Hartshorne Woods – Command Loop, Grand Tour, Cuesta Ridge

Hike Distance: 3.59 Miles

Trails: Command Loop, Grand Tour, Cuesta Ridge

My Map:

This was a quick one, as I didn’t plan on getting out this week. There are not a lot of pictures, either, because this was so short. The day was perfect as it was mid-70s and dry, no humidity. I got to the trailhead early, and there were still many cars, and I found there to be many bikes on the trail. The lot was almost full upon my return.

I had been to the Eastern side of the park a couple of weeks ago and the Rocky Point trail was still more or less still a trail. This week I was in the middle of the park and the trails were less hiking trails and more bike trails.

The last time I was here I noticed the prevalence of invasive plants. I guessed Kudzu, but I think it is actually Porcelain-berry, which is in the grape family. I saw the berries, I’ve heard they’re edible, but I’ve heard they don’t taste like much.

Part way up the Grand Tour, I could see what looked like devastation in the distance. Eventually, I came to sign explaining what was going on. In early 2022, the park service, along with the US Forest Service and the New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team, started to remove invasive species in Hartshorne Woods. Specifically, the groups were targeting Porcelain-berry, Multiflora Rose, and Japanese Knotweed. The plan is to thoroughly clear the invasive species, then replant.