Endangered NJ gets lots of reports of wildlife sightings. Unfortunately, the majority are not accompanied by photos, videos, or any kind of physical evidence (such as tracks), so we can't always confirm the sighting.
Jamie in Lincoln Park sent us the backyard trail camera photo below of a fisher taken this month. The area borders the Great Piece Meadows Preserve off of RT 80.
Fisher
An earlier email was another possible fisher sighting about a half mile from Bearfort fire tower in West Milford near Cedar Pond, but the photos were too unclear to verify.
Fishers (Martes pennanti) are the rarest of our state's water-loving mammals. They have made a comeback in northwestern New Jersey. Fishers were extirpated from New Jersey in the 1800s as their range in Sussex and Warren counties was taken over by farmland early in the country's history, forcing the animals to deeper woods.
They are fierce carnivores and will hunt squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, mice, raccoons, shrews and even porcupines.
"Also referred to as the fisher cat and Appalachian black cat, this animal looks like fluffy cat meets fox, with a wolverine-like disposition. However, it is neither a feline nor does it catch fish. The fisher is a member of the Mustelidae family, which includes otters, badgers, martens, ferrets, minks, wolverines and more." source
Minks are also part of that family and are native New Jersey mammals found in and around freshwater. They and other aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals – including beavers, otters, weasels, ermine, fishers and muskrats – live in our state but are not easy to spot.
You might be surprised to learn that the American mink is actually a very common species found along watercourses, ponds, lakes and swamps throughout New Jersey. However, they are primarily nocturnal and quite solitary animals, so people rarely encounter them.
Mink (Mustela vision) were well known for their beautiful, soft fur which was prized by trappers and for a long time was used for women's fur coats and clothing. Thankfully, that practice became unpopular as awareness of wildlife becoming threatened and endangered became better known.
The American mink has a lanky body, long tail, short legs, and partially webbed toes, which make them excellent swimmers. They are quite territorial and feed on crayfish, frogs, fish, mice, reptiles, earthworms, and waterfowl. They aren't a threat to humans but like their skunk cousins, they will defend themselves by spraying a foul-smelling liquid.
Despite many reported "sightings" and comments to posts on this site, New Jersey has never officially reported a mountain lion (cougar) being in the state in modern times.
I thought I would update and re-post this 2020 entry because of all the recent comments of cougar sightings. There are two videos here of mountain lions which should give anyone who thinks they have seen one in the wild a better sense of what they would be seeing if a cougar was in front of them.
A Utah runner's October 2020 encounter with a female mountain lion
There was a Reuters report from back in 2011 about a mountain lion killed on a Connecticut highway in Greenwich, which had led people to believe that finding one in NJ is not impossible. Genetic testing on that cougar showed it had come from South Dakota. That means it moved about 1500 miles eastward before being killed on the Wilbur Cross Parkway about 70 miles from New York City. Identification testing also showed that it had been in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and 2010.
Greenwich is only about a 40-mile journey away from a place like Alpine, NJ. Of course, the cougar has to deal with highways and make it over the Hudson River.
So, should we expect a mountain lion to make it to northern New Jersey one day? This was a rare case and is twice the distance any mountain lion was previously known to have gone. It was the first recorded confirmation of a wild mountain lion in Connecticut in more than 100 years.
We know that intensive hunting during the colonization of the Americas and human development of cougar habitat caused cougar populations to drop in most parts of their historical range. In particular, the North American cougar is considered to have been mostly extirpated in eastern North America (the population referred to as the eastern cougar) at the beginning of the 20th century. The exception is the isolated Florida panther subpopulation. Any reports in our area are thought to be misidentifications.
That Connecticut cougar in 2011 was rare and also ironic since that was the year that eastern cougars were unofficially deemed extinct by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But eastern U.S. reported sightings have come up in many states. Mark Dowling, co-founder of the Eastern Cougar Network said in 2003 that sightings in the eastern half of the nation, would "almost certainly" be escaped captives, but he added that the notion that western cougars "will eventually reach New Jersey" is a reasonable prediction, in part due to increased populations of white-tailed deer. Cougars found farther to the east than earlier are seen as being most likely of western origin.
The Cougar Network is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to studying cougar-habitat relationships and the role of cougars in ecosystems. The nearest confirmed sightings they list are in Connecticut.
The video above went viral and appeared widely on social media and TV this month showing a runner in Utah who was "stalked" by a mother cougar after coming too close to her and her cubs on a trail. He initially thought the animals were bobcats but the female mountain lion followed him for six minutes and then left on its own.
