Hike New Jersey

Pond in Lontaka Brook Reservation, Morris County  Photo by Chris Casciano via Flickr

No big plans for the Labor Day weekend? How about detoxing your brain with a local hike?

Hike New Jersey is a great online guide to hiking trails, local parks, and other outdoor activities in the Garden State.

It may not cover every park in the state (so far) but it just might motivate you to do some exploration on our NJ trails.

Don't be afraid that these are long, arduous, carry a backpack journeys. Many of these hikes are short, loop hikes that bring you back to where you started.

Just looking at the list of sites and trails in northern NJ brought up this short list of places that I have hiked that would be appropriate to newbies and parents with kids.

• Eagle Rock Reservation
• Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
• Jockey Hollow
• Loantaka Brook Reservation
• Lord Stirling Park
• Palisades Interstate Park

Hemlock Falls by Chris Casciano via Flickr

I have been hiking in South Mountain Reservation ever since I was a kid, but I still find places I haven't seen or new views in a changing landscape.

South Mountain Reservation in Essex County is a 2000+ acre park that borders Millburn, South Orange and Maplewood. It follows the ridge of the lower Watchung Mountain range.

There are some easy and moderate hiking options and the Lenape Trail [yellow blazes] runs the length of the park.

There are two ponds along dammed sections of the Rahway River. My favorite spot as a kid was Hemlock Falls and I still like walking to that spot (especially after a good rain. It is no Paterson Great Falls, but it's a nice spot. There are a few other smaller water falls along trails.

One well known basalt rock formation is Turtle Back Rock which gave its name to the nearby Turtle Back Zoo.

There are also a number of overlooks to the east with views to the Hudson River and New York City skyline. It's a vantage that General George Washington also took advantage of during the Revolutionary War.

Hike NJ suggests for an afternoon hike starting at the Tulip Springs parking area along Glen Ave. in Millburn and following the white blazed trail north along the Rahway River until it meets South Orange Ave. Make a short detour to see Hemlock Falls and follow the yellow or white/red blazes back south along the top of the ridge.

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Photos used here were taken by Chris Casciano and these and other NJ park photos can be purchased at New Jersey Landscape Photography by Chris Casciano. Buy a print to support the Hike NJ site

Looking for Volunteers at Rockport Game Farm

This request was sent to NJDEP WCC volunteers by Paul Ritter, Supervising Biologist at the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife. If you're unfamiliar with the WCC, it is open to anyone 18 years of age and older. It is the largest natural resource management volunteer group in the state. If you are interested, you can obtain an application form along with more information online at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/wcchome.htm

The Rockport Pheasant Farm is a 492-acre facility (within the 1,202-acre Rockport Wildlife Management Area) operated by the N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife. The facility produces approximately 55,000 ring-necked pheasants each year for the sporting public (no pheasants are sold to the public). Acquisition of the property began in 1912 and was completed in 1925. The first release of Rockport pheasants was made in 1923. Since 1923 over 2 million pheasants have been raised at Rockport.

The volunteer request:

As you may recall the Rockport Game Farm sustained catastrophic damage during the October 2011 snowstorm. Since March, the Rockport crew has been working on production of this year's pheasant crop for stocking in the fall starting with egg collection, hatching, brooding and range pen operations. They have completed demolition of the damaged pens and along with assistance from the Bureau of Land Management, have partially completed reconstruction of new pens and runways. Much work still needs to be completed before the upcoming pheasant season and we need your assistance to complete this monumental task on time!

We are looking for volunteers who have specific skills in carpentry, plumbing and grounds maintenance. The ideal candidates for this request should be self-motivated and willing to work on their own with limited supervision.

Carpentry skills required include load bearing wall construction and door installation on load bearing walls.
Plumbing skills needed include sink and toilet repair / installation.
Grounds Maintenance skills include the operation of riding mower equipment and gas powered weed trimmers.

This work will need to be performed between the hours of 8:00 am and 2:00 pm.

If you have the required skills for any of the above listed types of work and are interested in volunteering your services at the Game Farm, please leave your name and a telephone number on the answering machine at 908-852-3461 by September 14th with your interests. Because the staff is generally on the Farm and not in the office, leave your contact information and Rockport staff will call you back.

New Passive Recreation Area for Washington Township

The New Jersey Conservation Foundation announced that it has purchased a 44-acre property in Washington Township. This will add to more than 1,000 acres of preserved farmland and open space already in the Schooley’s Mountain area,

The property was purchased using funds from the Morris County Preservation Trust, the Victoria Foundation, the state Green Acres program and the Washington Township Land Trust.

This is land that is the “special environmental zone” designated in the Highlands Regional Master Plan. That gives it the highest priority ranking for preservation as part of the plan's attempt to protect the region’s water supply. The South Branch headwaters, Schooley’s Mountain and Musconetcong Mountain are all recognized as “Highlands Critical Treasures” by the Highlands Coalition.

The Teetertown Brook runs through the property and it is a tributary of the South Branch of the Raritan River which is a water-supplying river. headwater streams that lead to the South Branch of the Raritan River, which serves as a source of drinking water for more than 1.5 million New Jersey residents. The South Branch is also a valuable trout production area that flows to a major drinking water source, the Spruce Run Reservoir.

The property will be open to the public for “passive recreation” which can include hiking and nature observation. The area is habitat for several endangered and threatened species, including the bobcat, barred owl and longtail salamander.

Butterflies of Bamboo Brook

Spicebush swallowtail butterfly - Photo by Blaine Rothauser

Butterflies of Bamboo Brook

Saturday, August 11

9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Chester Township

Join the folks as New Jersey Conservation Foundation in search of butterflies in summer meadows along Patriots' Path at the Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center, 170 Longview Road in Chester Township. The Butterfly Walk is free, but advance registration is appreciated.

Blaine Rothauser, conservation biologist and nature photographer, will share fun facts about the lives and habits of butterflies, and teach children and adults how to identify common species.

In the mid-1960s, New Jersey Conservation Foundation was one of the organizations that conceived the idea of creating Patriots' Path, which now traverses Morris County and connects with trails in neighboring counties.

To register on line, click here. If you have questions, please contact carol@njconservation.org or 908-234-1225.

Check out the Step Into Nature event listings at http://www.njconservation.org/njcfevents.cfm for other events.