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Wellness

Best Walking Loops In and Near Haddonfield: Hopkins Pond, Pennypacker Park and Cooper River

You don't need a gym membership to get your steps in this winter. Here are three walks close to home, from a short wooded loop to a flat 3.8 miler.

By Live Haddonfield ยท

The three easiest good walks for Haddonfield people are the 0.6 mile tree trail around Hopkins Pond, the wooded paths of Pennypacker Park, where the Hadrosaurus was found, and the paved 3.8 mile loop at Cooper River Park. All three are Camden County parks, and you can reach the first two without getting in a car.

Here's how to pick.

Short on time: Hopkins Pond

Distance: 0.6 miles. Ground: wooded and hilly.

Camden County says Hopkins Pond covers 33.10 acres in Haddonfield, off Grove Street on both sides of Hopkins Lane. The Natural History Tree Trail is a self guided loop that circles the pond. It's also a bird sanctuary, so bring your patience and maybe binoculars.

This is the one for a 20 minute reset. The hills are short, but they're real, and that's the point. Your heart rate will notice.

Want a story with your steps: Pennypacker Park

Ground: woods, a ravine, park paths.

Pennypacker Park is 32.27 acres in Haddonfield, bounded by Kings Highway, Park Boulevard and Grove Street. The Cooper River, Hopkins Pond and Driscoll Pond all touch it, according to the county.

The reason to go: in 1858, William Foulke found the world's first nearly complete dinosaur skeleton here, the county says. The site is where a Haddonfield street dead ends against the woods. It's on the NJ Register of Historic Places and marked with a modest stone. Just past the stone the ground drops into the steep ravine where the bones of Hadrosaurus foulkii came out.

Kids who'd groan at "a walk" will go for "dinosaur hunting." Use that.

Want flat and long: Cooper River Park

Distance: 3.8 mile loop. Ground: paved.

Cooper River Park sits in Cherry Hill, Collingswood and Haddon Township, and NJDOT lists a 3.8 mile paved loop from Cuthbert Boulevard to Route 130, plus a separate path from Cuthbert to Grove Street. The Circuit Trails guide adds that the loop is separated from street crossings, which makes it easy with a stroller or a kid on a bike.

You get water views the whole way, rowers on the river and, the guide says, plenty of picnic tables and pavilions. Indoor restrooms at Jack Curtis Stadium are listed as open year round from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Making it a habit

Here's the truth about walking. The best loop is the one you'll actually do on a Tuesday in December.

  • Pick one and put it on the calendar. Same day, same time, like a meeting.
  • Stack it. Hopkins Pond and Pennypacker sit near each other along Grove Street, so do both when you have more time.
  • Walk before dark. Short days are here, and the wooded trails get dim fast.
  • Dress for the ground. Hopkins Pond's hills get slick with wet leaves. Wear shoes with some grip.

Coming soon, maybe

The borough is applying for a Safe Routes to School grant for a walking path near Hopkins Pond. If it's funded, construction would likely start in 2028. Here's what it would build.

Sources

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FAQ

How long is the walk around Hopkins Pond?
Camden County lists the Natural History Tree Trail at 0.6 miles, a self guided loop on wooded, hilly ground around the pond.
How long is the Cooper River Park loop?
About 3.8 miles, per NJDOT and the Circuit Trails guide. It's paved and separated from street crossings.
Where is the Hadrosaurus discovery site?
In Pennypacker Park, where a Haddonfield street dead ends at the woods. A commemorative stone marks it, per Camden County.