Burlington County has a new addition to its regional trails network and it features Arney’s Mount, the county’s highest elevation.
The County Commissioners celebrated the new Arney’s Mount Trail on Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of several of the stunning locations along the new pathway.
The American Society of Civil Engineers is also expected to recognize the completed project during its annual awards ceremony later this week.
“Burlington County is a destination where people want to live, work and raise families and one of the most significant reasons why is the natural beauty and diverse landscapes found throughout our communities. Arney’s Mount is one of those special places, and this new trail provides safe access to this geological treasure and all the beautiful scenery around it,” said Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel, the liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation and Parks.
Arney’s Mount is one of the county’s most unique geological landscapes. The top of the mount is 240 feet above sea level. It is known as “erosional remnant” because the elevation was formed from sandstone that remained in place while the surrounding land slowly eroded away by streams and wind.
“Arney’s Mount is a natural wonder and we are thrilled to provide our residents with a way to enjoy the breathtaking views of the mount and the farm fields that surround it,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Dan O’Connell.
The new trail features a 2.2-mile asphalt path up and around Arney’s Mount, plus 2.45 miles of equestrian turf trails and several smaller “challenge trails” through the woods along the base of the mount. The trail begins at the intersection of Tower Drive and Juliustown Road and includes a parking area, a picnic pavilion with grills and an accessible horse mounting platform.
The trail is located on more than 185 acres of land preserved by the County.
A total of $3.75 million in funding from the Federal Highway Administration’s Transportation Alternatives Program was used to fund engineering, design and construction costs for the project.
The Arney’s Mount Trail is the latest of several new trail projects undertaken by the County, which already has more than 1,000 acres of developed parkland and 50-plus miles of interconnecting trails.
Earlier this fall, the County celebrated the completion of the first 4-mile segment of the Rancocas Greenway Trail that is envisioned to someday travel the length of the Rancocas Creek from its confluence with the Delaware River to its headwaters near the Burlington-Ocean border.
The Arney’s Mount Trail is also expected to eventually be extended another 3.5 miles northwest through preserved property to the County Fairgrounds off Route 206.
All the County’s paths are part of the planned 800-mile Circuit Trails network that is expected to connect four New Jersey counties and five Pennsylvania counties in the Greater Philadelphia region.
“Burlington County is proud to be a leader in the development of trails that are critical to the Circuit Trails vision,” Eckel said. “Each provides residents with a new opportunity to move about the county and experience its incredible natural beauty and history, and we’re thrilled to be part of a regional network that will provide more destinations for Burlington County families to walk, run or bicycle through.”