For now, I will say that your best chance to see one in our state is to visit Big Cat Country at the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange. Seeing the big cats in person (or at least on the video below) would certainly help you actually identify one if you saw it in the wild. So, before you report a mountain lion (cougar, puma, catamount or any version of Puma concolor) to the authorities, check to see if it looks like the ones in these two videos.
So far, no one has reported to me that they saw a jaguar in the state. You can see those at the zoo too.
Hawks are on their way south for the winter. You might spot them almost anywhere in New Jersey, but you have an excellent chance of seeing some at the NJ Audubon Montclair Hawk Lookout in Essex County. This is the Audobon's smallest sanctuary at 1 acre, but it is the second oldest continuous hawk watch in the nation.
I have climbed up there each fall for a good number of years since it is in my neighborhood.
It is a stone-filled platform atop a 500-foot basalt ledge on a ridge that borders Montclair and Cedar Grove that is part of the First Watchung Mountain. Coastal and ridge flying birds follow this first ridge west of the lower Hudson River Valley. It runs northeast to southwest.
Looking north across the road is Essex County Park, Mills Reservation. A concrete pad on that cliff is all that remains of what was once a tracking location that was part of the Nike missile system. That is the location for the Spring Hawk Count as it offers better visibility to the south as hawks return to the state.
The hawkwatch is manned for fall from September 1 through November 30 from 9am - 5pm. The spring watch is from March 16 to May 15.
"October may be the most interesting time to visit the Lookout, as it offers the greatest diversity of hawk species. Chances are now better to see Merlins or even a Peregrine Falcon or two. However, by mid-month the Broad-winged Hawk flight will be over for the season, as other species begin to peak. The Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawk will be most numerous at the end of the month."
The Hatfield Swamp is a place I often pass in my local travels. "Swamp" is not a word that cries out for you to plan a visit, so let's more accurately and kindly say that this is a freshwater wetland area.
It forms what is sometimes referred to as the "second bank" of the Passaic River at the border area between Morris and Essex counties.
The area of Hatfield Swamp is approximately 2,500 acres (10 km2), located in northern New Jersey at Latitude 40.85 N and Longitude 74.32 W.
The Swamp is part of West Essex Park and there are trails for public hiking. The Essex County Chapter of the Sierra Club and the New Jersey Audubon Society lead trips throughout the swamp in all seasons. A good starting place to explore and get information is the Essex County Environmental Center.
At the western end of the swamp, the Whippany River connects to the Rockaway River. The Rockaway River then travels a short distance into the center of the swamp where it flows into the Passaic River.
After heavy rain and if there is spring snowmelt, Hatfield Swamp floods since three rivers join here.
For animal observation, the area isn't always conducive due to the flooding. Deer, raccoons, possums, skunks and fox all live in the area (West Essex Park) but generally in the less swampy edges the swamp itself where there is higher and drier ground. We might expect to find muskrats there but the flooding would fill their bank dens with water and the area is also not conducive to plant foods that muskrats favor.
In autumn, waterfowl passing through the area rest in the swamp before proceeding south.
This wetlands area is not a place for some tree species (mostly hardwoods), but you will find various oaks, maples, sweet gum, and elm trees. (Find out more about plants found here)
Unfortunately, the three rivers that meet here were all once highly polluted. Things are better today but pollutants that remain in the soil and water have affected flora and fauna. The fish that are most likely found in the Rockaway River and Whippany River are carp and catfish.
Some history: Cornelius Hetfield owned and operated a mill at some point here before the American Revolution. Hetfield was a Loyalist during the Revolution, so his property was eventually confiscated. It was later purchased by Cyrus Crane. It stayed in the Crane family into the 1960s. The mill was dismantled and moved to Allaire State Park in Monmouth County and the swamp area of the park reverted to a slightly modernized Hatfield Swamp.
But let's go way back in Hatfield geologic time. It was the late-Triassic/early-Jurassic and when the North American plate separated from the African plate and created a rift valley. Today we refer to that rift as the Newark Basin. This valley changed over the next few millions of years, the valley faulted, tilted, and eroded and eventually the basalt layers formed ridges. Then the Wisconsin Glacier ice sheet during the last ice age advances and plugs the gap with its glacial rubble. The glacier melts and the water pools up behind the ridges. The ridges are our Watchung Mountains and the pooled water forms Glacial Lake Passaic. Go forward thousands of years and the lake drains leaving behind swamps. The big one is our Great Swamp which drains from that Passaic River and flows through a gap in ridges passing through Hatfield Swamp.
