Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

At the first parking lot, the entrance fee payment area.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.465096, -74.451029

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First parking lot.

TRAIL MAP:
Brigatine Unit Hiking Trails - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, NJ at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE: 6.6 miles

THE HIKE:

Right from the parking lot, a field sparrow.

Continuing past the visitor's center to ...

... the Grassland Trail.

Atlantic City in the distance.

The left side of the Leeds Eco-Trail is a boardwalk.

The Conserve Wildlife Foundation's osprey cam!

The other side of the Leeds Eco-Trail goes through woods where lots of birds were seen along the way.

House Finch

Northern Mockingbird

Back to the parking lot to access the hiking trails.

Instead of going straight to the Songbird Trail, we turned left and did the short Woodland Trail loop.

I got 5 pictures and he was blurry in all of them :(

Now on to the Songbird Trail.

It starts on a short section of the Wildlife Drive ...

... then leaves the drive to the left into the woods.

A break spot up ahead.

The Songbird Trail is joined by white-blazed Jen's Trail.

Jen's Trail

A pond just before the Songbird Trail starts to follow the Wildlife Drive.

Not very pleased with this "trail."

It's not so bad ...

... as long as you hold your breath and keep your mouth closed when cars pass by or you get a lung full of exhaust.

Experimental Pool Overlook

No secretive marsh birds today,just some Mallards.

Nearing the end.

8-MILE WILDLIFE DRIVE:

Gull Pond Tower - A tower I could actually climb.  It wasn't effortless but I just kept telling myself how much sturdier and shorter it was than a fire tower and I made to the top with knees knocking but I made it.

Views from the top.

Safely down from the tower (down wasn't as bad as I expected it to be) and on with the Wildlife Drive.