Sourland Mountain Preserve Expands By 55 Acres In Hunterdon, Somerset Counties

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Fifty-five new acres have been added to the Rainbow Hill at Sourland Mountain Preserve, located in Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, bringing the preserve's total protected land to 1,205 acres.

The two properties, totaling 55 acres, were added to the preserve at the end of 2025 and include open fields and woodlands along Wertsville Road in East Amwell Township, Hunterdon County.

New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJ Conservation) led a partnership of public and private agencies in the preservation of these lands. The New Jersey Green Acres Program, Somerset County, Hunterdon County, the State Office of Natural Resource Restoration, Hillsborough Township, East Amwell Township, and other organizations contributed to the effort.

"It’s a great privilege to continue this decades-long team effort to permanently protect land in the beautiful Sourland Mountains," Alison Mitchell, executive director of NJ Conservation, stated.

NJ Conservation manages the preserve, which is co-owned by NJ Conservation and the Somerset County Park Commission.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey (CHANJ) project designates these properties as "core areas." Hunterdon County and the New Jersey Green Acres Program funded the acquisition of these properties.

"Protecting these core habitat areas strengthens regional wildlife corridors, safeguards critical water resources, and helps preserve the rural character that defines Hunterdon County," Hunterdon County Commissioner Director John Lanza stated.

The preserve features a nearly 12-mile system of blazed trails, woodlands, farm fields, an 8-acre lake, and tributaries of the Neshanic River. It is home to 24 rare animal and plant species, including the barred owl, box turtle, and long-spurred violet.

NJ Conservation has also undertaken restoration projects, such as planting 450 native trees and shrubs to improve the riparian buffer along a Neshanic River tributary. This planting, completed in partnership with Raritan Headwaters Association and Sourland Conservancy in 2025, involved more than 30 volunteers and a donation from Doug and Frances Schilke.