If you want to visit, an easy starting place is the Essex County Environmental Center, which is in West Essex Park. This site (download small map) was once a tavern and stagecoach stop, and the nearby bridge over the Passaic River is where Morris County’s historic Patriots Path connects with the Lenape Trail in Essex County.
I love finding little urban oases hidden away in our densely populated state. They are often found surrounding little streams, creeks and ponds. It's easy to write about the Jersey shore and the Pinelands and Highlands, but most of us live in less natural areas of the state.
I have explored all of the little streams, creeks and ponds in my area. For example, in my part of North Jersey, I know of five little streams that flow eastward through neary Montclair. There is Toney's Brook in the center, Nishuane Brook in the southeast, the Wigwam Brook in the southwest, the Pearl Brook in the northwest, and the Yantacaw Brook in the northeast. They are all part of the Passaic River watershed. (Montclair is just north of the northern border of the Rahway River watershed.)
The Yantacaw and Toney's brooks are dammed in parks to create ponds. The Wigwam, Nishuane, and Toney's brook flow into the Second River, and the others flow into the Third River. At one time, north of Bloomfield Avenue between Grove Street and Pine Street there was another dam and another pond that powered a factory.
The Third River is called that because it is the third (upstream) main tributary of the Passaic River in the northern portion of New Jersey. The Third River (AKA Yanticaw River) originates in the Great Notch from the Great Notch Reservoir in Woodland Park, New Jersey. It runs through the towns of Little Falls, Clifton and Montclair, goes into Clifton a second time, then runs through Bloomfield, through the grounds of the Upper Montclair Country Club, the Glen Ridge Country Club, and Bloomfield's North Middle School where it forms Clarks Pond.
Clarks Pond is a good example of a little oasis. (It should not be confused with Clarks Pond Fish and WMA in Cumberland County) The pond is sometimes used by the school's science classes to help teach biology.
The pond has an elevation of 48 meters, or 157 feet and is at Latitude: 40-49'30'' N and Longitude: 074-10'47'' W (40.8251; -74.1795891) if you like precision.
This is a NJDEP-stocked Brook Trout Pond. The 12 acre pond and wooded area is located in back of the Middle School. I recently visited on a weekend so as not to disturb school activities and be assured of parking. I saw two egrets doing some fishing. No other humans that day were fishing or visiting.
If you want to visit, set your GPS for 60 Huck Rd, Bloomfield, NJ 07003. The school is at the end of Huck Rd and you can park in the Middle School parking lot.
Student Conservation Association (SCA) has a mission is to build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of the environment and communities. They do this by engaging young people in hands-on service to the land.
This is year #61 for SCA. New Jersey is newer to the program but there are several NJ SCA summer high school job programs in areas throughout the state including Hunterdon County, Newark and Camden.
Their first community based conservation program was in Hunterdon County in 1999, partnering with the Hunterdon County Parks system. Since then, they have enlisted 300 high school students in conservation job opportunities in Hunterdon County and the impacts on the county’s trail system have been enormous.
In 2003 SCA expanded its New Jersey programming by establishing high school programming in the Newark area in partnership with Prudential. SCA has Camden community crews that are run from their Philadelphia office.
The New Jersey Community Program provides paid summer job opportunities (July through August) for high school students in the Hunterdon and Essex county regions of New Jersey. This 6-week summer program runs Monday-Friday and incorporates environmental education and job readiness training into the conservation service experience. Participants build trails and restore habitat while exploring green career opportunities, building leadership skills, and learning about the local environment through field trips, outdoor recreation, and service projects.
It is not too early to consider these opportunities, though you need to submit applications by May 16th. Check out the how to apply section of their website.
The Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park is a springtime tradition - even if the weather seems to indicate otherwise some days in April.
The more than 5,000 cherry trees that produce beautiful blossoms this time of year is a great place to visit. There are events that take place during the Cherry Blossom Festival and here are some starting this weekend.
Cherry Blossom Challenge Bike Race
Saturday, April 7th
7am – 1pm
Oval, Northern Division
Race through the Park in the Cherry Blossom Challenge! Various races will occur throughout the morning. Come cheer on the cyclists while enjoying a day in the park. Free to enter the Park and watch!
Cherry Blossom 10K Run
Sunday, April 8th
10am – 12pm
Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division
Race through the historic cherry tree groves in this 10K race! The top three finishers in each age category will receive a commemorative fleece jacket. A portion of the race proceeds benefit the Special Olympics. Same day registration begins at 8am. Advanced registration is recommended. Race starts at 10am. Disabled Run starts at 10:10am. Free to enter the Park and watch!
