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Trail Guides
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Franklin Pond
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6
 
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46 Main Street, Franklin, NJ
Phone: (973) 827-9280 x100
Franklin Borough
Return to Route 23 North. After 3.9 miles turn Left at the traffic light onto Franklin Avenue. After 0.5 miles turn Left into Franklin Pond parking lot. Map
Less than one mile from Franklin Pond, on land managed by Kittatinny Valley State Park, is a Gneiss bedrock ridge of mixed hardwoods and hemlock with a small brook at the base. Turn Left out of the parking area, and after 0.2 miles take the first Left onto Cork Hill Road. Take the first Right onto Maple Road and then the first Left onto Wildcat Road. The area begins 0.1 miles on the Left, and there is some parking on the shoulder. Enjoy deep-woods birding and two wonderful examples of Native American rock shelters.
| | Franklin Pond is the perfect place to master the art of waterfowl identification. The approximate 25-acre impoundment, roughly the shape of an hourglass, can be viewed entirely by car, which is a great amenity for the disabled or on rainy days. However, short walks to prime viewing locations, facilitated by footbridges, add to the experience. Historically, the pond has been the premier location in the Wallkill Valley for large and diverse gatherings of waterfowl and other water-loving birds. Songbirds from the common to the rare also frequent this site. Look for the abundant remnants of early iron furnaces and forges.
The shallow water of the pond generally leads to an early spring thaw, making it a magnet for waterfowl, particularly if it is stormy on the coast.
This is a relatively small area, so if the pond is frozen over it will be quiet. If not, however, wildlife will seek it out.
Waterfowl are diverse and abundant. Cinder deposits from the iron-producing days provide a prime nesting habitat for turtles and Killdeer. Across the road and downstream from the dam the banks of the Wallkill teem with migrating songbirds and the trout fishing is excellent.
Take a leisurely evening walk or sit and relax while enjoying the summer resident bird species. For those interested in geology or history, take the time to visit the adjacent world famous Franklin Mineral Museum or the Franklin Heritage Museum.
Hunting was banned on and around the pond about 40 years ago, making it a prime resting area for birds—especially waterfowl—chased from locations that do allow hunting. On a clear and calm day the reflection of the fall colors is spectacular.
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