Saturday, May 5, 2018

Rutgers Gardens and Frank Helyar Woods, NJ


ABOUT THE PARK:
Rutgers Gardens - Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
Helyar Woods - Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences 

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.473222, -74.425283
Parking at Holly House

TRAIL MAPS:
Rutgers Gardens - Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
Trail Map of Helyar Woods At Rutgers Gardens - Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
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HIKE DISTANCE:  4.25 miles
I only had time for a very short hike but having read there were 2 miles of trails, that was a little too short.  Then I remembered that my friends Dan and Laura had hiked there and turns out that was  almost exactly one year ago.  They managed 4 miles so that distance was perfect and with spring flowers in bloom, it was a done deal.
In the Native Plant Garden.
On to the blazed trails that have some overgrowth and blow downs and don't appear to be used all that much.
Not the type of balloons worthy of my collection ...
... but this death trap also had fishing line incorporated into the design.  It went in the trash can ...
... just before the log cabin.
White-throated Sparrow
Pond Trail ...
... along Westons Mill Pond.
Water crossing in the ravine.
Leaves of three - now we could do without those blooming.
Other than traffic noise it is pretty remote feeling until tall buildings start to appear.
The Pond Trail actually goes all the way to Route 18.
It wasn't worth crossing this mess so this is where we turned around.
Black and White Warbler
Meadow Meander
Mourning Dove
A different species of bird.
Entering ...
... the Pine Forest.
The Labyrinth
Eastern Bluebird
Back on to the blazed trails.
Wood Thrush
And back through the Native Plant Garden.
It's hard to picture how huge these chair are ...
... until someone is in one of them.  He had to be lifted in, it was too high for him to jump up.
The parking lot was packed when we got back.  There was some kind of forest thing going on.