Discover Somerset: Nature, Gardens and History

Somerset combines garden culture, expansive natural landscapes and sites associated with American history. This allows you to shape your trip in many different ways: with carefully maintained plant collections, paved trails, wetland observations or historic houses and museums. Regional farmers' markets featuring local produce, meat, cheese, handicrafts and wine are also part of the character of Somerset County.

Nature experiences among gardens, river trails and wetlands

Colonial Park Gardens feature a formal rose garden, a perennial garden, a sensory garden and other horticultural collections within a nationally accredited arboretum. Anyone wishing to combine their stay with exercise will also find a 1.4-mile fitness course on a paved trail in Colonial Park. The course is used by walkers, joggers and cyclists.

A different landscape characterizes the Environmental Education Center in Lord Stirling Park. It covers 500 acres in the western part of the Great Swamp, a landscape of swamps, rivers, marshland, meadows, ponds and forests. There are about 9 miles of hiking trails, programs led by naturalists and natural history exhibits. The trail selection is worth noting when planning: the park has multi-use trails designated for hikers and horseback riders, while the Environmental Education Center also has trails exclusively designated for pedestrians.

Duke Farms in Hillsborough is a 2,700-acre nature preserve. The nature experiences mentioned there include birdwatching, outdoor courses and keeping a field journal. The visit begins at the Orientation Center in the historic Farm Barn. In Duke Island Park, bike trails and wooded riverside paths add to the options for hikers, walkers and birdwatchers. The Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to more than 60 breeding bird species. Sourland Mountain Preserve represents passive recreational opportunities in an undisturbed natural landscape and provides habitat for migratory and breeding birds.

History as a distinct focus of the trip

Somerset County is also suitable for a trip centered on historic sites. The Van Horne House was an important setting for the Battle of Bound Brook in April 1777 during the American Revolutionary War. In 1778–1779, it served as the headquarters of General William Alexander, Lord Stirling. During the same period, the Jacobus Vanderveer House was the headquarters of General Henry Knox during the Middlebrook Cantonment. It is also the only surviving building associated with the Vanderveer family and the Pluckemin Cantonment, which is described as America's first military academy.

Somerset County Historic Courthouse Green contains a marble courthouse dating from 1909 and the Lord Memorial Fountain from 1910. The complex also includes a former Dutch Reformed church from 1897, which now serves as a space for jury assembly. Revolutionary War Middlebrook Cantonment-Maryland Encampment is known as the place where the United States flag was officially unfurled for the first time. Van Doren Farmstead recalls the early Dutch settlement of Somerset County and includes a collection of agricultural buildings.

Further historical and cultural aspects are represented by the former Lord Stirling estate, with its elaborately designed courtyard, stables, orchards, vineyards, a terraced garden and a stately Palladian-style mansion. Wallace House served as General George Washington's winter headquarters during the Middlebrook Cantonment in 1778–1779. Pluckemin School House is home to the Center of Contemporary Art, which organizes art classes, workshops and art exhibitions. Van Veghten House contains a Revolutionary War Museum.

Choosing the right accommodation

If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Somerset, first consider which focus should define your trip. For interests in gardens and nature, Colonial Park Gardens, the Great Swamp, Duke Farms and the other nature areas are important points of reference. Those wishing to explore historical connections in greater depth can make the houses, courthouse sites and museums the focus of their trip. The region's location supports a variety of travel plans: Somerset County is about an hour from Philadelphia and New York City.

Further points of reference for the local area include Liberty Corner, Basking Ridge, Hillsborough, Warren, Bridgewater, North Plainfield, Somerville, South Bound Brook, Bernardsville, Franklin Township, Branchburg Township, Montgomery Township, Green Brook Township, Manville and Raritan.

For the broader travel overview: New Jersey.