1-Mile Fun Run/Walk
Saturday, April 14th
10am – 11am
Concert Grove, Southern Division
Join your family and classmates in the One-Mile Fun Run, part of our 42nd annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Children can enter individually on race day. All participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt and an award at the completion of the race.
Essex County Family Day
Saturday, April 14th
11am – 3pm
Concert Grove, Southern Division
Bloomfest
Sunday, April 15th
11am – 5pm
Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division and Concert Grove, Southern Division
Enjoy a family day in New Jersey’s pinkest park! A packed schedule of events includes Japanese cultural demonstrations, children's activities, live music, a crafter's marketplace, food and more!
Cherry Blossom Bus Tours
Wednesday, April 18 – Sunday, April 22
Several tours each day
Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division
Every fall since I have lived nearby, I have made my way up to the NJ Audubon Hawk Watch on the Montclair-Cedar Grove border in Essex County.
Though it was no doubt used for observing earlier, it came to be in September 1959 and is the organization's smallest sanctuary at one acre. But it is big in reputation, being the second oldest continuous hawk watch in the nation.
The Hawk Watch will be open between 9am and 5pm, from September through November 30th.
Climbing the stairs
From the street, a short but steep trail and stair climb will bring you atop a stone-filled platform on a 500-foot basalt ledge.
This is a ridge of the Watchung Mountains. At the border of Montclair and Cedar Grove, New Jersey, is a well constructed Montclair Hawk Lookout, a sanctuary of the New Jersey Audubon.
This is the first ridge west of the lower Hudson River Valley and runs from northeast to southwest and migrating birds use the ridgeline and the thermal to move south.
This place is a small oasis in a densely populated county. Looking south and east on a clear day, you have a view of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the New York City skyline including the Statue of Liberty, and northeast to the Palisades.
View to the west
To the north and west, you can see peaks from the Ramapo Mountains and the edge of the Second Watchung Mountain.
Directly north, really across the street, is the Essex County Park of Mills Reservation. A ledge there still has a concrete pad that is the remnant of the Nike tracking system that ran along the Watchung ridge in the 1960s. From the Mills reservation site, the Spring Hawk Count is conducted, as it has the best visibility to the south to see returning birds.
Chris Payne on his watch
The lookout is monitored for three months in the Fall and two months in the Spring. On my most recent visit, I met Chris Payne who is on duty for NJ Audubon this autumn.
He said that it has been a good year, particularly for Peregrine falcons who have totaled more than 70 as of early November. Most of them have already moved further south.
He tries to distinguish between migrating birds and those who stay in the area. "Locals" will circle and hunt in the area rather than ride the thermals south.
Red-tailed hawk
Red-tailed hawk riding a thermal
The numbers for broadwinged hawks are down so far. There are many buteo jamaicensis, or red-tailed hawks, which is the mascot of the nearby Montclair State University. Red-tailed hawks can be found on campus, where they perch in trees and on utility poles.
An unusual sighting for Chris this fall was a Northern goshawk, a species that, as its name suggests, does not usually go south.
You wouldn't think that raptors would be fooled by a plastic owl atop a pole, but Chris told me that the owl is sometimes attacked. Locals learn it is not real and ignore it, but migrating birds will sometimes spot it and attack. This makes for some good photo opportunities and closer looks for visitors.
The day I visited it was late in the day (3:30 pm) and getting cooler, so there wasn't much activity. It is also late in the year for some species to be still moving past this area. But it is still a nice little climb and a great view.
The platform will be closed at the end of November. As an alternative, try the ridge at Mills Reservation across the road.
Using GPS directions to 42 Old Quarry Rd, Cedar Grove, NJ will put you at the street entrance to the Hawk Watch. There is street parking and a small parking area just west of the entrance along the edge of Mills Reservation, which you can enter from that parking area and find a trail to that other lookout.
Video: A visit to the Montclair Hawk Watch - North Jersey Video 2:55 Oct 12, 2017
The Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Montclair - the "Rainbow on the Hill" - celebrates its 90th anniversary this May. The Presby Memorial Iris Gardens is recognized internationally for its horticultural and historical significance. Following them on Instagram, I am reminded that forsythia blooming means its time to fertilize my own irises. Autumn is the time to divide irises, but if you buy new ones or just have a really crowded bed, take a look at their YouTube channel which has a video on how to divide the clumps and replant. For many years, it was a Mother's Day tradition for me to take my mom to the gardens, as irises were always one of her favorites in our own home garden.
