Lambertville is home to seven lovely parks, located throughout the City.  They provide natural open space and recreational activities for the community to enjoy in our thriving, historic city.  The Parks and Recreation Commission oversees operations and maintenance of our parks, while also offering recreational events and activities for our community at large.  We are entrusted by our community to tend our natural open space, and we do so by honoring shared values of sustainability, natural habitat encouragement, low fossil fuel footprint, community stewardship and enjoyment of the outdoors. 

Park Hours (for all City Parks)

7:00 AM to 9:00 PM May 1 to October 31

7:00 AM to 7:00 PM November 1 to April 30

Lambertville's busiest and most versatile park, Ely was gifted to the City by the Closson Family.  It is located on Main Street at the base of Music Mountain, running from Jefferson Street at the south end to the elementary school at the north.  Ely Park offers a baseball field, a softball field, an 80-yard football field, a pavillion for meetings or picnics, playground, basketball court, and also houses the elementary school’s Learning Garden. There is multi-purpose open space next to the pavilion that is used for various events, including volleyball games and fairs.

Ely Field is home to the Lambertville Ramblers youth football and Cheerleading teams, and provides fields for the Lambertville-West Amwell Youth Baseball & Softball Association. 

In the evening, the Ely Park basketball courts are lit from approximately 6 pm to 9 pm. After 9 pm, the park security lights illuminate the area until 6 am. 

One of the City’s most-cherished parks, Cavallo Park is home to the largest playground space in Lambertville, as well as a pavilion with picnic benches. The park was refurbished through loans and grant funding provided by the State of New Jersey Green Acres and by Geoffrey Cook, CEO of Noom, and cofounder of myYearbook, and rededicated in 2016. The park is a popular spot for birthday parties, family picnics, and community events such as native plant sales, tree seedling giveaways, and picnics. Cavallo Park is located at the intersection of Mount Hope and South Union Streets, adjacent to the D&R Canal State Park and its hiking and biking path. In 2026, Cavallo Park reopened after a temporary closure for soil remediation. (available here)

Tucked among historic homes on York Street is Mary Sheridan Park, first established following the Civil War as the home for the City’s monument to its fallen Union soldiers. The park is home to a large gazebo which also serves as the focal point for Lambertville’s annual Memorial Day commemoration. The park is lined with garden space and benches for quiet contemplation. Mary Sheridan Park is a popular location for small weddings, and is the site for many free concerts. The park is the starting point for annual Pet and Halloween parades. A landscaping refresh occurred in 2024, funded by a generous bequest from Jamie Fox.

This one-acre park nestled at the intersection of North Union and Cherry Streets includes a large rain garden to both improve drainage and provide habitat for birds, butterflies, bees and other wildlife, a lawn for public enjoyment, young trees, and a bicycle repair station. If you would like to donate a bench to this park, please email [email protected] for information.

Arnett Park is a charming pocket park located on Hancock Street on Connaught Hill, near the City’s border with West Amwell Township. Children can enjoy a small playground and basketball court.

The Russ Lambert Nature Trail is located on the wooded Music Mountain hillside that is the backdrop for Ely Park. It winds through woodlands on City-owned open space for a total of just under 1.25 miles. The trail has three primary access points: Alexander Road near Perry Road, Jean Street just off Alexander Road, and York Street near North Franklin.  Download the Trail Map. 

The original location for the Music Mountain Circus tent was along the trail near the Jean Street entrance.

Some trails are named after natural features, such as common trees that can be found along the trail.  Look for diminutive Beech Drops along its namesake trail. They are especially visible against a carpet of snow. You will find them near smooth gray-barked American Beech trees whose roots Beech Drops tap into for their food. Hackberry  and Chestnut Oak are both trees that are easily identified by their bark. Hackberry Emperor, Tawny Emperor and American Snout butterflies all require Hackberries as the only food their caterpillars can eat, much like Monarchs and milkweeds, so don’t be surprised to see them along the trail.  Oak trees, including Chestnut Oak, provide food for hundreds of essential insects, birds, and mammals.

