1547 County Road 565, Sussex, NJ
Phone: (973) 702-7266
www.fws.gov/northeast/wallkillriver
U.S. Department of the Interior
From Route 23 turn north onto CR 565 North/Glenwood Road at the traffic light. The Sussex Queen Diner is the most obvious landmark at this turn. After approximately 1.5 miles turn Left into Wallkill NWR office driveway. Map
There are three public access nature trails. The Wood Duck Nature Trail is a 1.5-mile flat rail trail that ends at the Wallkill River and is wheelchair accessible. Dagmar Dale Nature Trail, leaving from the Refuge Headquarters parking lot, is about 3 miles; it leads to the Wallkill River through a series of rolling fields. The Liberty Loop Trail, which is another flat 2.5-mile trail, goes around the wetland impounds at the north end of the refuge and includes 1.5 miles of the Appalachian Trail. A map of the refuge can be found on their website.
To see the refuge from a different perspective, launch a canoe or kayak into the Wallkill River from either the CR 565 canoe access area or the Bassett’s Bridge Fishing/Canoe Access, which are in the southern portion of the refuge. The Oil City Road Fishing and Canoe Access point is to the north, and is actually over the state line in New York. Be aware that there can be problems with downed trees on the river, especially during the first mile or so north of the CR 565 access point. For more information and conditions visit the refuge office.
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| Short-eared Owl | Lloyd Spitalnik |
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The refuge lies along a nine-mile section of the north-flowing Wallkill River, in a scenic pastoral valley. Established by Congress in 1990, the Wallkill NWR offers a variety of habitats, from swamps and floodplain forests to grasslands and scrub/shrub, all supporting a reported 225 species of resident or migrating birds. The refuge may be enjoyed on foot and/or on the water. There are three hiking trails that traverse the site, along with three launching areas for canoes and kayaks, and many of these same points allow fishing.
early spring migration, which is the best time for the greatest concentration of birds, as waterfowl arrive as soon as the ice and snow melts. At this time there are still many late-lingering raptors present and, at times, tens of thousands of blackbirds can be seen passing over.
Raptor watching can be a highlight, as leafless trees easily reveal perched birds. Red-tailed Hawk and Northern Harrier are common; Cooper’s Hawk and American Kestrel are less so, but usually present. Some years provide concentrations of Rough-legged Hawk and Short-eared Owl, the latter of which can be seen hunting the fields at dusk.
Pintail, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal and American Wigeon are among the numerous waterfowl using flooded fields in early spring. By April early shorebirds such as Wilson’s Snipe and Pectoral Sandpiper begin to arrive, with waves of migrant songbirds following by the end of the month into mid-May. By boat, along the river look for migrant Solitary Sandpiper and nesting Spotted Sandpiper and Belted Kingfisher. Early butterfly species begin to emerge.
The refuge includes vast tracts of managed grassland where Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow and Eastern Meadowlark all nest. Along woodland edges look for orioles, Eastern Towhee, Indigo Bunting, Yellow Warbler and American Goldfinch. . Large numbers of herons and egrets are drawn to wetland pools throughout the summer; look also for dragonflies coursing these waters.
Fall shorebird migration is less concentrated than in spring, but this is the time to look for “rarities.” October is a great time to observe sparrows, which may all look like “little brown birds” to those just beginning to hone their birding skills, but with practice, three or more species of sparrows may be identified at any given time. Keep an eye out for raptors migrating along distant ridgelines.
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