Most of Peapack and Gladstone's walking network is already built. There is a wooded loop at Schoolhouse Park, a trail from Brook Street up to Main Street, pond-side paths at Liberty Park, and two named routes across the meadows at Natirar. The borough's spending this year has gone toward what sits between them. In 2026 the money went to one prefabricated pedestrian bridge over Peapack Brook. Somerset County is funding the bridge so the existing pieces can work as one route linking the trails, both train stations, downtown and Natirar Park.
So this fall, the borough is a set of good walks that mostly don't connect. The bridge that would join them has moved from grant to soil tests to site work. It doesn't have a published completion date yet.
The Pieces Already On The Ground
The borough has collected these segments one at a time over several years. Each is usable today on its own.
| Segment | What It Is | How It Is Described |
|---|---|---|
| Schoolhouse Trail | About a half-mile loop around the edge of the 12.66-acre Schoolhouse Park | The largest preserved wooded lot in the borough, cleared by the Department of Public Works |
| Brook Street to Main Street trail | A trail created in 2021 | One of the segments the bridge work is meant to join |
| Liberty Park | Walking paths beside the pond | Used for quiet walks, picnics and meditation |
| Komline Park | Walking paths | Part of the borough's recreation inventory |
| Rockabye Meadow Park | Small, intimate paths | Part of the borough's recreation inventory |
| Natirar, Great Meadow Trail | 1.3 miles | Walking, jogging, biking and horseback riding |
| Natirar, Upper Field Trail | 1.0 mile | Walking, jogging, biking and horseback riding |
Schoolhouse Park is a good example of how these pieces came together. According to the borough's September 2023 newsletter, the borough bought the 12.66 acres from a local resident with help from Somerset County and Lamington Conservancy funds. Residents chose the park's name from four options in a public survey. The newsletter described the new trail as an invitation to "nature lovers, dog walkers and exercise buffs."
The same newsletter set out the goal the 2026 bridge work is now pursuing. The Borough Council and Environmental Commission were "working to find a way to safely connect the new trail up to Natirar Park." The Commission was also trying to get bridges built at two spots on Peapack Brook to connect trail segments.
What The Borough Has Approved So Far
The bridge's progress shows up in county and council records. Here is the sequence as it stands in October 2026:
- 2021. The trail from Brook Street up to Main Street is created.
- 2023. Schoolhouse Park and its half-mile loop open to the public, and the borough names two Peapack Brook crossings as goals.
- April 28, 2026. The Somerset County Board of County Commissioners awards the borough a $410,000 grant through the Somerset County Trails Grant Program, as reported by Garden State Neighbors.
- June 9, 2026. The council adopts Resolution 91-26. It hires Boswell for a fixed $8,500 to do field work, lab testing and a report on the soil at the abutment sites, so a structural engineer can design the foundation. The work covers one abutment and one pier for a prefabricated bridge.
- June 9, 2026. At the same meeting, the council authorizes advertising for construction bids on the Peapack Brook crossing at Holland Avenue Park.
- Later in 2026. The borough's 2026 resolutions index lists Resolution 156-26, which approves an $8,050 proposal from Jerry Conover Excavating for site work on a "Brook Street pedestrian street bridge."
Compare the amounts. The county grant is $410,000. The soil-testing contract and the site-work proposal the council has authorized come to $16,550 combined, about 4 percent of the grant. Most of the grant has not yet been committed to the bridge itself. The public records show bid authorization and approved site work. They don't yet show a construction contract, a start date or a completion target.
Residents following the project will also see two location labels. The June bid authorization says Holland Avenue Park, and the later site-work resolution says Brook Street. The records don't say whether these are two names for the same crossing. The 2023 plan did call for crossings at two places on the brook. Council agendas are the best place to watch for clarification.
Why Natirar Is The Destination
Natirar is the largest open space on the planned route and the one the borough has been trying to reach since at least 2023. Somerset County lists two named routes there: the 1.3-mile Great Meadow Trail and the 1.0-mile Upper Field Trail. Both are open to walking, jogging, biking and horseback riding.
The county also has an economic reason for the link. Officials said the connection would make it easier to reach hiking, historic sites, dining and community amenities within walking distance of the Peapack and Gladstone train stations. They expect it to bring more foot traffic and support local businesses.
For now, Natirar and the in-town trails are separate trips. Some fall dates make that easy to see.
A Fall Calendar Split Across Both Sides Of The Brook
Sunday, October 25 has events at both ends of the planned route. At 9:30 a.m., the USATF-NJ Open & Masters 8K Cross Country Championship runs at Natirar Park. That afternoon, the PG Halloween Parade runs from 3 to 4 p.m., according to the borough calendar, which doesn't list a location. Spectators at the morning race and families at the parade can't yet walk between the two on a connected trail.
Other dates this season:
- Saturdays through October 17. The last sessions of the borough's resident-only adult pickleball clinics at The Courts at PG in the municipal complex. The clinics offer beginner and intermediate sessions, and the fee was $130 for five.
- Friday, October 30, 7 p.m. Ryan Zimmerman plays Gladstone Tavern, according to Patch's Peapack-Gladstone calendar.
- Select November dates, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pendry Natirar's "Chefsgiving" cooking-school sessions, with workshops on holiday pie, make-ahead Thanksgiving and holiday knife skills. Specific dates aren't posted, so check Pendry Natirar's seasonal page before planning.
Liberty Park at 168 Main Street hosted Art in the Park on Sunday, September 20. The pond-side paths there are an easy fall walk without the festival.
Main Street's Own Unfinished Piece
Main Street has a pending project of its own. West Line Brewing Co. is planned for 217 Main Street, in the building occupied by The Stable, a classic-car dealership that had sold and serviced Thoroughbred motorcars since 1973. The brewery is named for the West Line Railroad, the same rail corridor whose two stations the trail bridge is meant to connect. Patch reported that the Land Use Board approved the application on June 18, 2025. The Bernardsville News gave the approval date as Wednesday, June 15, without naming a year, and reported that Eric Colwell would own the brewery, with Thomas Paniconi as brewmaster.
The same Bernardsville News report said Colwell hoped to open in the first quarter of 2026. As of October 5, 2026, the New Jersey Craft Beer directory still listed West Line among breweries that are soon to open. Its profile gives the Instagram handle @westlinebrewingco for updates.
The Peapack & Gladstone Library branch at 1 School Street is finished. TAPinto reported that it fully reopened after a renovation, with a celebration on January 24, 2026. The work included new flooring, windows, seating and resource areas.
The next public step for the bridge will be a construction contract award on a Mayor and Council agenda. The borough posts those agendas and resolutions online.
Connections like a finished trail to Natirar, a working brewery on Main Street or a walkable link between the two train stations can affect how a home near them is presented and priced. If you own near Holland Avenue Park, Brook Street or the Main Street corridor and want to know how that applies to your property, Hope Salamone can walk you through it. Request a Complimentary Home Valuation & Consultation.
