What is Mapleton Preserve?
Mapleton Preserve contains the historical heart of the Princeton Nurseries lands. In 2005, this 53-acre property was jointly purchased as open space, by the New Jersey Green Acres program and South Brunswick Township. The newly restored main office for Princeton Nurseries’ Kingston site has appropriately has now become the D & R Canal State Park Headquarters. An adjacent building is used for interpretive programs. Several other historic buildings dot the grounds, including eight greenhouses. If suitable funding can be obtained, they will be restored. Sand roadways winding through the Nurseries Lands provide a natural trail network, rich in wildlife and birds. Mapleton Preserve’s location is well situated to create trail connections to both the D & R Canal State Park’s historic towpath and to other open space areas, such as the bird-rich Cook Preserve. The New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection and the Township of South Brunswick jointly administer Mapleton Preserve. The Mapleton
