Route 517, Allamuchy Township, NJ
Phone: (908) 852-3790
www.njparksandforests.org
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Follow exit signs for the park and turn Left onto CR 604 South. Proceed 0.9 miles and turn Right onto Bilby Road. After 0.8 miles turn Right at the stop sign onto CR 517 North. Proceed 1.2 miles, and turn Right onto Deer Park Road. Continue on this road 0.7 miles to the parking area. Map
Open daily from dawn to dusk. Parking is available, along with portable toilets. During inclement weather Deer Park Road and the parking area may not be accessible. This is a sister site to Stephens State Park. It has no office, but maps and information can be found at the Stephens State Park office. Hunting and fishing is allowed; visit the NJ Fish and Wildlife website, www.njfishandwildlife.org, for rules and regulations.
In early to mid-October the fall foliage can be spectacular, with the yellow of the ferns, tulip trees, black birches and the vibrant reds and oranges of the sugar maples, red maples and tupelos.
| | Deer Lake is part of the 8,000-acre Allamuchy Mountain State Park. It is one of the premier birding places in Warren County and consists of Deer Lake, deciduous forest, fields, streams, small swamps, as well as planted Norway spruce and red pine groves. This site is clearly a stopover site for migratory birds; over 150 species have been observed in Allamuchy Mountain State Park and most can be seen in the area of Deer Lake.
a walk along the main road. The first one-mile stretch from the parking lot leads to a large field and is one of the best places to observe wildlife.
During the still of winter Great Horned or Eastern Screech Owls can be heard calling. Listen for the ringing “kak, kak, kak” call of the Pileated Woodpecker. The large oblong holes it drills into the sides of trees are hard to miss and may serve to attract other woodpeckers. Small flocks of mixed woodland birds can also be observed. During irruption years northern finches--such as Pine Siskin or Redpoll--can be found here.
More than twenty species of warblers may be seen during spring migration on the walk along the main road; some of the less common include Kentucky, Cerulean and Mourning Warblers. Calls of frogs and toads are as distinctive as those of birds. The lake habitat supports several species of frogs, so listen for calls from the high-pitched spring peeper to the deep bass of a bullfrog.
Red fox, black bear and white-tailed deer can be seen at this time. Many breeding birds are still active, including Veery, Wood Thrush, Northern Cardinal, House and Carolina Wrens, Baltimore Oriole, Redstart and Yellow, Worm-eating, Chestnut-sided and Hooded Warblers. In addition to the birds, look for a variety of butterflies as they fly among flowers rich with nectar.
Early fall is a great time to look for southbound bird migrants. They have mostly lost their bright breeding feathers so it can be a challenge to locate the birds, but rewarding when a Swainson's Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Philadelphia Vireo, Mourning Warbler or Olive-sided Flycatcher is sighted. Mid-to-late fall is great for raptor migration as well; look for Broad-winged, Cooper’s, Sharp-shinned and Red-tailed Hawks. American Kestrel and Bald Eagle are also possibilities.
|