Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, NJ - Wilderness North

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 40.72736, -74.49481

Parking off of Long Hill Road.  There is also parking at the end of Woodland Road but this hike is currently not reachable that way since the trail is completely flooded out a short distance in from that side.

TRAIL MAP: 

Great Swamp Trail Map - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

HIKE DISTANCE:  5 miles

THE HIKE: 

Dogs are not allowed here so since I had a use-it-or-lose-it vacation day to take before the end of the year and an appointment in Morristown, I took the opportunity to do this hike having hiked here previously 10 years ago.

Starting on the blue trail at the kiosk.  A woman approached me as I was starting, pointed to her sneakers, and asked if she would be able to hike these trails.  These are the shoes I had on...

I told her she could absolutely not hike through a swamp in a wilderness area with sneakers and directed her to the visitor center area trails.

Some sections are dry.

Some sections are not.

It was snowing pretty much throughout the hike, much heavier towards the end.

I would be returning from ivory on the right later; for now left on blue.

Left on yellow where blue short cuts over to the other side of ivory.

This is the type of trail you need to be prepared for.

See that white object to the right on the steps up the bridge?

Unbelievable!  There were people leaving with fishing rods as I was starting the hike.  They must have left this as the earthworms were still alive.  I turned them loose and covered them with some leaves in hopes they can get where they need to be.  Even if they don't make it at least they did not die trapped in a plastic cup in the snow.

Crossing Great Brook.

Great Brook

I would be coming off of red here in a little while.  For now staying on blue.

Where I would be starting on red - looked pretty dicey but I's give it a shot in a bit.

Even though blue leads to a parking lot, I wanted to continue on into this swamp.  I could hear tons of ducks quacking up ahead.

Well I can see why now - no humans can get there.  This wasn't just swampy, it was completely flooded out.  Way too much for my waterproof boots.

Turning back.

Now left on red.

It is definitely dicey for a bit but the trail markers are there.

Just not much of a trail to follow so going from marker to marker.

After a while the trail does become defined.

At the end of red, left on blue to retrace to the bridge over Great Brook.

After crossing the bridge, left on blue where I had come in on yellow before.

When blue continues on the short cut section, left on ivory.

Yes, this is the trail.

At the end of ivory, left on blue to retrace all the way back.

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.