Lord Stirling Park
Lord Stirling Park covers 950 acres east of Basking Ridge and adjacent to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The park is named after a revolutionary patriot named Lord Stirling (though his title was never recognized by Parliament), and whose estate on this site was one of the grandest in revolutionary times. The trails here are flat and walkable, with boardwalks over wet areas, meandering under tree cover almost the entire way. There are multiple color-coded trails that intersect with each other in various places, which can be disorienting, but maps are placed at each intersection to show you the way. There are many different routes to take at Lord Stirling Park. It is never boring.
Our favorite walk is the red trail to the green trail on the way to Boondocks Boardwalk, which is the farthest point in the park from the parking lot, maybe three miles round trip. On the map below, portions of the red trail are highlighted in yellow, turning red to orange and black to gray.
The green-trail loop to Boondocks Boardwalk leads to a lookout point over La Plus Grande Swamp, a gorgeous spot in any season, with a variety of vegetation and no sign of civilization except for the boardwalk itself. A rich natural area.
On the way to the Boondocks, taking a slight detour to the Dance Floor will land you at the Passaic River headwaters. Coursing through woods and suburbs for some 30 miles, the creek swells, tumbling over cliffs with a mighty roar into Patterson, to create its picturesque urban falls.
There is also a nice pond to circumnavigate near the parking lot if you want to take a shorter walk.
the stirling hotel
A few miles away from Lord Stirling Park is the aptly named Stirling Hotel, situated in Stirling, New Jersey. In spite of the name, the Stirling Hotel is a restaurant, not a hotel, and offers a variety of good cuisine along with craft beers and cocktails. The building looks like a touristy recreation of an Old West saloon, except that it was built in 1903. In other words, its appearance is authentic. Steaks and burgers are specialties, but there is much in the menu to choose from. There is also a large outdoor area in back with seating.