The anticipated bloom season is May 12 through June 2. The bloom season begins with the “minis” bearded collection, then to the famed tall bearded irises, and ends with the non-bearded irises.
The gardens were established in 1927 to honor Frank H. Presby, a Montclair resident involved in improving the town's parks and recreation as well as the Montclair Art Museum. Presby was also a founding member of the American Iris Society, hence the decision to focus on that plant.
Starting with two 4-foot-wide beds, the public gardens now contain nearly 14,000 irises of approximately 1,500 varieties.
In addition to enjoying the iris blooms, you can visit the Bloom Room gift shop, and their Plant Sale will offer iris dug from the gardens.
The Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens is located at 474 Upper Mountain Avenue in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. During bloom season, admission is a suggested $8 donation to help fund garden costs. The Gardens are open daily from dawn until dusk.
Bloom Room Gift Shop Opens & Iris Plant Sale
Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Bloom Room Gift Shop features an exciting mix of affordable home and garden accents. Potted and bare root irises from our collection are available for purchase. Visitors also may reserve summer grab bags.
Mother’s Day
Sunday, May 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Enjoy the day with Mom at Presby. Treat her to a special iris or item from the Bloom Room Gift Shop. Enjoy a free music program. A special luncheon is planned; check the website for ticket information. Artist Lisa Palumbo will be available from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to sign artwork.
Family Garden Party
Saturday, May 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Essex County Family Garden Party is a free community event sponsored by the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs with entertainment, crafts, face painting, booths from local organizations such as the Essex County Environmental Center and Master Gardeners, and various food trucks. A student art exhibit will also be featured. Rain date: Sunday, May 21.
Live Jazz Music
Weekends during Bloom Season from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
TaikoZoku Japanese Drumming Show
Sunday, May 21 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Hear the thrilling sounds of this Japanese style drum troupe from Glenn Weber’s New Jersey School of Percussion in West Orange.
Outdoor Movie Screening Disney’s Moana
Saturday, June 3 at 9 p.m.
Hosted by the Montclair Film Festival and Essex County Parks System.
I have written about the Cherry Blossom Festival at Essex County's Branch Brook Park here since I started the blog - but there are still lots of people in NJ and outside our state that don't know about it.
Branch Brook Park has more than 2,700 Japanese cherry blossom trees that burst into full bloom during the annual Festival. Washington D.C. is famous for its cherry trees sent there as a gift from Japan, but it is far less known that Branch Brook Park has more cherry trees than Washington D.C. In fact, it is the largest cherry blossom collection in the United States.
Here are some upcoming events:
Cherry Blossom 10K Run
Run through the historic cherry tree groves in this race that is sanctioned by the USATF and is Women’s Master’s Championship race. A portion of the race proceeds benefit the Special Olympics. Online registration can be done at www.compuscore.com. Same day registration begins at 8 a.m. Advanced registration is recommended. Race starts at 10 a.m. It’s free to enter the park and watch. The Cherry Blossom 10K Run will be held as follows:
Date: Sunday, April 9, 2017
Time: Registration: 8 a.m.
10K Race: 10 a.m.
Place: Essex County Branch Brook Park
Cherry Blossom Center
Mill Street
Newark, NJ
Cherry Blossom Guided Tours
Have knowledgeable guides take you on a 45-minute journey and point out over 120 years of history hidden within Essex County Branch Brook Park’s structure and design. Tours leave from the Essex County Cherry Blossom Welcome Center daily at 11 a.m., 12 Noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Transportation around the park is provided. Tickets are $5 person and can be reserved by calling 973-433-7469. Tickets also will be available for purchase in the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center on days the tours are being held. Space is limited. For group or private tour bookings, call 973-433-7469. The Trolley Tours will be held as follows:
Dates: Sunday, April 16th through Saturday, April 22nd
Times: 11 a.m., 12 Noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Place: Essex County Branch Brook Park
Cherry Blossom Welcome Center
Mill Street
Newark, NJ
1-Mile Fun Run and Walk
Celebrate the arrival of spring and get fit with your family or friends. Children are encouraged to run individually or as a member of a school team. Schools and groups must register in advance by calling 973-268-3500. This is a free event. All participants will receive a commemorative T-shirt. The Fun Run and Walk will be held as follows:
Date: Saturday, April 22, 2017
Time: 8 a.m. Registration
10 a.m. Race
Place: Essex County Branch Brook Park
Southern Division, Prudential Concert Grove
Newark, NJ
Essex County Family Day
