Princeton Battlefield State Park

Princeton Battlefield State Park At A Glance...

• The Battle of Princeton is considered the fiercest fight of its size in the entire American Revolution.
• The Thomas Clarke House was built in 1772 and was already five years old when the battle came to it.
• British and American soldiers are buried together beneath the Ionic colonnade.
• January 3, 2027 marks 250 years since the battle.
• Todays Sunrise: 6:50 am,   Sunset: 6:49 pm  
• New Jersey Delaware River Region Mercer County

• Activities:

  • Hiking
  • Jogging / Running
  • Walking

  Amenities:

  • Parking Lot(s)
  • Picnic / Sitting Area
  • Benches
  • Monument

  Trails:

  • Flat / Easy
  • Natural Surface (Dirt/Roots/Rocks)
  • Paved
  • Walking Paths

  Park Type:

  • State Parks
  • Historic Area

  Attractions:

  • Museum / Gallery

  Rules/Regulations:

  • Alcohol Not Permitted

Contact / Location

A Brief History

On January 3, 1777, the peaceful winter fields and woods of Princeton Battlefield were transformed into the site of what is considered to be the fiercest fight of its size during the American Revolution. During this desperate battle, American troops under General George Washington surprised and defeated a force of British Regulars - Washington's first victory against British Regulars in the open field.

It came at the end of "The Ten Crucial Days", which began with the famous night crossing of the Delaware River and included two battles at Trenton. Together those actions turned a collapsing campaign into a credible war. General Hugh Mercer was mortally wounded here and died some days later at the Clarke House.

The fighting was not confined to the field you can walk today. The battle extended over a mile away, to the College of New Jersey - now Princeton University.

January 3, 2027 is the 250th anniversary of the battle. The Princeton Battlefield Society is running a countdown to it, so expect commemorative programming through 2026 and into 2027.

Trail & Path Info

There is no marked trail network here, and that is worth knowing before you come. Princeton Battlefield is open ground - mown field framed by woods, with mown paths across it rather than blazed routes. You walk where you like. Nothing is waymarked, nothing is numbered, and there is no loop to follow.

What that means in practice is a short, flat walk between three things, all of them visible from each other across the field:

The Ionic Colonnade stands at the western edge of the park, near where William Clarke's house once stood. It is a portico designed by Thomas Ustick Walter - the architect of the US Capitol dome - moved here in 1956 and dedicated in 1959 as a memorial to the soldiers of both armies who fell here. It was declared a National Historic Monument in 1962.

The Thomas Clarke House, built in 1772, is the only structure that survived the battle. It stood in the middle of what was then a 200-acre Quaker farm, and the family turned it into a field hospital afterwards, taking in wounded from both sides. It is open to visitors with 18th-century artifacts, exhibits and guided tours.

The Mercer Oak marks the spot where General Hugh Mercer fell.

The ground is level and the distances are small, so this is a walk rather than a hike and it suits anyone. Wear something that copes with wet grass - the field is the attraction and there is no paved alternative across it.

Things to See & Do

The Thomas Clarke House, built in 1772, stood through the battle and took in the wounded, General Mercer among them. It is the one building on the site with a direct link to the day.

The Ionic colonnade at the far edge of the field is the landmark most photographs are taken from, and the graves of British and American soldiers lie beneath it.

The fields themselves are the main event and are best walked rather than looked at from the parking area - the ground rises and falls more than it appears from the road, which is part of how the fighting went the way it did.

The Princeton Battlefield Society runs guided battlefield tours and an events program including the Cadwalader Lecture Series and Young Patriots Day. Tours are booked through them rather than through the park.

Below are a few groups that we have connected to Princeton Battlefield State Park. If we are missing any, please let us know

• Princeton Battlefield Society