Pompeston Park’s open space is special not only because of its dual roles as a stream and wildlife corridor and as a buffer between residential and industrial zones, but also because of its location in a densely populated part of town.
That is how STEM – Save The Environment of Moorestown – describes the space on its website.
And they couldn’t be more spot on with their description. Attempting to find a location to visit the “special” open space, there were many entry or access points to choose from.
The portion of the park on the north side of the creek may be accessed from several points including New Albany Road, the end of Fernwood Road (New Albany Road portion), the corner of West Walnut Avenue and Iron Post Road, the west side of George C. Baker Elementary School, the end of Oriole Way, and the end of Georgian Drive.
Neighborhoods surround these entry points.
The south side of the park may be accessed from the ends of Walnut, Lorraine, Stanley and Perry Avenues off North Church Street. It is possible to walk along a blazed trail for the entire length of the park by using stepping stones to cross the Pompeston (Creek) and reach the downstream portion of the park, according to STEM’s website.
The extensive trail offers hiking through 2.3 miles of nature preservation, and recreational opportunities with an “in town” location, not far from Moorestown’s Main Street, according to the All Trails app website. “With multiple access points, the park extends from George C. Baker Elementary School almost to the Cinnaminson border, and offers streams, natural trails, woodlands, and a large square field.”
The original 55-acre Green Acres acquisition has gradually grown to 83 acres by means of township additions, according to STEM. Pompeston Woods, a 12-acre conservation easement held by STEM, adjoins the northern end of the park.
Pompeston Park is home to visitors – birds, mammals and reptiles – as noted in the Pompeston Creek Environmental Inventory created by the Environmental Commission of the Borough of Riverton in 2004.
Pompeston Park offers 83 acres of pre- served open space and 2.3 miles of trails winding through woodlands and along Pompeston Creek in Moorestown. With multiple neighborhood access points, the park serves as both a recreational desti- nation and an important habitat for local wildlife.
A Bald Eagle was spotted in a field in Pompeston Park near New Albany Road in Moorestown, less than 300 yards from the creek. Wild Turkey have also been seen in the Pompeston watershed in Moorestown.
There has been reported beaver activity and the park has been home to a herd of white-tailed deer.
A Southern black racer snake was found in a yard on Fernwood Road – one of the entry points into the park – during the summer months.
Spring peepers and New Jersey Chorus Frogs are also found in Pompeston Park.
In recent news, STEM and P&H Renovations teamed up to rebuild and improve the bridge behind Baker Elementary School in September 2025, just upstream from the old one.
“It was very much a group effort to push this forward,” said David Burris, owner of P&H Renovations, in an article with the Moorestown Sun.
When Burris learned through social media in 2023 that the old bridge needed to be replaced, he found the right people and gained support to move the project forward.
“It grew in volunteer support to try and get this done,” he recalled. “I was trying to make some connections to see what we could do to get a bridge built and actually engineer something that was going to last longer than a couple of years, something that would stand the test of time.”
Burris, STEM president Mark Pensiero, architect Joe Adamson of Adamson Riva & Lepley Architects and engineer Tom Kulp of Structural Assessment Services LLC, collaborated on construction and design plans. Local volunteers cleared a new trail for the bridge relocation, lined it with branches and limbs and spread mulch provided by the township.
The new bridge is located in Pompeston Park and connects George C. Baker Elementary to the Northwest Estates neighborhood. It needed to be placed in a spot that wouldn’t make it so vulnerable to flooding, Pensiero had noted. The trail was also relocated away from the creek.
“It was just a great idea that David had, really giving back to the community, and STEM was happy to be able to be involved and work with the township to help bring this into fruition,” Pensiero pointed out. “It was a great example of what makes Moorestown a really special place … .”
