CHATHAM TOWNSHIP, NJ –MAY 26, 2015—The last remaining portion of the historic Giralda Farms tract, preserved for the public by Chatham Township, Morris County, the Open Space Institute and other dedicated conservation partners, will official open as parkland on Saturday, June 6.
The general public is invited to explore the last undeveloped portion of the former Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge estate. The property’s preservation as open space expands the Loantaka Brook Reservation from 744 to 880 acres, and connects to a wider system of trails for residents of Morris County.
A preliminary schedule of the day includes:
- A short ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Giralda Farms Preserve trailhead at 10 a.m. (The event will be at the main entrance to the new park on Woodland Avenue, immediately east of Saint Hubert’s Animal Welfare Shelter.)
- A self-guided, public tour of the unveiled 2.3-mile network of walking and bike trails, many of them following the path of the estate’s original carriage-ways. (Refer to map here.)
As the event approaches, participants may visit the Chatham Township website at chathamtownship-nj.gov for directions and other information.