While walking the trail, listen and look for birds, like Carolina Wrens, Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatch, Hermit Thrush, Red-tailed and Coopers Hawks, and Downy, Red-bellied and Pileated Woodpeckers. In spring, look for Common Spicebush, a shrub with bright yellow star-burst flowers; wonderful herbaceous perennials including Spring Beauty, May Apple, and near the York Street entrance, Early Saxifrage and Plantain-leaved Pusssytoes, a caterpillar food plant for American Lady Butterflies. In late summer and fall, White Snakeroot, White Wood Aster and Blue Wood Aster grace the trails. There are also a number of non-native, invasive species that the Parks & Rec Commission hopes over time to remove and replace with the native plants local wildlife needs.

The original .34-mile trail, now called Brady’s Run, was an Eagle Scout project initiated and managed by Wyatt Brady, and built with the assistance of his fellow Scouts of Troop 49, with donations from local businesses. It was completed in January 2007. In 2017, another Eagle Scout, Zachary Ingersoll of Troop 65, executed a project that resulted in a sturdy new bridge for the trail. Michael Burns, the City’s architect at the time, assisted with the bridge design. In 2024, the trail name was changed to the Russ Lambert Nature Trail in memory of a treasured member of the Parks & Recreation Commission and the Lambertville community.

Holcombe Park is the newest park in Lambertville, acquired by the City in 2021. The park is currently available for nature lovers looking for birds, native bees, and other wildlife; and dog walkers.

The park is also home to the historic Richard Holcombe House, the oldest structure in Lambertville. Built around 1756, General George Washington used the house as his headquarters for brief periods during the Revolutionary War, in July 1777 and June 1778. The building is currently being used for Mayor’s office hours, and occasional meetings or events.

A branch of Ely Creek, sometimes called Arnett Creek, runs downhill through the property.  This usually gentle stream became a raging torrent that contributed to flooding during hurricane Ida.  To reduce the likelihood and severity of flooding from this creek, the City was awarded a grant of approximately $322,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for a project that will utilize green infrastructure techniques to restore about 4.6 acres on the southern half of the property.  The project will utilize nature-based solutions to reduce flooding, improve wildlife habitat, and provide new opportunities for passive recreation for residents. Click here for a conceptual view of the plan.

The project will include floodplains and stream stabilization along the creek, planting of approximately 300 new trees in a riparian buffer area, establishing a new hillside meadow, and a transition area with a mix of perennials and woody species. The plants will slow stormwater, and their deep roots will help the soil absorb rain, rather than allowing it to cascade down the hillside.  The meadow will be mowed each year in late fall to enable sledding if there is snow.

Located parallel to the Delaware River is the Delaware and Raritan Feeder Canal, which runs the entire length of the City and provides space for walking, bicycling, and running. The canal was constructed in the 1830’s providing the factories of Lambertville access to markets located along the Delaware River. Its use as a commercial waterway ended with the appearance of the railroads. The park was created in 1974 and is managed by the State of New Jersey. For more information on the D&R Canal Park, Click Here.
Note: Although located within Lambertville's borders, this park is under the purview of the New Jersey State Park Service, not the Lambertville Parks and Recreation Commission.

Just a few minutes outside of Lambertville, this state park has hiking and great views of the Delaware, Lambertville, and New Hope.  For information, click here.

Discover New Jersey's wealth of state parks, forests, and recreation areas. From the coast to the mountains, New Jersey offers an impressive array of outdoor activities.

Below are helpful links:

• NJ Division of Parks & Forests
• Directory of NJ State Park State Parks, Forests, Recreation Areas and Marinas
• Search State Parks, Forests, Marinas, and Recreational Areas by Location
• Search State Parks, Forests, Marinas, and Recreational Areas by Activity