Annual reenactment of Washington's Crossing
I wrote recently about the Princeton Battlefield State Park, and another of our state's Revolutionary War sites is Washington Crossing State Park.
This is the site of General George Washington’s historic 1776 Christmas night crossing of the icy Delaware River. For almost ten hours, boats and ferries moved continuously back and forth carrying men, horses and cannon to the Jersey side. By midnight a strong storm had developed, hurling sleet, hail and snow at the rebel army.
Landing at Johnson’s Ferry, the Continental Army still faced an arduous nine-mile march to Trenton as the storm continued with a vengeance. Reaching Trenton in the early morning of December 26th, the American Army surrounded, defeated and captured over 900 Hessian mercenaries and secured a morale-boosting victory of immeasurable proportions.
The Washington Crossing Visitor Center Museum has two galleries, one focusing on New Jersey’s role in the Revolution and the other discussing “The Ten Crucial Days” surrounding Washington’s Crossing and the Battles of Trenton and Princeton. The NJN-produced film “The Ten Crucial Days: The Road to Liberty” can be viewed in the auditorium.
An impressive collection of over 500 authentic Revolutionary War artifacts, on loan from The Swan Historical Foundation, Inc., is housed in the exhibit galleries of the Visitor Center Museum. This collection serves to remind visitors of the perilous struggles that men and women endured during this era.
The Johnson Ferry House is a circa-1740, gambrel-roof farmhouse and tavern near the Delaware River was built by Garret Johnson on his 490-acre tract. James Slack operated the ferry service in 1776. In addition to using the ferry service, General Washington and other officers probably used the house at the time of the Christmas night crossing of the Delaware. The keeping room, parlor, pantry, and bed chambers are furnished with local period pieces and reproductions similar to the furniture used by the Johnson and Slack families from 1740 to 1780. The site also includes an 18th-century kitchen garden. Living history demonstrations are frequently held on weekends.
During the winter months when weather conditions are favorable, cross-country skiing is permitted on the 13 miles of ungroomed trails.
The park has 13 miles of trails for hiking. Walking and jogging are very popular in the park throughout the year.
Two and a half miles of trails are available for equestrian use in the Phillips Farm day use area. The Phillips Farm parking area is designated for horse trailers. There are no horse rental facilities in the park.
Five miles of trails in the Phillips Farm day use area are available for mountain bike use.
For snowshoeing, the park offers 13 miles of trails that can be used during the winter months. There are 13 miles of moderate trails throughout Washington Crossing State Park. These trails are not ADA-accessible.
Check the park's website for information on any closures as the ongoing Washington Crossing State Park Improvement Projects prepare for the celebration of the United States’ Semiquincentennial Anniversary, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The 250th anniversary will happen on July 4, 2026, although events marking the various historical events before and after the July, 4 1776 signing will begin as early as 2024 and continue through 2033.
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