 306 degrees earlier in the week), I decided to check it out on my way home from a princess birthday party (seriously).
See?
The park is tiny. It has no ranger station, no facilities, not even a sign board or a map, online or off. It’s not listed on the New Jersey state parks website. There is no website that mentions it really at all. Alas, you can still be its friend on facebook.
The trail starts in the parking lot. It heads left into the woods, paralleling the road. It’s a nice little patch of woods, but you can see the road and other houses all through the stretch. The trail then cuts back on itself and heads through more flat. It then takes a sharp left and heads up the “mountain” at an angle. It’s a healthy climb, especially when it’s 94 degrees.
There isn’t much a view at the top of this hill, but you will find a super tall radio tower. The trail kinda goes around it, I think. I’m not sure, I lost it again. The tower is cool though.
Top of the mountain. Thanks US Geologic Survey.
Radio tower!
Looking down from the top.
The trail goes downhill again where, you guessed it, I lost it. I then kinda found it. Then it went downhill where there didn’t appear to be any trail, so I walked ten feet further to the service road for the radio tower. The heads the rest of the way downhill to the parking lot.
Near the bottom of the service road, an unblazed trail splits off and follows the road past the Evesham Friends Meeting House. I followed this trail for a bit, but then turned back, as I had started this hot day with three swallows of hot car water. There is a little more of the park on the other side, I’ll have to stop next time I’m driving past and check out the other side.
Anchor partway down the hill.
Nearby – Don’t miss in the area: the Farmer’s Hall dates from the 1860s and served for a long time as the town hall. Across the street is the Evesham Friend’s Meeting House. It dates from 1760 and once housed General Clinton’s redcoats during the Revolutionary War.
Farmer’s Hall (park behind it).
Evesham Friends Meeting House.
One big ol' hill
Trails don't really go anywhere.
Thanks! I was going to drive about 20 miles to it today, however, I have just changed my mind and will find another place. Thanks again.
Lots of memories growing up down the road …sledding, hiking etc.
I’m going to have to verify but I’ve been told by a few people that the first settlers to mt. Laurel set up in a cave on top of this mt. Anyone else know of this?
We used to see a place we thought was a cave the Indians lived in. I’ll have to see what I can find out about that.
I grew up in Mt. Laurel. In fact, right across the street from the Town Hall. My parents home is still there, my Mom, who is 93, still lives there.
Growing up, the Town Hall was the Police Station, & jail. That was in the late 1950’s. We used to play on the hill all time. When it snowed, it was the best place to go sledding, it was packed. You could sled from the very top of the hill, all the way down & into the street!!! Those were the days!
Thank you everyone for sharing your stories the last few days! I’m facinated with the talk of a cave!
New to Mt Laurel. Tried Rancoccas St. Prk.. Wonderful hike after you battle the monster pot holes on approach. On our way to Mt. Laurel St. Park.Today.
Hi Mike (again)…also did this one yesterday (Sunday). Hard to find this one…I remember driving down Hainesport-Mt. Laurel Road some years back, and actually seeing a sign for Mount Laurel State Park, but I only noticed the Farmers’ Hall, but I caught the trails there, and saw a couple “State Park Boundary” signs, so that definitely tipped me off just a little! Interesting radio tower there, and it appears that, while I saw some white blazes, I also saw many newer-looking yellow blazes, on both sides of the hill (I guess Mount Laurel itself.) Although, “yellow” seemed to cover any trail in the park, so I just sort of followed them all. Great climbing though…sort of brings back memories of the Conestoga, Mason-Dixon and Horseshoe Trails in PA. (Maybe mostly like the Horseshoe, as that one is also blazed in yellow.)
All-in-all, not a bad little place!
Jim
It’s pretty steep for South Jersey! There’s a lot of history there too, especially kids sledding over the decades.
It’s green and wooded.
No signs telling you that you are at the park. Other than the Farmers Market there is no place to park. Pretty sad that they call this a state park. It is more of a fenced in wooded area that seems neglected.
State park? Really?
It has to be the most bizarre little state park. It’s not even listed on the list of parks, but there are state signs and everything.
I have a newspaper article from 1936 that says that there were several ski runs in the park. Does anyone have any info or photos?
Hi Liz! We don’t, but it would be awesome to see some if you manage to turn any up! It’s such a strange little place.