Happy Trails, Cherry Hill
Mayor’s Message: Chuck Cahn
In Cherry Hill, we are blessed with an extensive trail system that provides our residents with ample opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. The Township has trails positioned in various Open Space locations throughout our community that you can easily find information about by visiting the Township website at http://www.cherryhill-nj.com/index.aspx?nid=399. There you will find the trail heads identifying the start of the route and details about the distance, walkability and features found at each trail location.
Serving as a source of pride to many of our community members, the trails are intended to help users enjoy a unique chance to experience nature’s sights, sounds, touch and smells. They are designed and cared for in an environmentally sound way, making a minimum impact on the wildlife habitat while enabling people to connect with nature. The Cherry Hill Trails offer residents a great chance to become physically active and support the Mayor’s Wellness campaign because whether you walk, run, or ride your bike, trails give you the opportunity to get your heart pumping, lungs expanding, and muscles working at various levels of difficulty, thereby improving your physical and mental well-being.
Cherry Hill has received national attention for two of the ten trails we have located throughout the community. The trails at both Barclay Farmstead and Croft Farms have been formally designated by the Secretary of the US Department of Interior as “National Recreation Trails,” an honor given to exemplary trails of local and regional significance and recognized as part of America’s national system of trails.
The vast majority of our trail maintenance and development is provided through grant funding and sustained with a great deal of volunteer support, eliminating any burden on taxpayers. The Cherry Hill Environmental Board works with the Recreation and Public Works Departments, as well as the Camden County Branch of the New Jersey Youth Corps, Boy & Girl Scouts, religious organizations and community volunteers to help improve and maintain trails. Over thirty volunteers participated in the National Trails Day at Bortons Mill Trails, installing trail signs and removing invasive plant species.
In an effort to help residents get information and better navigate the terrain, Kiosks have been installed at the Bunker Hill and Kresson Trail enabling trail users to have a map of the trails with nature, safety and contact information included. The kiosks were installed as part of projects for Boy Scouts to earn the rank of Eagle Scout and the ultimate goal is to have a kiosk located at every trail. The Croft Farms, Barclay Farmstead and Bortons Mill Trails include a nature trail with guides available at the beginning and end of the route, and at the website.
Along with special cleanups and support from local organizations, a subset of the Cherry Hill Township Environmental Board (CHEB) is the Cherry Hill Trail Crew which is comprised of volunteers who promote conservation and perform trail improvement and maintenance on all of the Township’s trails. They hold regular Trail Crew work sessions on the second Saturday of each month from 8:00 am — 12:00 noon at a designated trail with additional sessions scheduled on an as-needed basis. If you would like to join them, you contact the Trail Crew via email at chtrailcrew@gmail.com.
I encourage everyone to visit Cherry Hill’s trails and experience all of the beauty that nature has to offer.
