John A. Roebling Memorial Park in Hamilton Township is one of those great NJ hidden gems – a county park in Mercer County full of recreation opportunities and hiking trails. At its core is the Abbott Marshlands Spring Lake Trail, a charming 2.9-mile loop trail rated as easy. It takes you through some great natural landscape and is suitable for most hikers – but it also has a huge surprise waiting. We were surprised to discover that this historic hike in NJ takes you past the very last remains of an old amusement park that once stood here at the turn of the 20th century. Don’t expect to walk past degraded carnival equipment here – very few remnants of this ancient park remain, but those that do paint a picture of another world that stood here once upon a time…

Part of the larger Abbott Marshlands, this park near Trenton is one of the state's biggest surprises.
Douglas Gage/AllTrails
It's a 2.9 mile hike, suitable for all activity levels, and offers some beautiful views.
Maggie Lin/AllTrails
It's especially gorgeous right now, as the fall foliage hits full bloom.
Peter Bednarz/Google Local
But the biggest surprise in the park can be found in the more urban area, where you'll find some unique structures.
Chase Dunn/AllTrails

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This wall and the surrounding posts are some of the only remnants left of the old White City Amusement Park, part of a chain of small carnival-like parks that dotted the country a century ago.
Rita Walker/AllTrails
This one opened in 1907, but success was short lived. By the end of the 1920s, as the Depression hit, the park was abandoned.
Abbott Marshlands
Today, the park is long gone and graffiti dots many of the structures around the park, but the main wall still remains and is an impressive site.
Brian Tonry/AllTrails
This county park has a lot of surprises - and a walk through here is like a walk through history.
Drake Stanton/AllTrails

Have you walked the Abbott Marshlands Spring Lake Trail and seen its historic ruins? Tell us about your journey on this historic trail in NJ in the comments section! You can find out more about the park on the official Mercer County website, and AllTrails has more photos of the trail available. This is an urban park and should have good cell service, but if you’re an avid hiker who loves to go off the beaten path, check out AllTrails +. It offers benefits like downloadable trail maps for when you want to make sure you maintain access to all your hiking tips.

As the seasons change, Hamilton Township is also home to a gorgeous hidden garden.

 

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John A. Roebling Memorial Park, Hamilton Township, NJ 08610, USA