Mine Road, Bethlehem Township, NJ
Phone: (908) 782-1158
www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/depts/parks/guides/jugtown.htm
Hunterdon County
From Tunnel Road and Turkey Hill Road proceed Northeast to the end and turn Right at the stop sign onto Route 173 East. If departing from Tunnel Road after 0.8 miles be prepared for a sharp Left onto Mine Road. If departing from Turkey Hill Road proceed 1.4 miles making a sharp Left onto Mine Road. After 0.1 miles turn Left to remain on Mine Road, and after 0.5 miles turn Left into parking area just before preserve sign. Map
Open daily dawn to dusk. Parking area is unpaved and on the opposite side of the road just beyond the Bethlehem Township municipal complex. Restrooms are not onsite but are possible at municipal building on weekdays. Hunting is allowed by special permit in season. Visitors during hunting season are strongly encouraged to wear blaze orange or confine visits to Sundays when hunting is not allowed. 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 Trail connects this park with Tower Hill Reserve.
Especially in fall and winter, look for remnants and relics of the mining that took place here for over 130 years. The ancient rocks of the Highlands—as old as 1.3 billion years—are rich in minerals. Small samples of magnetite, which can be found on trails on and in tailing piles, are surprisingly heavy, which is evidence of the high iron content of this ore.
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| Red-tailed Hawk | Mike Anderson |
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| | The name Jugtown dates to Prohibition times when bootleggers hid their distilled merchandise under rock ledges on the ridge. This 237-acre park is a good example of maturing upland forest with mixed oaks, located atop what is locally known as Jugtown Mountain. It is part of one of the principal ridges of the Highlands, which is also called—depending upon the town—Musconetcong, Mooney’s, Scotts and Schooley’s Mountains. Vantage points to the west provide scenic views of the Musconetcong Valley and are also good lookouts to view migrant and resident hawks and vultures, which often can be seen close-up on westerly and northwest winds.
The area contains deposits of iron-rich magnetite ore, which was mined from the 1860s to 1943 at the Swayze Mine and others in the area. Small samples of heavy magnetite (look for black stones) can often be found along the trails, and relics of mining days—old foundations, tailings mounds, rock pits, etc.—can be seen throughout the site. A historical marker on Mine Road describes some of the mining history of the area.
Bundle up to brave wind-scoured ridgetops in search of Red-tailed and Cooper’s Hawks or Turkey and Black Vultures. Wild Turkey and, occasionally, Ruffed Grouse can also be found; look for their tracks in the snow and dirt, along with those of red fox, raccoon, long-tailed weasel (rare) and whitetail deer. Large scat and big paw prints tell of black bear that sometimes roam the area.
Beginning in March, Tree Swallow, Eastern Phoebe, kinglets and sparrows can be found here, and April and May bring a good variety of warblers, vireos, orioles, flycatchers and other Neotropical migrants and breeding species. Spring ephemerals such as bloodroot, spring beauty, bellworts, hepatica, wild geranium, anemone and a good variety of violets add splashes of color to the greens of spring. March and April bring scattered vernal pools for frogs and salamanders.
Look for locally-breeding birds such as Ovenbird, other warblers, Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Wood Pewee and Red-eyed Vireo. Whip-poor-will can sometimes be heard singing its name in late May and June at dusk and early evening. Butterflies such as Wood Nymph, Little Wood Satyr and other woodland and edge Lepidoptera species are at their peak in summer.
This is a good spot to see migrant Neotropical passerines in September and migrant and overwintering sparrows, kinglets and finches in October. September through November is good for migrating hawks and vultures on overlooks at the west side of the ridge. At least six species of oak occur and the acorns of each species are distinguishable from the others.
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