Bald eagles throughout New Jersey are preparing for the 2026 nesting season. In NJ, eagle pairs lay eggs anywhere from January through March, with the bulk of incubation starting in February.
The Duke Farms eagle pair is spending a lot of time at that nest, rearranging sticks. conservewildlifenj.org , in collaboration with Duke Farms, features an Eagle Cam to raise awareness about nesting bald eagles in New Jersey. (also check out their osprey and falcon webcams)
Bald Eagles are extremely sensitive to human disturbance. At no time should anyone approach nesting eagles. People who want to observe or photograph eagles and who come too close may actually cause the birds to abandon a nest.
Located on Duke Farms in central New Jersey, the Eagle Cam allows viewers an up-close and personal view into the lives of a pair of bald eagles as they breed, incubate, and raise young.
During last year's nesting season, incubation was confirmed on January 18 with three eggs. 1st egg hatched: February 25th, 6:32am: banded H58, Female; fledged 5/17/25. 2nd egg hatched: February 27th, 12:41 am: banded H59 Female; fledged 5/26/25. 3rd egg hatched: February 28th, 3:53 pm: banded H57 Male; fledged 5/23/25
NJDEP Fish & Wildlife is assisting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division to improve agency communications with marine boaters about the presence of whales in coastal waters.
To guide this effort, we are sharing a survey they have developed to learn more about the communication preferences of NJ boaters. Your response will help us streamline communications, increasing safety for boaters and whales, while respecting your needs as a boater.
The survey will take about 10 minutes. Your participation is voluntary, and you can exit the survey at any time. Your response is anonymous.
Survey data will be used for agency outreach initiatives, including boater safety and marine mammal programs.
Washington Crossing State Park is the site of General George Washington’s historic 1776 Christmas night crossing of the icy Delaware River.
For almost ten hours, boats and ferries moved continuously back and forth carrying men, horses, and cannon to the Jersey side. By midnight, a strong storm had developed, hurling sleet, hail, and snow at the army. Landing at Johnson’s Ferry, the Continental Army still faced an arduous nine-mile march to Trenton as the storm continued with a vengeance.
Reaching Trenton in the early morning of December 26th, the American Army surrounded, defeated, and captured over 900 Hessian mercenaries and secured a morale-boosting victory of immeasurable proportions.
An impressive collection of over 500 authentic Revolutionary War artifacts, on loan from The Swan Historical Foundation, Inc., is housed in the exhibit galleries of the Visitor Center Museum. This collection serves to remind visitors of the perilous struggles that men and women endured during this era.
The Johnson Ferry House is a circa-1740, gambrel-roof farmhouse and tavern near the Delaware River was built by Garret Johnson on his 490-acre tract. James Slack operated the ferry service in 1776. In addition to using the ferry service, General Washington and other officers probably used the house at the time of the Christmas night crossing of the Delaware. The keeping room, parlor, pantry, and bed chambers are furnished with local period pieces and reproductions similar to the furniture used by the Johnson and Slack families from 1740 to 1780. The site also includes an 18th-century kitchen garden. Living history demonstrations are frequently held on weekends.
During the winter months, when weather conditions are favorable, cross-country skiing is permitted on the 13 miles of ungroomed trails.
The park has 13 miles of trails for hiking. Walking and jogging are very popular in the park throughout the year.
Two and a half miles of trails are available for equestrian use in the Phillips Farm day use area. The Phillips Farm parking area is designated for horse trailers. There are no horse rental facilities in the park.
Five miles of trails in the Phillips Farm day-use area are available for mountain bike use.
For snowshoeing, the park offers 13 miles of trails that can be used during the winter months. There are 13 miles of moderate trails throughout Washington Crossing State Park. These trails are not ADA-accessible.
Check the park's website for information on any closures as the ongoing Washington Crossing State Park Improvement Projects prepare for the celebration of the United States’ Semiquincentennial Anniversary, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The 250th anniversary will happen on July 4, 2026, although events marking the various historical events before and after the July, 4 1776 signing will begin as early as 2024 and continue through 2033.
