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Trail Guides
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Tower Hill Reserve
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6
 
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Intersection of Mountain View and Mine Roads, Bethlehem Township, NJ
Phone: (908) 782-1158
www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/depts/parks/guides/TowerHill.htm
Hunterdon County
Turn Left out of the parking area back onto Mine Road. After 1.2 miles turn Right onto Mountain View Road. After 0.1 mile turn Right into parking area. Map
Open daily dawn to dusk. Parking is unpaved and may be muddy. Trails are sod and may also be muddy in places. The area is handicap accessible only if sod can be traversed. Hunting is allowed by special permit in season, so wear bright colors like hunter orange in fall and early winter. Contact the county parks department or visit www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/hunting/instruct.htm for hunting seasons and regulations.
A new section of the Highlands Trails connects this park to Jugtown Mountain Preserve.
| | A former farm, this 216-acre reserve is primarily meadows but also includes wetlands and woodlands. Actively managed to preserve grassland habitat, the meadows are mowed after breeding season to ensure that nesting birds can safely and successfully raise young. An easy one-mile trail meanders along meadow edges, affording the opportunity to view grassland birds, butterflies and wildflowers. It is also open to mountain biking and cross-country skiing. The trail does cross Mountain View Road twice, so use caution when traversing.
waiting by the meadow in March at dusk to view and hear the breeding displays of the American Woodcock.
Meadows have been mowed, leaving little shelter available for the wildlife. However, Eastern Bluebird is likely to brighten the scene. Bluebirds are year-round residents; this species finds a hospitable home in the managed grasslands and a ready supply of bluebird boxes are available for these cavity nesters. Search the tree line for activity by winter sparrows and juncos.
March is the ideal time to visit this park at sunset to observe the mating behavior of the American Woodcock. Classified as a shorebird, woodcock require the specialized habitat of a field bordered by woodland for the spectacular display. Listen for the distinctive “peent” call of the male just prior to his exuberant, twittering and spiraling flight. Later in the season look for migrating warblers in the tree lines.
The calls and activities of common summer residents like Red-winged Blackbird, Field Sparrow and Eastern Bluebird abound. Also, with a bit of searching in some of the field edge corners, Northern Oriole, Indigo Bunting and Eastern Towhee can be observed. Wildflowers like butter-and-eggs, butterfly weed and snakeroot adorn the meadows and draw a variety of butterflies.
Beavers have altered the landscape, creating a marshy area. Chewed stumps and a dam attest to their activity. These resourceful critters do not hibernate, and spend autumn creating a large cache of food to store by the lodge for wintertime consumption. Migrating hawks might be spotted overhead, while Red-tailed Hawk and Turkey Vulture are likely to be seen perched in the trees. As the tree cover decreases, woodpeckers such as resident Northern Flicker and Red-bellied Woodpecker become easier to spot.
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