More Revolutionary War battles and skirmishes (some 600) were fought in New Jersey than in any other state. Fall is the perfect time to visit these seven historic locations that reflect New Jersey’s immense role in the War for Independence. Enjoy the surrounding foliage as you walk in the footsteps of General George Washington and his tenacious Continental Army.
[RELATED: The Best Fall Day Trips in New Jersey]
Fort Lee Historic Park & Museum
Hudson Terrace, Fort Lee
Located on a cliff overlooking the George Washington Bridge, the park commemorates the site (then called Fort Constitution) where Washington gathered his troops after their retreat from Manhattan. The park includes a reconstructed Revolutionary War encampment and a visitor center with Colonial-period exhibits. (Park open 6 am-7 pm daily; visitor center 10 am-4:45 pm Wednesday-Sunday.)
201-461-1776
Historic New Bridge Landing
1201-1209 Main Street, River Edge
On November 20, 1776, with the British hot on his heels, Washington led his ravaged army in retreat from Fort Lee over the Hackensack River across the original bridge in this park. Had Washington not outrun his pursuers, the American Revolution might have ended there. Today, period buildings in the park are open for special events, including the Steuben House, which served as Washington’s headquarters in September 1780. (Park open dawn-dusk.)
201-343-9492
Morristown National Historic Park
30 Washington Place, Morristown
The park’s multiple sites include the Jockey Hollow encampment (with a visitor center, hiking trails and recreated soldiers’ huts); the Ford Mansion (the preserved 18th-century home that served as Washington’s headquarters for the winter of 1779); and the neighboring Washington’s Headquarters Museum.
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Monmouth Battlefield State Park
16 Route 33, Manalapan
The rural landscape remains much as it was when Washington’s troops outwitted the British on June 28, 1778. Attractions include 25 miles of walking trails with wayside exhibits and a restored Colonial-era farmhouse (open limited weekends). A battle reenactment is staged the third weekend in June. (Park open 8 am-4:30 pm daily; visitor center 9 am-4 pm Wednesday-Sunday.)
732-462-9616
Washington Crossing State Park
355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville
The site of Washington’s Christmas-night crossing of the Delaware River in 1776 is a sprawling riverfront park with 13 miles of trails; picnic tables; a nature interpretive center (open weekends); and the circa-1740 Johnson Ferry House (open Thurs-Sat). The visitor center has two galleries of Revolutionary War artifacts and offers a film. (Park open 8 am-4:30 pm daily; visitor center 9 am-4 pm daily.)
609-737-0623
Princeton Battlefield State Park
500 Mercer Road, Princeton
In one of the Revolution’s pivotal moments, Washington rode his horse between the battle lines and rallied his troops to repel a British assault. Today, you can get a free tour of the battlefield and visit the Thomas Clarke House, a preserved structure from the period. (Park open daily, sunrise to sunset; Clarke House open 10 am-4 pm Thursday-Saturday and 1-4 pm Sunday.)
609-921-0074
Red Bank Battlefield
100 Hessian Avenue, National Park
The site where a small garrison of American soldiers—including a regiment of free African Americans, enslaved people and Native Americans-—defended Fort Mercer against a larger Hessian force has been preserved as a historic park on the Delaware River. The site features historic signage and tours of the Colonial-era James and Ann Whitall House. (Park open daily, sunrise to sunset; Whitall House open 11 am-3 pm Thursday-Sunday, April-October.)
856-853-5120
[RELATED: On Washington’s Trail: A Road Trip for the History Buff]
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