The public is encouraged to come out and enjoy an afternoon of family-fun with a variety of events including live performances, children’s activities, a fishing derby and more. Bring your own picnic lunch or purchase food from vendors who will be on site and enjoy the picturesque views overlooking the lake. Admission is free but food and other merchandise will be for sale. The Family Day will be held as follows:
Date: Saturday, April 22, 2017
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Place: Essex County Branch Brook Park
Southern Division, Prudential Concert Grove
Newark, NJ
Bloomfest
Enjoy a family day in the pink park! A packed schedule of events includes cultural demonstrations, children's activities, live music, a crafter's marketplace, food and more at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center. Winners from the “Why My Essex County Park is Important to Me” essay contest for 4th graders and “Cherry Blossom Poster Contest” for 6th graders will be recognized on stage. Additional musical performances will be held at the Prudential Concert Grove. Admission is free; food and merchandise will be for sale.Bloomfest will be as follows:
Date: Sunday, April 23, 2017
Times: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Place: Essex County Branch Brook Park
Main Areas: Cherry Blossom Center
Mill Street, Newark, NJ
Second Stage: Southern Division, Prudential Concert Grove
Newark, NJ
Historic Tours by Cell Phone
This free, self-guided historic walking tour can be accessed by cell phone or smart phone. Spend the day exploring all 72 tour stops or pick and choose your favorites. One call to 973-433-9047 or a scan of the bar code at each tour stop unlocks a world of park history and horticultural information.
History, driving directions, a complete list of activities and a web cam where the public can monitor the cherry trees for the peak of the bloom season can be accessed by visiting www.essexcountynj.org. More information can also be obtained by calling 973-433-9047.
The Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival is hosted by the Essex County Department of Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Affairs. It is sponsored by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ.
Lake Aeroflex in Kittatinny Valley State Park is considered the deepest natural lake in NJ
Some early spring days and temperatures may have gotten you thinking about more outdoor activities. Walks and hikes are my own favorite way to get outdoors these days. Back in the days when my knees were in better shape, I really wanted to through hike the Appalachian Trail, but I knew that was a reach. I joined a hiking club that did the Appalachian Trail in sections which seemed more doable. Though I never did the entire east coast AT, I did cover all of its sections in NJ, NY, PA and sections in other states.
NJ.com ran an artilce recently with suggestions of where you might hike in each of NJ's 21 counties. Setting a goal of doing a hike this year in each county would be a good way to get into hiking and see more of the state.
Starting up north, you could try a Sussex County hike in Kittatinny Valley State Park. In its 5,600-acres, there are trails of varying difficulty. Actually, for almost all of the 21 suggested locations, you can take a hike and also a gentle walk. These are not backpacking expeditions requiring training and special equipment (though there are a few tougher hikes in our state).
Kittatinny features some glacial lakes and limestone outcroppings that will be seen from two rails-to-trails paths and those Stokes State Forest, a popular destination featuring a portion of the Appalachian Trail, cliffs, Tillman Ravine and miles of good hiking trails.
And down south, you can try Cape May Point State Park. With 244-acres along the Jersey Shore, this spot offers some flatland walks and hikes through wetland marsh, coastal dunes and beaches. The area is known for its wildlife and birding - along with a World War II-era bunker offshore. There are no mountaintops to scale, but you can climb the Cape May Lighthouse.
Alternately, you can explore Belleplain State Forest, which is in Cape May County but extends north into Cumberland County. The Forest offers several trails including a flat but longer (7.2 miles) East Creek Trail.
In between and in my own backyard of urban Essex County, there is one of childhood stomping grounds: South Mountain Reservation. At 2,112-acres, this urban nature reserve is located between the first and second ridges of the Watchung Mountains.
It is a great escape with woodlands, streams, creeks, ponds, a reservoir and Hemlock Falls. There are trails from less than a mile (a short walk!) up to 6 miles. As with any of these locations, you can bundle several trails together to create a longer hike.
An alternative spot is the smaller 400-acre Eagle Rock Reservation which is also an easily-accessed spot for a short day hike or ramble.
Mills Reservation is another one of NJ's urban forests located in Essex County. It is my favorite local walking spot as it is very close to my home. It is located primarily in Cedar Grove with a section reaching into bordering Montclair. It became a part of the Essex County Park system in 1954 due to a donation from the Davella Mills foundation which had previously owned the land.
Mills Reservation consists of deciduous woodland and wetlands with the only development consisting of a small unpaved parking lot located off of Normal Avenue and the development of an extensive trail system for a small area. Though it is surrounded by roads and homes, like many urban parks, it offers a welcome escape close to home.
