As school-age children know, on December 25, 1776—when morale was low and the Continental Army was badly in need of a boost—George Washington led his troops across the Delaware River on a successful surprise attack on Hessian soldiers who had been hired by Great Britain to help quash the revolt in its colonies. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, Washington Crossing State Park is a 3,100-acre destination popular for hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and picnicking.

The Visitor Center Museum, where you can find a map of the park, is a good place to begin your visit. After you leave the visitor center, head southwest down the shady paved path toward the Delaware River. You can pick up either Red Trail or Green Trail off this path, or follow the Pedestrian Overpass across Daniel Bray Highway and cross the Delaware on the loop trail bridge to visit Washington Crossing Historic Park on the Pennsylvania side. Fishing is also allowed in the Delaware River, so bring your pole if you’d like to catch bass, shad, catfish, panfish, and trout (New Jersey fishing license required).

Another option is to begin your visit at the Nature Center and Amateur Astronomers of Princeton Observatory toward the northern edge of the park. In addition to 13 miles of hiking trails, this area contains biking trails (5 miles) and horseback riding trails (2 miles), as well as a camping area. The hiking trails are popular during winter for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Remember: The Nature Center offers a year-round program of nature education events. For further information, call the number listed above.

The park is connected to the Delaware and Raritan Canal (Trip 98).

Numerous shops and restaurants are in nearby Lambertville.