Physiologists say that a walker of moderate good health willtraverse a gentle two-mile trail in under 45 minutes. That’s provided,of course, that she doesn’t stop to take in the scenery or to idlealongside a murmuring stream, distractions that occur regularly on thenew public hiking trail at Natirar, Somerset County’s newest and most spectacular public park.
Opened for daily public use on May 1, Natirar immediatelytakes its place as the crown jewel of New Jersey’s Open Spacepreservation movement and showcases what determined public landpreservation programs can achieve. Your Open Space property taxes,along with those of other Somerset County residents, have provided oursmall community with a brilliant new reminder that wall-to-walldevelopment in the Garden State need not be inevitable. Rather thanlamenting yet another housing tract, early summer here will forevermorebe a great time to grab a pair of comfortable shoes and go experience Natirar for yourself.
First established as the Walter Graeme & Kate Macy Ladd estate in 1905, Natirarbore witness to the Somerset Hills’ original gilded era and eventuallyencompassed nearly 1,000 acres of rolling hills, lawns, and woodlandswithin the municipalities of Peapack-Gladstone, Far Hills, andBedminster, mostly astride the North Branch of the Raritan River fromwhence the estate and new public park take their name. (Natirar is “Raritan” spelled backwards.)
First-time visitors to the new Park will observe that Ladd was amost-capable steward of his land, leaving spectacular undisturbedvistas of the surrounding countryside and taming the course of theNorth Branch to preserve its orderly flow for nearly a century. Theresult is a unique achievement, all the more remarkable for what hassurvived than for what has been lost during subsequent changes inownership. Following Ladd’s death, the estate served as a convalescenthome until 1983 when it was acquired by H.R.H. Hassan II, King ofMorocco. Having long eyed the property as potential parkland, SomersetCounty purchased the estate from the King’s heirs for $22 million in2003 with the intention to preserve it forever as public Open Space.
We are fortunate that what remains today is 411 acres, of which 247are located within the Borough of Peapack and Gladstone. Accessed viathe Park’s main gate on Peapack Road, the new trail is open forpedestrian hiking each day from dawn to dusk, unless otherwise posted.County Park Rangers are on-site should you require assistance, but inkeeping with the spirit of passive-use, permanent sanitary facilitiesand concessionaires are not.
Consisting exclusively of level, graded ground, the new trail isundemanding, non-technical hiking but even the most energetic strollerwill find the two miles to be an agreeable outing. The trail loopsalong the North Branch for most of its length and provides expansiveviews of former pasturelands, as well as the estate’s main residence, a40-room, Tudor-style hilltop mansion that is currently closed to thepublic while it undergoes renovation as a world-class spa/retreatcenter. On a recent visit, birdcalls and running water were the onlydiscernable noises and an enlarged sense of space and perspective wereeverywhere apparent. Passing away from the river, a newly-graded trailsegment traverses what County Parks officials are calling the “GreatLawn,” a large, open meadow beneath the brow of the hill that willeventually be used for public musical performances and other communityevents.
Whether you walk, jog, or simply find an agreeable spot to sit apartand clear your mind, you owe it to yourself to enjoy the enduringmarvel that is Natirar and your Open Space tax dollars at work.
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