Forests & Meadows of the Crossing
Proposal and Survey
Washington Crossing State Park is a landmark marking the site where the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River in 1776. This gem attracts more than 100,000 visitors annually, and passive recreation is one of its main attractions due to the beauty of the park. However, the park faces a serious biodiversity threat due to the overgrowth of invasive plants and shrubs that are suffocating the habitat.
The “Forests & Meadows of the Crossing” project will restore and interpret interconnected landscapes within Washington Crossing State Park—the woodland corridor along historic Continental Lane and adjacent meadows. Together, the project will strengthen habitat connectivity, improve ecological function and biodiversity, enhance the existing passive recreation experience, and reveal the historic relationship between the park's landscape and the Continental Army's movement through the landscape. The project will honor the legacy of the founding of America, as well as the pastoral, restorative landscape the Park’s founders envisioned 100 years ago.
In order to improve visitor experience and habitat quality in the heart of the park — from the main entrance to the new Museum — the WCPA is proposing an ecological stewardship and conservation project to establish native wildflower meadows, conduct invasive species control, and restore critical forest along historic Continental Lane, merging habitat stewardship, conservation education, recreation, and history.
WCPA Green Acres Proposed Map
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