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11 Hardscrabble Road
PO Box 693
Bernardsville, NJ 07924
(908) 766-5787
Fax (908) 766-7775
E-mail: scherman-hoffman@njaudubon.org |
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Hours
Tuesday - Saturday, 9-5
Sunday, 12-5
Closed Mondays and Holidays.
Trails open 7 days a week to 5 p.m. To use the trails when
the Sanctuary is closed, park in the lower parking lot (the
Scherman lot) on Hardscrabble Road.
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The Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Bernardsville,
Basking Ridge, and Harding Township, NJ, has its beginnings in
the 1965 donation of 125 acres by Mr. and Mrs. Harry Scherman to
the New Jersey Audubon Society. Later, in 1973 and 1975, Mr. G.
Frederick Hoffman donated parcels of land. The Hoffman estate
house and caretaker's house were added to the Sanctuary in 1981,
at the time of Mr. Hoffman's death. This completed what is now
the Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, 276 acres of woodland,
field, and floodplain habitat supporting over 200 species of
wildlife over the course of a year.
 The Hoffman estate house,
added on to and renovated in 2004-5, is now New Jersey Audubon's
magnificent Hoffman Center for Conservation and Environmental
Education. The Center, located in the foothills of the
Highlands, boasts an environmental learning center, tree-top
level observation deck, bookstore, and exhibits. The Center also
houses the Sanctuary offices, as well as NJAS's Conservation
Department and the office of the NJAS President. The
bird-feeding station next to the building is a popular
attraction for birds and bird-watchers alike, and can be viewed
in comfort from the inside of the building.
Well-maintained and marked trails traverse the Sanctuary, ranging in length from 0.3 miles to 1.3 miles and
passing through upland deciduous forest, fields, woodland, and
the floodplain along the headwaters of the Passaic River. The
Sanctuary is home to more than 60 species of nesting birds,
and over 175 species have been sighted at the Sanctuary, including as many as 25
species of warblers during spring migration. Nesting birds of
interest include Worm-eating Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush,
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Pileated Woodpecker, Wild Turkey, and
Great-horned and Screech owls. Red Fox, Long-tailed Weasel,
Mink, numerous White-tailed Deer, Eastern Chipmunk, Gray and Red
squirrels, Coyote, and many other mammals inhabit the diverse
habitat at Scherman-Hoffman.
Scherman-Hoffman is conveniently located within minutes of
the Morristown National Historical Park (Jockey Hollow preserves
more than 2,500 acres, including the Cross Estate), the 7,000
acre Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, the Somerset County
Environmental Education Center, the Raptor Trust, Washington
Valley Park's Chimney Rock Hawk Watch, and Montclair Hawk Watch.
Download a copy of our Sanctuary Brochure (in PDF format).
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Regulations
The following regulations are in effect at the Sanctuary:
- No litter
- No picnicking, fires, or camping
- No alcoholic beverages
- No pets
- No vehicles, bicycles, skateboards or horses on the trails
- No hunting, trapping, or woodcutting
- Fishing by special license only
Groups of 8 or more are requested to make an appointment to visit.
Leave only footprints -- Take only pictures and memories.
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Sanctuary Brochure
with road map and trail map
(in PDF format)
From Route 287 North or South, take Exit 30B. From the exit ramp, bear
right and go a short distance to the light by the Old Mill Inn, at the Intersection of Route 202. Proceed straight ahead through the light onto Childs Road. Go 0.2 miles and bear right onto Hardscrabble Road.
Follow this road for about 1 mile until you see our sign and
driveway on the right-hand side of the road. Turn right into the
driveway, and follow it up the hill to the Hoffman Building. To reach the Scherman parking lot, continue past the driveway around the curve to the left. The Scherman parking lot is the next right.
From Route 24 in Mendham, take Tempe Wick Road 1.9 miles to Ledell Road and turn right (there is no sign for Ledell Road -- it is by a waterfall). Follow Ledell Road 1.7 miles to Hardscrabble Road and turn left.
After approximately 1 mile you will see the Scherman parking lot entrance on the left. The main driveway to the Hoffman Sanctuary building is past the Scherman parking lot on the left, up the hill.
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