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Trail Guides
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Cushetunk Mountain Nature Preserve
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2
 
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Old Mountain Road, Clinton Township, NJ
Phone: (908) 782-1158
www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/depts/parks/ParkAreas/Cushetunk/info.htm
Hunterdon County
Turn Right onto CR 629/Stanton Lebanon Road and travel 0.8 miles and turn Right to remain on CR 629 (follow signs for boat launch). After 1.3 miles turn Right onto Old Mountain Road and proceed 1.6 miles turning Right, before the railroad tracks, into parking area. Map
Open daily from dawn to dusk. The Eagle Trail and part of the Ridge Trail are closed from January 1st to August 1st in order to protect the nesting Bald Eagle in the immediate vicinity. Deer hunting is allowed by special permit from September to February. Contact the county parks department or visit www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/hunting/instruct.htm for hunting and fishing seasons and regulations. Visitors are encouraged to wear bright colors or confine visits to Sundays, when there is no hunting. Accessing the Round Valley Reservoir Trail System from Cushetunk is prohibited by the state park.
Note a small talus slope created by rock debris. The rock debris is mostly diabase, an igneous rock created by volcanic action.
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| Cooper's Hawk | Mike Anderson |
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| | This preserve is located on the northern slope of Cushetunk Mountain. Its name derives from the Lenape Indians who called it ‘Mountain of Hogs’ because of the wild hogs that foraged on the mountain. The northern slope does not receive direct sunlight and provides a damp habitat favored by amphibians. The preserve offers a hardy hike along a forested hillside. The climb up to the ridge becomes quite steep, and the trail along the ridge is challenging in a several locations. This ridge is part of a ring of mountains formed by volcanic activity during the Triassic Period, over 160 million years ago.
The greatest asset of Cushetunk Preserve is the solitude.
Resident and visiting winter birds can be viewed, such as Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco and White-throated Sparrow, along with the resident woodpeckers: Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied. Visit this location at dusk for an opportunity to hear the “whinnying” calls of Eastern Screech Owl.
Climb up to the ridge and explore the denser brush for the spring migrants as they pass through the area. Hooded and Kentucky Warblers are both possible, more common would be Yellow, Yellow-rumped and Black-and-white Warblers. Check the spring seeps for eggs of the American toad, green frog and pickerel frog. Frogs will gather together when laying the eggs, so listen for their chorus. Red-backed salamander may be found under leaf litter, and the slimy salamander makes its home under stones or decaying logs in wooded areas.
Cushetunk’s open canopy offers an ample view into the treetops, making it easier search for the area’s breeding birds. Possible sightings include Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager and other colorful birds. Also look for wildflowers by the railroad tracks; Queen Anne’s lace, Dutchman’s breeches and Asiatic dayflower may all be found in the meadow or along wooded edges. Butterflies such as Tiger Swallowtail and Pearl Crescent may be attracted to the small meadow. Bald Eagle nests on Cushetunk Mountain, so be alert and look to the sky or even the trees for a glimpse of our national emblem.
Cushetunk is not the premier county location for fall migration, but it can still provide a surprise or two for the hiker. It is hawk migration season, so make sure to look to the sky for Cooper’s, Sharp-shinned, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks. Be alert for woodpeckers. If a Pileated Woodpecker is foraging on downed logs or excavating feeding holes in a dead tree, it is hard to miss this large bird, and its loud call cannot go unnoticed. Check the ground for the scrapings of roaming Wild Turkey or for the birds themselves. Black bears are preparing for hibernation and may be seen; make sure to admire them from a distance.
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