County Road 619, Stillwater Township, NJ
Phone: (973) 383-5230
www.njparksandforests.org
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
From I-80, take exit 25 for U.S. Route 206 North. After approximately 11.8 miles turn Left onto U.S. Route 206 North/Spring Street in Newton. At the traffic light turn Right following signs for U.S. Route 206 North. In less than 0.5 miles turn Left onto CR 622 West/Swartswood Road, this becomes Newton Swartswood Road. After 4.3 miles turn Left onto CR 619 South. After 0.6 miles the entrance to park is on the Right. Map1a) Little Swartswood Lake Turn left out of parking lot. After 0.6 miles turn Left onto CR 622 West/Newton Swartswood Road. After 0.4 miles turn Right into parking area for Little Swartswood Lake.
Open dawn to dusk daily; 8 a.m. to sunset for main day use area, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for the designated swimming areas. A parking fee is charged between Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day: $5.00 during the week, and $10.00 weekends and holidays. Ticks are abundant in this area; take appropriate precautions. There is also a healthy black bear population that should be enjoyed from a good distance.
The Duck Pond Trail is a mile-long barrier-free trail. It offers a view of the largest sinkhole pond, provides an observation blind and affords disabled visitors the opportunity to get well off the beaten path.
Participate in a naturalist-led lake ecology interpretive tour. Using park supplied kayaks, spend an hour paddling around the various lake environments, getting a first-hand look at how this dynamic system functions. Reservations are required and the day-use fee applies.
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| Bald Eagle - In Flight | Kevin Karlson |
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| | Swartswood State Park, New Jersey’s first state park, is the perfect place for a rewarding and enjoyable outdoor experience. Stop at the park office to speak with the staff and gather plenty of free maps, brochures and guides. This relatively small area offers a remarkable range of habitat types that support an equally diverse assemblage of flora and fauna. Swartswood Lake, a 10,000-year-old natural glacial lake, is a must-see for both its scenic beauty and unique aquatic community. There are also historic gristmills and sites of former Native American habitation awaiting discovery amidst the peace and quiet found at this park.
an easily viewed pair of nesting Bald Eagles that have made their home at Little Swartswood Lake. The office staff can provide an update for viewing possibilities. Also, be sure to spend time in the Sinkhole Ponds Natural Area. These sinkholes are ringed by their own unique vegetative community. Twelve rare plants can be found in this exceptional ecosystem. Please use care in this fragile area so that the next person can admire these plants.
Snow cover affords an opportunity to cross-country ski or snowshoe the trails and develop skills at wildlife track identification. Usually, smaller lakes and ponds freeze before Swartswood Lake, and this condition makes the area excellent for viewing a variety of waterfowl. Bare-branched trees allow for easy location of Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. The antics of wintering Dark-eyed Junco, American Tree Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow and the resident Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee and Carolina Wren help brighten the doldrums of winter.
Freshwater wetlands, streams, forests and fields attract many species of migrant and nesting songbirds. In early spring, Eastern Bluebird can be seen pairing up for the upcoming breeding season, and American Redstart and Scarlet Tanager may also be seen later in the season. Osprey and Bald Eagle can be observed fishing, while abundant waterfowl use the lakes and ponds. Careful observation may reward the seeker with rare looks at Red-throated Loon on the lake and American Bittern in the marsh. Endangered in New Jersey, the Pied-billed Grebe is common at the lake during this season. Concentrate on listening to the myriad bird songs; this park is the place to develop “birding by ear” skills.
Wildlife watching can be particularly fun this time of year when young animals are making their appearances. Be mindful to observe these youngsters from afar; fawns, bear cubs, fox pups and bird fledglings are all possible. It is also the most active time for predator/prey interactions. The transformation of the sinkhole ponds from open water to dry bed is an ecological lesson not to be missed. Keep an eye peeled for flashy breeding birds like Wood Duck and Belted Kingfisher.
The forest is alight with a spectacular display of fall hues. As the trees and shrubs drop their leaves, a wide variety of abandoned nest and nesting cavities become visible, providing the opportunity to hone nest identification skills. If there is ample rainfall, fleshly fungi are both abundant and varied. In late fall be ready to greet returning wintering waterfowl on the lakes.
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