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Contact: Jude Pfister, Chief of Cultural Resources, 973-539-2016 x204
MORRISTOWN, NJ – The National Park Service (NPS) seeks public input on a proposed interpretative hiking trail at the Jockey Hollow area of Morristown National Historical Park. NPS will accept comments from April 17, 2025, to May 17, 2025.The proposed Penn Line Mutiny Trail, which would be developed in partnership with the Friends of Jockey Hollow, would span approximately 0.33 miles through upland forest. The NPS will ensure that the trail has a natural substrate which will accommodate hikers of various skill levels. For the first time in 90 years, the trail would connect the Bettin Oak Monument to the former Fort Hill redoubt location.
The project would work to preserve and protect important resources associated with the winter encampments of General George Washington’s Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. In early 1781, the Continental soldiers of the Pennsylvania Line faced the coldest winter of the century, poor housing conditions and shortages of food and supplies. The soldiers revolted, demanding better conditions and higher pay as per their enlistment contracts. Their efforts were successful. The event is significant because it mirrored larger grievances between the United States and England during the Revolutionary War.
The proposed trail would provide access to that area as well as a new recreation opportunity, while allowing visitors to learn more about their local history.
The proposed trail includes upland forest; local wildlife, including bats and breeding birds; and historic sites, including but not limited to Bettin Oak Monument, Wick House and Mendham-Elizabethtown Road; and potential Native American traditional cultural properties.
How to get involved and provide input:
After considering input received during this initial civic engagement period, the NPS will refine its options and move to the next phase, which will include assessing compliance needs under the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Endangered Species Act and other applicable resource protection laws and regulations.
If you would like to provide feedback on the environmental considerations for the project, public commentary is open until May 17, 2025.
For more information about the project, visit the project website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/morr-mutiny-trail. You can submit comments at the project website or via mail at:
Morristown National Historical Park
c/o Jude Pfister
30 Washington Place
Morristown, NJ 07960
Please be aware that the entire comment submitted, including Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as address, phone number, and email address may be made publicly available. Requests to withhold such PII from public release will be considered, but there is no guarantee it will be withheld.
-NPS-
Last updated: April 16, 2025