Rainbow Hill at Sourland Mountain Preserve grows by 55 acres

EAST AMWELL TWP., NJ - New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJ Conservation) and partners are celebrating the recent 55-acre expansion of Rainbow Hill at Sourland Mountain Preserve, which now totals 1,205 acres of protected land spanning Hunterdon and Somerset Counties. The preserve in the Sourland Mountains of Central Jersey is open to the public and offers sweeping views of the rise known as Rainbow Hill.

The preserve took years to assemble and is made up of several contiguous properties that were acquired over the past decade. NJ Conservation spearheaded a partnership of public and private agencies that contributed to the preservation of these lands, including the New Jersey Green Acres Program, Somerset County, Hunterdon County, the State Office of Natural Resource Restoration, Hillsborough Township, East Amwell Township, Hunterdon Land Trust, Raritan Headwaters Association, The Nature Conservancy, 1772 Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and other donors. The preserve is managed by NJ Conservation and co-owned by NJ Conservation and the Somerset County Park Commission.

Two properties totaling 55 acres were added to the preserve at the end of 2025. They include open fields and woodlands along Wertsville Road in East Amwell Township in Hunterdon County. The properties are designated as "core areas" by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey (CHANJ) project. CHANJ represents a strategic plan for wildlife conservation by identifying key areas and actions needed to achieve habitat connectivity throughout New Jersey. The acquisition of the properties was funded by Hunterdon County and the New Jersey Green Acres Program.

"It's a great privilege to continue this decades-long team effort to permanently protect land in the beautiful Sourland Mountains," said Alison Mitchell, executive director of NJ Conservation. "This
is one of the New Jersey Piedmont region's most scenic and ecologically rich areas, and we're thrilled to work alongside our incredible partners to ensure even more of this region is preserved for generations to come."

"Hunterdon County is proud to partner in the preservation of Rainbow Hill and the broader Sourland Mountain landscape," said Hunterdon County Commissioner Director John Lanza. "Protecting these core habitat areas strengthens regional wildlife corridors, safeguards critical water resources, and helps preserve the rural character that defines Hunterdon County."

"The Green Acres Program is pleased to be a partner in this important preservation initiative," said Martha Sullivan Sapp, director of Green Acres. "We know that access to even small natural spaces can be very important for our well-being, so the preservation of these large, contiguous properties in the Sourland Mountain region will truly enrich us while protecting the natural environment we all share."

Rainbow Hill at Sourland Mountain Preserve features a nearly 12-mile system of blazed trails, woodlands, farm fields, an 8-acre lake, and several tributaries of the Neshanic River - a source of clean drinking water for the region. It is home to a total of 24 rare animal and plant species, including the barred owl, box turtle, and long-spurred violet.

NJ Conservation has undertaken a variety of restoration projects at the preserve to enhance its value as habitat for native plants and wildlife. Recent restoration projects include the planting of 450 native trees and shrubs to improve the riparian buffer along a Neshanic River tributary.

The planting, completed in partnership with Raritan Headwaters Association and Sourland Conservancy in 2025, was made possible through a Raritan Woods & Waterways grant awarded by Raritan Headwaters Association; the help of more than 30 volunteers; and a donation from Doug and Frances Schilke, owners of Schilke Construction in Hillsborough Township, NJ. The increase of woody vegetation will protect the water quality of the stream, benefit wildlife, sequester carbon, as well as absorb rainfall and reduce flooding downstream.