We love autumn for its warm, vibrant beauty, and Mercer County is brimming with top spots to soak it in. For those who love to leaf-peep, we put together our favorite locations to savor the changing leaves, and October is the peak time to view it. So get your flannel on, grab a pumpkin-spiced latte and your camera, and head over to these spots to fully embrace the beauty of fall. 

 

Rosedale Park

424 Federal City Road, Pennington, NJ 08534

All the scenic trails found in Mercer’s parks are bursting with color, but we love ending up at Rosedale Lake for an eyeful of fall. Seeing the colors displayed against the clear, blue water makes them seem just a little bit brighter.

Someone holding up a bunch of brightly colored leaves for the camera at rosedale park

Photo via https://www.instagram.com/olivo390/

 

Mercer Meadows

111-167 Cold Soil Road, Lawrence, NJ

A beautiful, wide, and open place to walk and see all the colors bursting from the trees. There’s a bike share program located here, and with the flat paths, it's a great place to bike ride as well. Over 1,600 acres of meadows and woodlands are here, along with bodies of water.Trees and a walking path at Mercer Meadows

You’ll want to keep coming back for more!

Photo via https://lhtrail.org/project/mercer-meadow-pole-farm/

Kingston Grist Mill

2 Old Lincoln Highway, Princeton, NJ 08540

Powered by the Millstone River, the eponymous gristmill is a beautiful and historical landmark. Also be sure to walk up to Carnegie Lake, which is stunning in its own right and also a great location to do some leaf-peeping.

A bright day showcasing the Fall Colors at Kingston Mill

Photo via https://fineartamerica.com/featured/kingston-mill-fall-scenic-george-oze.html

 

Princeton University

Nassau Hall, Princeton, NJ 08542

Princeton’s open, park-like campus offers many opportunities to take in the fall foliage. An especially picturesque area is in front of Nassau Hall, right through the entrance at FitzRandolph Gate.

Bright yellow trees at Princeton University

Photo via https://www.nassauinn.com

 

Grounds for Sculpture

80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton Township, NJ 08619

A unique approach to leaf-peeping would be to visit Grounds for Sculpture where you can view autumn among the sculptures. It’s especially worth scouting out a lane of red-leaf maples or copses of sweet gum trees and Persian Parrotias at their most brilliant.  

Fall colors along a row of trees at GFS

Photo via https://www.evensi.us/perfect-autumn-esacpe-grounds-sculpture-fundraiser-group-tickets/271345096

 

Sayen Gardens

155 Hughes Drive, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690

We think of Sayen Gardens during the spring season when the flowers start to bloom, but it’s equally as eye-catching during the autumn months.

A bridge in sayen gardens surrounded by fall leaves

Photo via https://fineartamerica.com

 

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