Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain is a 7 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Titusville, New Jersey that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
HUNTING SEASON CLOSURE: This area is subject to seasonal closure for hunting. Some trails are closed for hiking Wed-Sat during winter for firearm hunting. For more information, please see https://www.fohvos.info/fohvos-hiking-trails/ted-stiles/ The Ted Stiles Preserve stretches across almost 1,800 acres of a ridge running roughly east-west, between Fiddlers Creek Road to the south and Pleasant Valley Road to the north. Baldpate Mountain offers some of the most extensive and rugged walking in Mercer County. Some old logging roads and some specially built trails lace the southern and northern flanks of the ridge, and a 2-mile trail runs along its spine. There are great views of the Delaware River to the south, historic farmland to the north, and on clear days the Philadelphia skyline to the southwest. Ruins of a 19th century settlement and scattered farms can be found on or near some of the Baldpate trails. Most trails involve climbing or descending. Some sections of trail may be wet and muddy. Some trails include steep stone steps, which require a moderate degree of caution. None of the trails are paved.
There are five entrance points to the preservetwo from Fiddlers Creek Road, two from Pleasant Valley Road, and one from Church Road. The first one on Fiddlers Creek Road is one of the best and in the parking lot is a kiosk showing the other lot and all of the trails. THe lot on Pleasant Valley Road is large enough for horse trailers if you are riding instead of hiking or biking.
Follow route 29 north along the New Jersey side of the Delaware River until you come to Washington's Crossing State Park. Proceed through the traffic light for about another 2 miles. The turn is on your right, go another .3 miles and look for a turn on the left. Do not take the turn onto the paved road with the toll arms, but instead go a little further around the bend to a left turn onto a gravel / dirt road.
Rocky and steep at times, wet and muddy other times but that made for a challenging and fun trail!
Super nice trail. Started out going to the right of the trail sign on the blue trail. It’s quite a rocky trek up so I’m glad I didn’t bring my parents who are in their 70s up this route. Got to the house and went left on the ridge trail to the overlook which was amazing but honestly that’s the only view you have on any of these trails. I did a total of 7 miles going from the blue to the white (left) to the red loop and back to the white to the orange loop and then back down the blue trail to the trailhead. Great day, no real crowds to speak of (on a Thursday) and fun. The red trail was super muddy and it hasn’t rained in a while so be aware of that.
Decent spot. Good elevation and fun scrambles. A bit wet on the red trail, which was a bit annoying yet I enjoyed the puzzle-solving aspect. The white trail on the return is fairly boring since it’s mostly an access road. Still, it was a decent walk in the woods.
Great hiking today. Beautiful sky. Cool temps. Muddy trail. Love watching all the folks with their white sneakers not expecting the conditions. Horse parking to copper to white to red to white to copper and car!
This trail is definitely nicer when there are leaves on the trees. A lovely trail although it was very very muddy. Not too crowded by 10am when we arrived but the lot was totally full when we left around 1pm, so get here early
very muddy and deep puddles in some spots but pleasant weather
Great trail and awesome views, but super muddy. Come prepared with proper footwear.
north slopes and flats and most of ridge crunchy-snowy, some ice. south slopes clear, mostly well-drained. Microspikes useful.
beautiful day with the snow. a bit icy in spots. only a couple of bikes.
Most of the trail was wet and some areas were impassable due to the depth and width of the mud. I had to turn around on the back end. Trail is also very narrow in most areas with barely room for someone to pass by you without you stopping and letting them by.