Exploring the Trails at Rancocas Nature Center

Rancocas has about three miles of easy trails that zig zag through meadows, forests, and wetlands. Being able to traverse multiple different habitats in one hike is especially interesting for children and provides a great opportunity to compare the different ecosystems. There is a trail map on the website or you can snap a photo of it from one of the large information boards you will see when you first pull up to the nature center.

A good way to become familiar with the trails at Rancocas is to attend one of the Interpretive Trail Hikes offered for FREE on select Sundays where you can trek through the various habitats. These hikes are designed for children over 5, so they suggest that you bring a carrier to transport younger kids. Or, check out the self-guided tree walk, where you can see and learn about 12 different types of trees.

Some of our family favorites include the Blue Trail, which leads to a pine tree grove. This area was an old tree farm, which is why the trees are planted in perfect rows. There is something about walking on the fallen pine needles that muffles the sounds and makes everything seem serene. You will pass by fallen logs with moss and fungus growing on them, see and hear birds overhead, and we almost always see deer on this trail, especially in the late afternoons.

A section my 2-year-old is particularly fond of is part of the Blue Trail that consists of a boardwalk that goes over a stretch of wetlands. For some reason, she loves walking on the wooden boards in the woods. The wetlands area is also particularly good for bird watching.

And, finally, a favorite of all children is the short jaunt down to a clearing next to the stream. Here at this little grove is a seesaw and also tree stumps to sit on. This is not the most peaceful part of the woods since the road is not too far off, but the kids love to grab buckets of water from the stream (where you can find frogs, tadpoles, and baby eels) and throw in leaves, sticky balls and dirt that they stir up and then try to feed to me.

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Catch frogs and other critters in the stream.

Visiting the Nature Center at Rancocas

Some of the things our kids love the most about the nature center are outside and easily accessible from the parking lot. There is an insect hotel to attract pollinators and a butterfly house. You will also find a sensory activity area with a short trail of tree stumps for the kids to walk on, and a large music board that has pipes, pans and washboards for the kids to drum on.

Near the sensory area is the dragonfly pond where we almost always see frogs in the warmer months. Right in front of the nature center there's a playhouse for the toddlers to explore, a community garden the kids take care of during the educational programs, and a composting center. Outside of the garden fence is a little dirt area with some shovels to encourage children to dig in the dirt until their hearts are content. For a full rundown of everything the nature center has to offer, see here.

Inside the nature center is a little store that sells things like nature books, stuffed animals, bird feeders, and birdseed. You will find a touchable table with pine cones, sticks, leaves, snake skin, shells, feathers, and the like, as well as educational materials. And there are animals! There are different types of frogs, turtles, and at least one snake. There are also bathrooms inside the nature center.

Rancocas Nature Center: Programs and Activities for Families

Every week the center offers a one-hour program for toddlers and preschoolers that is FREE! You must be a member to attend. The program is for 2–6-year-olds. We attend fairly regularly and my children love it.

The environmental education programs for families change with each season, so check the website regularly. Although the program changes seasonally from a story and a weekly hike, a story and an art project, or a story and time spent gardening, the programs always have an emphasis on learning about the environment. Children must be accompanied by a parent for this program.

The center also offers year-round nature programs for home-schooled children for $15 per session. Each class is two hours long and has a theme. For the 2–5-year-old group it is designed to include a story, a natural area exploration, and free play. The classes are modeled after “forest schools”, an outdoor education model that focuses on hands-on learning through children interacting with and learning about a woodland environment. Parental participation is required for this program as well.

There is also a weekly program for 6-10-year-olds that are home-schooled. This two-hour program is conservation-based and runs at the same time as the program for the 2-5-year-olds. Students will explore nature through hands-on projects meant to help the environment.

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Rancocas offers regular educational programming. 

Summer Camp at the Nature Center

My children attended the summer camp for the first time this past year and they LOVED it! It is offered for seven weeks throughout the summer and is very affordable at $20 per kid per day. The camp is only offered Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30am to noon. There are four groups broken up by age: ages 4-5, first and second graders, third and fourth graders, and fifth through seventh graders. For the youngest age group, parental participation is required, but not for the older groups.

Each week has a different environmental theme such as Water Wonders and Survival in the Wild. Kids have fun while learning about the world around them. They do crafts, work on projects, go on hikes, and play games. The people that ran the camps were great with kids and they learned a lot on top of being entertained and exhausted afterwards. Register online here.

Birthday Parties at Rancocas 

The birthday parties offered here stress free for parents and also inexpensive; $155 for 4–6-year-old children for a two-hour program and $200 for a 2.5-hour program for kids 7 and up. A family membership is required to have a birthday party here.

There are many different programs to choose from, and different programs are offered for younger children. Examples include Bugs, Bugs, Bugs, Meadow Mysteries, and Scavenger Treasure Hunt. Rancocas Nature Center provides the programming and picnic tables, and families are expected to provide food, drinks, paper goods, and decorations. Also, bring a trash bag to clean up and take your trash with you after the party.

Annual Events at the Nature Center

The nature center offers so many events! Some are designed for families, others for teenagers, many are for children and even some are just for adults. There is usually a fee for events and some are only open to members.

This past February we attended the Maple Sugaring event which was excellent. It was geared toward children, but I learned some new stuff too about the process and the trees as well. The kids were interested throughout the program, and it ended with some waffles and syrup made from the trees on the property as well as a nice fire to warm up by.

Other examples include Creating a Forest Garden, an event for teenagers where they built a fairy garden in a flower pot. Santa Quest is an annual event that takes families on a trek through the woods to look for signs of Santa. At the end of the adventure is a bonfire to warm up by and some hot cocoa and even a Santa sighting!

And if you are looking for something to do on Earth Day, your family can volunteer to help with the maintenance of the gardens and trails. Tasks vary and include things like habitat restoration and mulching. There are also many other volunteer opportunities throughout the year here as well!

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Kids will enjoy exploring the trails and streams at Rancocas.  

Know Before You Go to Rancocas

• Trails are open daily from dawn to dusk. The actual nature center hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends from 12:00-4:00 pm.
• A $2 donation per visitor is requested when you visit, or become a member. Family memberships are $40 per year.​
• There are bathrooms and they are located in the nature center.
• There are two parking lots on site, but parking can be difficult when there are programs and events.
• Almost all the programs, classes, and events are outdoors, so dress appropriately, and if there is bad weather check for cancellations.
• You can find a trail map online here, snap a photo from one of the large information boards outside, or inside the nature center.
• Trails can be muddy so wear appropriate clothing and maybe bring a change of clothes in case a child falls in the mud or gets wet in a stream.
• There is not any food offered on site, so pack snacks or a lunch. There are picnic tables around the nature center.
• Dogs and bikes are not permitted on the premises.

Photos by the author.