Van Syckels Road, Clinton, NJ 08809
Phone: (908) 638-8572
www.njparksandforests.org/parks/spruce.html
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
From I-78 West take Exit 17 and merge onto Route 31 North. Proceed to the third traffic light and turn Left onto Van Syckels Road. Continue 1.5 miles to the park entrance.
From I-78 East take exit 16; cross I-78 to traffic light. Proceed through traffic light. At stop sign turn Left, merge onto Route 31 North. Proceed to the third traffic light and turn Left onto Van Syckels Road. Continue 1.5 miles to the park entrance. Map
Consider taking a side trip to Union Furnace Nature Preserve, a Hunterdon County Park, and the adjacent William B. Honachefsky Sr. – Spruce Run Gorge Memorial Tract. Union Furnace Preserve encompasses 97 acres, and the adjacent Honachefsky tract encompasses 64 acres of prime forest habitat. Follow the main trail through Union Furnace to continue on the Honachefsky Tract. The Honachefsky Tract is dominated by a mature oak, beech and tulip poplar forest providing prime habitat for a variety of mammals such as white-tailed deer, gray squirrel and black bear. A diversity of amphibians and reptiles can also be found, including wood frog and box turtle. Nesting Pileated Woodpecker, Red-tailed Hawk and recently located Barred Owl can all be observed here. The Highlands Trail can be accessed at the Union Furnace Trail entrance; the two trails overlap for a time. Parking for Union Furnace can be found on Van Syckels Road. After turning onto Van Syckels from Route 31, Spruce Run Fishing Access Parking is on the Left after a short distance. Access to the Union Furnace trail is directly across the street. Be careful crossing; it is a busy road. There is limited parking for the Honachefsky tract approximately 1.7 miles north of Van Syckels Road on the southbound side of Route 31 (GPS N40.69009 W074.93810). A sign exists but it is set back from the road, so proceed slowly. Pull up onto the woods road to park; do not block other vehicles.
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| Long-eared Owl | Scott Elowitz |
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| | Dedicated in 1973, Spruce Run Reservoir was created to meet regional demand for water conservation and recreational space. The 1,290 acres of water surface, and 15 miles of shoreline along the western banks adjacent to Clinton Wildlife Management Area (WMA), make Spruce Run one of the premier recreational and wildlife watching sites in Hunterdon County. Pick up a brochure at the office or talk to the experienced staff about the best places to view wildlife before exploring.
Follow signs for the boat launch parking area, and along the way look for a teal marker that denotes the Highlands Trail. Within a short distance this trail leads to the wildlife observation blind on the western shore of the inlet. From there it continues into the Clinton WMA adjacent to the park. An impressive view of Spruce Run Reservoir is found at the boat launch area, offering an excellent opportunity to scan for waterfowl and Bald Eagle. Killdeer have nested here the last few years. Don’t be alarmed by a broken-wing display by this shorebird. The parent is trying to distract attention from nearby young. A fishing pier is at the end of the road on the eastern shore just before the boat launch. Hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, brown and rainbow trout, northern pike and tiger muskies are some of the possibilities for catch-of-the-day.
Bald Eagle winters in the area, so keep a watch on the reservoir and adjacent tree line. Fish and waterfowl are mainstays of an eagle diet. Search open water for wintering waterfowl including Common and Hooded Mergansers, Northern Pintail, Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon and Bufflehead. Resident waterfowl species may be found as well; look for Pied-billed Grebe, Gadwall, American Black Duck and Mallard.
This site offers many habitats so during spring it boasts great bird diversity. Birds of the open water and water’s edge include Common Loon, Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Herring Gull, Osprey and Bald Eagle. Forested areas provide resting and feeding spots for migrant and local songbirds such as Prairie, Yellow-rumped, Black-and-white, Pine, Palm, Blue-winged, Hooded and Parula Warblers, Common Yellowthroat and American Redstart. All can be seen on a good day. Check the water’s edge for frogs and occasional northern water snake.
Birds increase their activity as they feed young, and insistent high-pitched begging calls from nestlings may lead to sightings. Look for Baltimore Oriole, Indigo Bunting, Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird, Wood Thrush, Veery, Barn and Tree Swallows, Song and Field Sparrows, White-breasted Nuthatch and Tufted Titmouse. On the water, look for a line of ducklings or goslings following their mother or an Osprey snatching a fish. Birds are not the only ones raising young; red fox, coyote, black bear, raccoon and opossum will all be caring for their charges throughout the summer months.
Migration kicks off toward the end of August. Broad-winged Hawks are early migrants; it might be possible to see a kettle of them drifting over adjacent ridges. Look also for Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrel and Bald Eagle. Warblers will also be on the move. They have molted into their fall plumage, making them harder to identify, often challenging even the most experienced birders.
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