| |
During two critical winters of the Revolutionary War, 1777 and 1779–80,
the countryside in and around Morristown, New Jersey, sheltered the main
encampments of the American Continental Army and served as the headquarters
of its commander-in-chief, General George Washington.
General Washington twice chose Morristown due to its strategic location,
including proximity to New York City, defensible terrain, important communication
routes, access to critical resources, and a supportive community. The park
encompasses ground occupied by the army during the vast 1779-80 encampment,
and the site of the fortification from the 1777 encampment. The Ford Mansion,
where Washington made his headquarters, is an important feature of the park
and recalls civilian contributions to the winning of independence.
The national park consists of four non-contiguous units: Washington’s
Headquarters with the Ford Mansion and Headquarters Museum, the Fort Nonsense
Unit, the Jockey Hollow Unit, and the New Jersey Brigade Area. The Jockey
Hollow Unit includes the Wick house (headquarters of General Arthur St.
Clair), five reconstructed soldier huts, and approximately 27 miles of
walking trails.
Morristown National Historical Park contains over 27 miles of trails
available for historical and natural resource education, hiking and other
recreational activities. For your safety and enjoyment, and to help the
park preserve this resource, please review the safety and park regulations
summarized below. Park Hours and Parking: Park hours are posted at road
entrances, on bulletin boards, and at the Visitor Center. Vehicles may
only park at designated parking spaces. Safety Information: Tick Advisory
– This area is inhabited my northern deer ticks which can transmit
Lyme disease to humans. A few simple precautions will minimize your chances
of being bitten by a tick: (1) Stay on the trails. Ticks are much more
likely to be found in leaf litter than on the clear ground of the trails.
(2) Tuck in your pant legs into your socks, and your shirt into your pants.
Keep ticks on the outside. (3) Wear light colored clothing. Inspect your
clothes for ticks often. (4) Wear repellents, applied according to labels.
Check your head and body thoroughly when you return home. Poison Ivy –
“Leaves of three, let them be.” Common through out the park,
this plant grows either as a ground cover and/or as a vine supported by
trees.
|
|