The Reservation grew from its original 119 acres to 157 acres through a land swap in the mid-1960s with the city of Newark who owns adjoining property and the reservoir in Cedar Grove.
Mills Reservation is located on the First Watchung Mountain. The word “Watchung” is of Native American origin and means “high hill." Geologically, the rock which forms the Watchungs is known as volcanic basalt which formed when molten lava extruded out of the earth’s surface and cooled rapidly.
Mills Reservation features seven trails totaling 6.1 miles. The trails overlap, which can be confusing, but the most used one is the 1.5 mile Mills Loop Trail. It is essentially a gravel road which is popular with joggers and dog walkers, while the other six trails go deeper into the wooded forest areas and are more interesting.
The Reservoir Trail has red blazes and runs for 1 Mile heading west from the Parking Lot and following the western border of Mills Reservation near Reservoir Drive. The Reservoir trail ends where the southern section of the Eastview Trail begins.
A portion of the the much longer Essex County Lenape Trail also runs through the reservation. The Lenape Trail is a trail connecting Newark and Roseland, New Jersey. It was established in 1982.
It is the fifth longest trail in the state and it traverses cities like Newark and its suburbs, but also the Watchung Mountains and the Passaic Meadows. The Lenape Trail is part of the larger 156-mile Liberty Water Gap Trail, created in 2000.
The Lenape Trail westis accessible from the parking lot via the short Lenape Link Trail (Yellow on White Blazes) which heads west from the Normal Avenue parking lot to connect with the Lenape Trail. From here, you can connect to the West Essex Trail which is the Lenape Trail's only true "rail-to-trail" section.
The Lenape Trail also heads southwest crossing through the Reservoir Trail, Mills Loop Trail and the Woodland Trail. Once the Lenape Trail crosses the Woodland and Mills Loop Trail, it heads east to Quarry Point and then north paralleling the Eastview Trail and into Montclair’s Mountainside Park on its way to Newark.
The Eastview Trail (Blue Blazes, 1.1 Miles) starts its southern portion near the Old Quarry Road entrance to Mills Reservation and, as the name implies, heads east to Quarry Point before turning north on the eastern portion of the reserve. Quarry Point contains volcanic basalt outcrops in addition to a very old cement platform where anti-aircraft guns were installed during World War II. There are great views of NYC and to the south. This is the first ridge west of the lower Hudson River Valley, and runs from northeast to southwest. The view from the platform is south and east. Bring binoculars. To the south, on a clear day, there is a view of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, and south and east you can see the entire New York City skyline including the Statue of Liberty, and all the way northeast to the Palisades. Looking far north and less easily to the west, peaks from the Ramapo Mountains can be discerned, and the beginning of the Second Watchung Mountain.
The NJ Audubon Society uses this and their Lookout across the road for observing migratory birds, such as warblers in the spring and hawks in the fall. The Montclair Hawk Lookout is opposite Quarry Point (across a road) atop a 500-foot basalt ledge.
The Mills Gate Trail (Orange Blaze) is a very short side loop of the Mills Reservation Loop that goes through the original entrance of Mills Reservation.
DIRECTIONS: Take the Garden State Parkway south to exit 151 (Watchung Avenue in Montclair). Turn west from the exit ramp onto Watchung Avenue. Drive about two miles until the road ends at Upper Mountain Avenue. Turn north and go 1.7 miles to the traffic light at Normal Avenue. Turn west and drive 0.3 miles to the entrance on the left. Limited parking is also available on Old Quarry Road near the southern entrance and that is just steps away from Quarry Point and the Hawkwatch.
Last year, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, the city of Newark The Trust for Public Land announced the groundbreaking for a nearly $8 million expansion of the city’s Riverfront Park.
Riverfront Park is an urban greenway meant to connect city residents to the Passaic River waterfront.
This is actually the beginning of the third phase of the park’s development, which entails two stretches of riverfront land that will be developed with a boardwalk, walkway system, a fitness zone, an overlook with seating, a bikeway, space for open-air events and a gateway to the downtown area. A walkway will also be constructed under the Jackson Street Bridge, allowing safe pedestrian crossing between the Ironbound section of Newark and downtown.
The first phase of the park system – developed as the result of a partnership among the city, Trust for Public Land and Essex County Parks Department – opened in 2012 and provides playing fields for baseball, soccer and football, as well as basketball and tennis courts.
