Gabriel Daveis Tavern Nature Trails – Glendora, NJ

Gabriel Daveis Tavern Nature Trails – Glendora, Camden County, NJ
Distance – about 1 mile total
Type – several dead end out and backs
Difficulty: 3 of 10 – one half is pristine, the other is a little confusing

Website – Gloucester Township Historic and Scenic Preservation Committee Facebook
Open – Sunrise to Sunset.

Terrain – woods and meadows along the creeks
Surface – dirt, gravel, grass, mud, wood… depending on which part

Trailheads – N 39° 50.257 W 075° 03.619 (steps), but I’d totally check out the house first

Directions – 500 3rd Ave, Glendora, NJ 08029

Parking – Small lot

Dog friendly? Unsure
Stroller friendly? No
Benches? A few, but not many
Facilities?: None

Markings – arrows

Map – No map, but GPS track

Description –

The Gabriel Daveis Tavern is a South Jersey treasure, even if it’s name desperately wants to break my spell check. We’ve been here for Christmas events. We’ve been here for the annual South Jersey History Fair. We’ve been here for a house tour. We’ve walked… the… nature… trails… HOW HAVE WE NEVER POSTED THIS!?!?!?!?

So on a warm-ish March day, having conquered a nearby trail and still have 45 minutes until we needed to be back at the house, we decided to come do this one with a GPS track and photos and such!

Before hiking, check out the house. Even better if it’s an open house day and you can see inside. But even if it isn’t open when you are there, this 1756 building is amazing to see.

Now, to the hiking trails. There are two short trails. We opted to start with the one down the stairs directly from the parking lot. Once down, I got myself confused… nothing looked familiar.

Down, down, down the steps to the sitting area.

At the bottom, a trail marker on a post points you down the nature trail on a nice, wide clear path.

I then saw a trail with some spray blazes heading left, so I tried it! This path was narrow, a bit overgrown in spots, did not have a clear view of the water, and dead ended in a sticker patch. I was VERY confused by this point (this is not a big accomplishment, with six small children, I am often confused).

I backtracked and took the clearer path, which made a small loop. I kept wondering when it would connect with the wide trail I’d done when I was here before. Well, I finally figured out that it wouldn’t… I’d never hiked this little trail!

We looped back to where the benches were and climbed the hill past a small memorial. We walked behind the house, before spotting a familiar set of steps behind the tavern. Here was the trail I remember, a path down to the landing from when the house was build and the “highway” was the creek, not any road.

Heeeeey, this I remember (although from a previous visit, we haven’t seen this on this hike until now).

Here was the shorter, but very wide and clear trail, that headed down to Timber Creek and Otter Brook (may have to take that Brook to court though, haven’t seen an otter here yet on my visits). The trail drops with a nice view back of the tavern, then crosses a serious looking bridge.

You soon arrive at a split, and we chose right to get to a view of Timber Creek, with some old abutments to admire (although the view is nicer when its free of construction equipment).