Showing posts with label NJ Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NJ Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Show all posts

Saturday, January 30, 2021

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, NJ - Pleasant Plains Road

ABOUT THE PARK:
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (be sure to check web site for hunting closures)
Wildlife Tour Route Brochure (did not see any numbered posts to correspond to the brochure)
Dogs are not allowed on trails but they are allowed on Pleasant Plains Road and in the parking lots.

DIRECTIONS: 
GPS Coordinates 40.709284, -74.502932
Bluebird Parking Lot

TRAIL MAP:
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Map - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

HIKE DISTANCE:  2 miles (1 mile each way)

THE HIKE:

Turning right on Pleasant Plains Road from the parking lot.
It's a gravel road, somewhat chunky gravel but not all that unpleasant to walk on.
A huge old tree down.
And another old tree down.
I was surprised at how many cars were driving along on a 27 degree day in the dead of winter with really no wildlife to be seen on the wildlife tour.  When they actually went 15 miles per hour it wasn't that bad but some inconsiderate clods sped by and this is what that looked like.
Coming up on the overlook to the right.
This is where all those cars go.
Nobody home at the overlook today.
Continuing on ...
... a pond on the left ...
... with a balloon way over at the other end.
A woods road would have led to that balloon and I totally would have gone to get it but as is the case with many of the federal wildlife refuges, area closed (and there are lots of those) means area closed so couldn't go there to get the balloon.
Coming up on a bridge over ...
Great Brook
After the bridge the road becomes paved but my 1-mile alert dinged on my app so time to turn back.  The 2.6 miles I did the weekend before was a bit too much too soon so I needed to back it down to 2 miles and no more for now.
Heading back through the north gate.
Some wildlife!  A red-tailed hawk.
I lost sight of him when he flew into a different tree.
But he changed trees once more so I got to see him show off his red tail.
Coming back up on the overlook.
It was less crowded this time ...
... but still nothing to see.
Back at the parking lot.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, NJ - Blue Trail


ABOUT THE PARK:
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (be sure to check web site for hunting closures)
NO DOGS ALLOWED

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.727386, -74.494745

View Larger Map

TRAIL MAP:
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Map - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (more detailed map)
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - Blue Trail at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE: 5.6 miles

THE HIKE:
The blue trail starts to the right of the kiosk.
Fall foliage is finished here.
Dry canal on the blue trail.
Beige Trail
Swamps
Great Brook
Bridge over Great Brook
The Red Trail
Little cascades in Great Brook
The end of the blue trail at the Woodland Road parking lot.
Heading back on blue.
A female hooded merganser.
Half of a downy woodpecker.
TheYellow Trail

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take the blue trail to the right of the kiosk
[  0.30]  Right on beige
[  1.20]  Right on blue
[  1.80]  Right on red
[  2.30]  Right on blue
[  2.70]  Woodland Road parking lot; retrace on blue
[  3.00]  Right on blue when red goes left
[  3.40]  Straight on blue when red goes left
[  4.00]  Right on yellow just after crossing bridge
[  4.90]  Right on blue
[  5.20]  Right on blue when beige goes left
[  5.60]  Back at parking

SHAWNEE UPDATE:
I had no idea Shawnee has so many fans - thank you all so much for caring about her!  It has now been two weeks since she was stricken with Vestibular Disease.  She is making great progress.  To give you an idea, the first video is the second day after she suddenly became ill and there had already been some improvement.
This second video is from two days ago, a 10-minute "hike" on the river trail nearby.  She was a happy girl!