Mercer County Park

Mercer County Park, also known as Richard J. Coffee Mercer County Park, is a large recreational area in New Jersey. It is mainly located in West Windsor Township, with parts extending into Hamilton and Lawrence Townships. The park covers more than 2,500 acres, which is about 10 square kilometers.

The park was renamed in October 2009 to honor New Jersey State Senator Richard J. Coffee. One special feature of the park is Mercer Lake, where the U.S. Olympic Rowing Team trains. The park has also been recognized for its excellent softball fields and facilities. It has been used for games by teams like the New Jersey Pride and for Minor League Cricket matches.

History

The land for Mercer County Park was bought between the late 1960s and early 1970s. It includes more than 50 pieces of property, many of which were farms. Construction on the park began in June 1971. Because of the building of Routes I-95 and I-295, a lake area was dug out. This was paid for by selling gravel to the companies building the highways, which helped create the area now called Lake Mercer.

Facilities

Mercer County Park has many fun things to do! You can play 36 holes of golf split between Mercer Oaks East and West. There are seventeen athletic fields for soccer, football, and lacrosse. The park has an ice skating center where the Mercer Bulldogs special hockey team plays.

You can also enjoy the tennis center with 24 courts, including six that are covered and lit up. There is a cross country course, a mountain biking area, and a boat house/marina. The Finn Caspersen Rowing Center and a crew course are also available. Nature lovers can explore a nature trail, go fishing, or visit the Wildlife Center. There are areas for hiking and jogging, plus a 3-mile paved trail for walking.

The park has picnic areas, dog parks, a Frisbee golf course, and three sand volleyball courts. You can play on two cricket pitches, at seven basketball courts, or on ten softball fields. There is also a Veterans Memorial Park and parking facilities. Seven washrooms are available for visitors.

A special 9/11 Memorial is displayed in the park. A large steel beam, weighing one ton and ten feet long, was given to the county by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in March 2011. It reminds us of the people from Mercer County who were affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks in Lower Manhattan.

Events

Mercer County Park is a popular place for summer events, especially the "Mercer County Summer Concert Series". This series features concerts held through July and August. After the concerts, the park also hosts various festivals and events for the Special Olympics fall games.