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Washington Crossing (New Jersey Side)➤

Washington Crossing State Park marks the site of the famous crossing of the Delaware during the Revolutionary War. On the night of December 25, 1776, General Washington and his troops embarked on a daring and pivotal mission to launch a surprise attack on the Hessian forces stationed in Trenton, New Jersey. The successful crossing and subsequent Battle of Trenton provided a much-needed morale boost for the American forces during a challenging time in the war.

Washington Crossing State Park covers 3,575 acres in New Jersey. It sits along the Delaware River, just north of Trenton. The park lies in the Washington Crossing and Titusville sections of Hopewell Township, Mercer County. The New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry runs the site. A local friends group, the Washington Crossing Park Association, helps support it. They work to preserve, improve, and promote the park.

Washington Crossing State Park and its Pennsylvania counterpart form the Washington’s Crossing National Historic Landmark. It earned this title in 1961 and joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

Winter Visit➤

The park includes 140 acres of forest and fields. The Nature Center features exhibits and programs for kids, families, and school groups. In warmer months, concerts and plays take place at the Open Air Theatre, where wooden benches provide seating. I visited this park with Take A Hike NJ in the winter after a recent snowfall.

Our group met in the nature center lot. We made our way through the park via snow covered trails. We visited the Johnson Ferry House and, down by the river, saw a replica of one of the ferries used to transport Washington near the Nelson House. Next we crossed the bridge over the Delaware to Pennsylvania’s Washington Crossing Historic Site and explored some more.

We found the snowy trails difficult to walk so we mostly kept to the roads and sidewalks. We could have used snowshoes. It was sobering to think that General Washington and his troops made this trip without decent footwear or a convenient bridge to ford the river.

Washington Crossing Posts➤

• Johnson Ferry House
• Washington Crossing State Park
• Nelson House
• Washington Crossing Historic Site

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Location: 355 Washington Crossing Pennington Rd, Titusville, NJ 08560
Designation: State Park, National Landmark
Date designated/established: 1912
Date of my visit: February 20, 2021