A second phase of the park opened in 2013. This phase connected the recreational complex to the park through a gateway linked to riverfront green space, which was developed with a boardwalk noted for its burnished orange planking made from recycled plastic, walkways and a floating dock.
The DEP is providing approximately $6.3 million toward the estimated $7.76 million cost of this phase of the project, including funding for park construction and remediation. The Trust for Public Land has provided the balance of the funding through private donations and other local sources. Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey, based nearby, is funding the Horizon Wellness Trail through the Horizon Foundation and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey is providing funding for the Fitness Zone.
NJDEP Commissioner Bob Martin said. “Rivers have long been an integral part of urban communities. Connecting people to them again is an important aspect of redeveloping urban areas. The Administration has a proven track record of working with government leaders, community groups and nonprofit organizations to improve the quality of life in New Jersey’s cities through revitalization."
"Our continued work on Riverfront Park allows the Passaic River to serve as a front door to the city,” said Newark Mayor Baraka.
“In addition to providing a great outdoor space for city residents and downtown workers to enjoy Newark’s riverfront, our partnership is helping to create a healthier community,” said Trust for Public Land New Jersey Director Anthony Cucchi. “For example, the park’s expansion will soon provide a Fitness Zone to exercise in, a new dedicated lane for cyclists, and the Horizon Wellness Trail to connect Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood with downtown Newark.”
The DEP added the park development sites to its Brownfield Development Area Program in 2009. Under this initiative, the DEP works closely with communities to design and implement plans that transform contaminated and/or underutilized properties into productive places again. The last use of the park development area was the Balbach Smelting and Refining Works.
The project is expected to be completed in 2017. The first phase of work will include and remediation of contaminants from historic fill – slightly contaminated dirt moved from other parts of the city many decades ago to reclaim waterfront land – as well as a small area of contamination from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and total petroleum hydrocarbons. These areas will be capped with clean fill, grass, trees and shrubs.
The Christie Administration has played a pivotal role in another key component of revitalization – making sure the river is remediated from decades of industrial pollution that has contaminated sediments with pesticides, metals, PCBs and dioxins from the production of the Vietnam War-era defoliant Agent Orange.
In partnership with the DEP, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has launched a $1.4 billion remediation of the most heavily polluted stretch of river sediments, an 8.3-mile stretch of the lower river downstream of the park site. This project includes removing 3.5-million cubic yards of contaminated sediments to out-of-state facilities as well as bank-to-bank capping.
The EPA has removed the most heavily contaminated sediments from portions of the river near the Diamond Alkali Superfund site. The company polluted the river with toxic dioxins resulting from the manufacturing of Agent Orange.
The Passaic River was vital to the region’s economy for more than 100 years, attracting thousands of jobs and bringing prosperity, but pollution ultimately led to bans on any harvesting of crabs and limitations on eating fish from the river.
Today, due to many years of efforts – including cleaning up past contamination and park development such as the Riverfront Park project – Newark is realizing its potential as an important recreational and natural resource.
Though they live along the Passaic River, many Newark residents hardly know it's there.
For decades, pollution and development have kept the people and the Passaic apart.
But with the opening of Newark Riverfront Park, that's starting to change.
Wolves can be found in North America, Europe, and Asia. Expanding development, farming, and ranching activity has drastically reduced the wolf’s range and population. Suitable habitat now restricts wolves to remote areas of their traditional range.
But conservation and education efforts will hopefully protect and preserve wolves throughout the world. There are no wolves in the wild in NJ, but you can visit them in captivity.
Reintroduction programs are being implemented and captive wolves in zoos, and wolf research centers are being maintained to insure that the genetic purity of wolf species is preserved. Turtle Back Zoo’s wolves come from Wolf Park Research Center in Battle Ground, Indiana.
In the urban wilderness of Essex County, you can visit wolves at the Turtleback Zoo which has a Wolf Woods habitat. You can see timber wolves close up but safely through glass panels that let you feel like a member of the pack. Several viewing stations let you see the wolves from different angles. You will wolves see crossing a stream, resting on logs and rocky outcroppings and nose-close right at the window. The Zoo is located at 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, New Jersey.
If you want to hear the howling of wolves in NJ, you can also head to the mountains of the Delaware Water Gap in Warren County, NJ. At the Lakota Wolf Preserve, there are great photo opportunities with packs of Tundra, Timber, and Arctic wolves in a natural surrounding. There are also bobcats and foxes at the reserve. The preserve is at at 89 Mt. Pleasant Road, Columbia, NJ - see http://www.lakotawolf.com/ for information.
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