New Jersey is often called the "Crossroads of the American Revolution" because it saw more battles and skirmishes than any other state.
December 1776 was particularly important. It begins with a retreat. In early December, after losing New York City, General George Washington and the Continental Army retreated across New Jersey, pursued by the British. They crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania in early December, seizing all boats to prevent the British from following.
Thomas Paine's pamphlet "The American Crisis" was written while Paine was with the army in NJ and PA was published this month to boost morale. Washington ordered it read to his troops on December 23.
The 1776 Christmas-night crossing of the Delaware River by George Washington's Continental Army to attack Hessian forces in New Jersey is a very famous image and story. Washington’s army braved a winter storm to cross the ice-choked Delaware River from Pennsylvania back into New Jersey at McKonkey's Ferry (now Washington Crossing).
The first Battle of Trenton was on December 26, after the Delaware crossing and a march of nine miles to Trenton. This surprise attack on the Hessian garrison (German mercenaries hired by the British) was a decisive victory, capturing nearly 900 prisoners with almost no American casualties.
However, a massive British army of about 8,000 men led by Lord Charles Cornwallis was marching south from Princeton to crush him. Washington, with his back to the Delaware River, was effectively trapped. Cornwallis, believing Washington had no boats and was trapped against the impassable Delaware River, famously told his officers they could "bag the fox in the morning." He ordered his troops to rest for the night.
Realizing his army would be destroyed in a dawn attack, Washington executed a daring deception. He ordered a small group of soldiers to keep the campfires burning bright and to make digging noises, tricking the British sentries into thinking the Americans were digging in for a fight. In total silence, the rest of the Continental Army wrapped their wagon wheels in rags to dampen the sound and marched around the British flank in the middle of the night.
By the time Cornwallis woke up the next morning to "bag the fox," the American camp was empty. Washington was already miles away, about to launch a surprise attack on the British rearguard at the Battle of Princeton, which was another victory.
The "Second Crossing" (December 29–30) came because Washington took a huge risk and crossed back into New Jersey to solidify his gains and encourage the militia to rise up.
The Continental Army skirmishes with British and Hessian troops in Princeton on New Year’s Day. The Second Battle of Trenton, also known as the Battle of the Assunpink Creek, was a pivotal defensive stand by the Continental Army on January 2, 1777. While often overshadowed by the surprise attack on the Hessians a week earlier, this battle was arguably the moment the American Revolution came closest to total collapse.
If Washington had lost at Assunpink Creek, the Continental Army would likely have been captured or destroyed, effectively ending the Revolutionary War. Instead, the successful defense and subsequent escape allowed Washington to drive the British out of most of New Jersey and boosted public support for the Revolution.
After marching approximately 12 miles through a cold night, Washington’s army arrived at Princeton at dawn on January 3, 1777. They encountered a British brigade, led by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood, that was marching out of Princeton to join Cornwallis in Trenton. A sharp, fierce engagement broke out on the fields south of the town.
At a crucial moment, when the lead American units were wavering and being overrun by a British bayonet charge, Washington personally rode to the front of the lines. He rallied the troops and led the counterattack, resulting in a decisive American victory. The remaining British troops were surrounded and forced to surrender inside Nassau Hall (the main building of the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University).
Washington at the Battle of Princeton
Following the victory at Princeton, Washington knew his army was exhausted and vulnerable if Cornwallis—who was now rushing up from Trenton—caught them. Washington broke off the pursuit, leaving New Jersey's central corridor, and marched his army north to Morristown, New Jersey.
Beginning around January 6, 1777, the Continental Army set up its winter quarters in Morristown. This strategic location in the New Jersey Highlands allowed Washington to protect his army while constantly threatening the British supply lines that stretched between New York and their garrisons in New Jersey.
In this film, the "Ten Crucial Days" refers to the short, decisive period from December 25, 1776, through January 3, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War that was a critical turning point where General George Washington and the beleaguered Continental Army launched a series of daring, successful military operations in New Jersey that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and renewed the Patriot cause.
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