Bounded by: Route 284/Route 23/County Road 651/NY border, Wantage Township, NJ
sussex.nj.us
Private Farmland
To reach the beginning of Wantage Grasslands Tour: Return to CR 519 North by turning Left onto CR 519. After 2.0 miles turn Right at stop sign onto Route 23 South. Gas and food are available in the town of Sussex approximately 4 miles south on Route 23.
The Wantage Grasslands tour begins here: After 1.0 miles turn Left onto CR 651 North. After 0.1 miles turn Right onto Rose Morrow Road. After 0.7 miles turn Left onto Beemer Road. After 1.6 miles turn Right at stop sign onto Sally Harden Road. After 1.3 miles turn Left onto Quarry Road. Go to end and then return to Sally Harden by turning Left. After 0.3 miles turn Left onto Rose Morrow Road; stay to Left, it becomes Lott Road. After 1.5 miles turn Left onto Wolfpit Road. Take first Right onto Quarry Road. After 1.4 miles turn Left at the yield sign onto CR 651/South/Unionville Road, this is a sharp turn. Look for Wantage Township Line sign on the Left. Follow CR 651 South to Route 23. Map
This area can be viewed from dawn to dusk. The Wantage Grasslands encompasses the area surrounded by Route 284 to the East, Route 23 to the West along with CR 651 to the Northwest and the New York State Border to the North. Access to it requires driving and stopping to scan the fields, and our suggested route is one of many ways to explore the area. Most of these roads are not heavily-traveled, so parking on the shoulder of the road is possible. Please be careful when doing so, and keep local residents and traffic in mind. Do not trespass on private property.
The easiest way to enjoy wildlife viewing in this area, since it is privately owned and mostly preserved farmland, is to concentrate on municipal roads, where parking on the shoulder is easy and relatively safe. Some of the best birding roads include: Beemer Road, Sally Harden Road, Wolfpit Road, Havens Road, Quarry Road and Lott Road.
Ponds, streams and wetlands should be closely scanned for wildlife. All wildlife has a need for fresh water; a variety of wildlife may fly, swim or saunter by.
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| Eastern Meadowlark | Scott Elowitz |
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| | Travelers fond of mountain or farmland vistas reminiscent of New England will enjoy touring the Wantage Grasslands. In the distance High Point Monument, the highest point in New Jersey, will appear, disappear or reappear at every turn. Every season offers its own unique bucolic scene: the quiet solitude winter snows bring to the farm fields; the eye-popping color of autumn in the northern mountains; or the spring pastels that blossom softly, and then burst into the summer greens of woods and hayfields. Scenery is not the only reason to visit; grassland birds abound, as do other birds, butterflies, dragonflies, bear, deer, raccoon, possum, beaver, otter, mink and bobcat, among others. While enjoying the wildlife and scenery, help keep this farmland viable by purchasing the local farm products at the many farm stands in this area.
While sitting 0.4 miles from the intersection of Wolfpit and Harden Roads, realize that all the land within view is preserved either in the Farmland Preservation program or as a State Park. To read more about preserving farmland in New Jersey visit www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/farmpreserve.
Cut cornfields in this area provide food for wintering geese--flocks should be carefully checked for Cackling Goose, which has occurred in the past. Raptors, including Northern Harrier, Rough-legged, Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks hunt the fields and wooded areas for prey such as rodents and small birds. Passerines may include White-crowned Sparrow among the flocks of American Tree and White-throated Sparrows. Look for Horned Lark in fields. Over-wintering Eastern Bluebird may be relatively common, while Northern Shrike is a reliable rarity. Linger awhile into twilight hours in December and January for the “hoo-hooing” of Great Horned Owl. These owls are the earliest breeders in New Jersey and are already laying claim to breeding territory.
Species diversity explodes in this season. Birds are migrating and the woodlands are bursting with song from dawn until dusk. Listen for Eastern Screech Owl “whinnying” at dusk. Over twenty species of warblers can be tallied. Vireos, flycatchers (including Willow and Alder), tanagers, orioles and six species of swallows are all possible. Stay vigilant for bears coming out of hibernation in March and spotted fawns late in May. Butterflies and dragonflies will appear later in the spring.
Wantage is known for its breeding grassland birds, which as a group are species in decline. These include Vesper, Grasshopper, Savannah and Song Sparrows, Eastern Kingbird, Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. Learning their songs will improve the chance of seeing them as they pop up, sing and then hunker down again in the hayfields. Many other species of passerines nest in the wooded areas on the farms, including warblers, vireos, flycatchers, tanagers, orioles and finches. Check swamp areas for rails and ducks. Resident breeders include Wood Duck, swallows, Green and Great Blue Herons, grebes and Common Moorhen. American Kestrel use nest boxes on many of the utility poles. Road edges harbor wildflowers used by butterflies for nectar and as food for their larvae. Iridescent colors of perching dragonflies mingle with the flowers. Note that Sussex County has more species of dragonflies than any other county in the United States!
This part of Wantage offers excellent views of the Kittatinny Mountains, which is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Keep an eye ever skyward for migrating, soaring hawks. September is good for Broad-winged Hawk flights. Later in the season, the larger birds are flying, including Bald Eagle and Rough-legged, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks. Hedgerows in the area will provide shelter, resting areas and food for many of the migrating passerines.
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