Officials open new Oxford Mountain Natural Resource Area park and trail system in Warren County
OXFORD TOWNSHIP, NJ (Warren County) – Warren County Commissioner James R. Kern III joined the Department of Land Preservation, the Warren County Parks Foundation, and interested members of the public for the grand opening of the new Oxford Mountain Natural Resource Area park and trail system on Saturday as National Trails Day was celebrated.
Warren County began acquiring land for the preserve in 1997, and is still adding to it. With the addition of 9.5 acres last month, the preserve now totals 579 acres, and two miles of new trails were added recently.
“I’d like to thank the County Commissioners for their role in today,” said Corey Tierney, county Director of Land Preservation.
“The Commissioners have been so supportive of expanding and improving the parks, ensuring that these natural locations we have in Warren County don’t disappear and can continue to be enjoyed,” Tierney said.
Tierney also thanked his dedicated staff as well as the Warren County Parks Foundation and New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg volunteers for their hard work opening the natural resource area for public use.
The Warren County Parks Foundation is a nonprofit organization that aims to connect residents, visitors, and stakeholders with Warren County’s natural and historic resources. Foundation members work to protect, enhance, and encourage the enjoyment of Warren County’s parks through volunteerism, fundraising, conservation, and education. The New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg is Warren County’s only full-time service and conservation corps, which helps to maintain parkland across the county and provides hundreds of youths the opportunity to earn their GED while providing a valuable community service. These two groups continue to show the value and joy that comes from volunteering.
“I want to start by thanking the volunteers for all they did to make this a reality,” Commissioner Kern said. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of so many volunteers. Our Parks Foundation does a wonderful job and Corey and the rest of his team in the Land Preservation department are such a hard-working group, I’m always excited to see what they do.”
After the ribbon cutting, Warren County naturalist Jennifer Correa-Kruegel led a group of hikers up Oxford Mountain on the new trial system.
Once a site for miners to extract iron and other ore and resources from the ground, the Oxford Mountain Natural Resource Area is a location full of historic intrigue and natural beauty.
The Warren County Board of County Commissioners encourages everyone who seeks to enjoy the natural landscape that makes Warren County so special to visit the new park, located on Academy Street in Oxford, directly across from the Oxford Rescue Squad building.
