Outdoor Events

Join us for the next installment of “Downstream Adventures” Hiking at Watchung Reservation. We will be exploring scenic gorges, visiting the remnants of the deserted village of Feltville, following alongside the Blue Brook and marveling at Lake Surprise. This will be a difficult hike over a few miles.          

GSWA is looking for volunteers to help us to remove invasive species and replant a native buffer around Kitchell Pond. We'd love to have your help! This event is cosponsored by Morris County Park Commission.            

Calling all would-be explorers, adventurers, and buccaneers! The Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt is back for another year of outdoor fun! Think you know a thing or two about New Jersey’s Great Swamp? Then it’s time to test your powers of navigation and observation to find out. Begin the Scavenger Hunt just after 10 a.m. by checking in at GSWA’s Home Base under the pavilion at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge’s Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center. (The Visitor Center is located just inside the Lee’s Hill Road park entrance at 32 Pleasant Plains Road in Harding Township, NJ.) We will provide you with a route to travel, questions to answer, and a list of treasures to find throughout the 55-square-mile Great Swamp Watershed region. It’s your job to navigate to each treasure site, seek answers to the questions and riddles provided, and then return to Home Base with all your spoils. Remember to hurry back to 32 Pleasant Plains Road at 3 p.m. because your day of pilfering booty will earn you several chances to win some special prizes at our Scavenger’s Tricky Tray! A free cookout waits for all who participate, so don’t forget your barbecue enthusiasm. We love […]

**DUE TO WEATHER THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FROM MAY 6** Grab your kayak or canoe and join GSWA as we paddle upstream from the Fisherman’s Parking Lot at the Lord Stirling Environmental Education Center. We’ll traverse beaver dams and explore the river, with Somerset County Park land on one side, and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge on the other. Our eyes will be peeled for turtles, snakes, migratory birds, and other creatures as we paddle through the peaceful waters. Please note that there are two times for this event, and each time is limited to eight boats (not individuals).9:00 AM – 11:00 AM OR 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM. You must bring your own boat, paddles, and personal flotation device (PFD). You will not be able to join the guided paddle without a PFD, which will be inspected before we leave. You should be dressed to get wet (including your shoes) and bring your own water. You will be asked to sign a waiver prior to participation. Registration required.

The cool forests and boardwalks of our 53 acre Conservation Management Area are the perfect place to escape to on warm late-spring evenings. With the forest in full bloom, Great Swamp Watershed Association Director of Education and Outreach, Hazel England will guide you in identifying spring ephemerals and lead you to explore the numerous vernal pools filled with frogs, tadpoles, and frog eggs. Hiking is on our flat mulch and boardwalk trails in Harding Township. Registration required. Register below or by calling 973-538-3500.      

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT  Our Downstream Adventures series continues with this glacial wetlands edition! Join us in visiting Great Swamp’s “sister-swamp” -- Troy Meadows is a 3,100 acre nature preserve in Parsippany-Troy Hills. Along with Great Swamp, it makes up a large remnant of Glacial Lake Passaic. Troy Meadows was once the largest freshwater marsh and highest quality inland wetland in New Jersey and but is now under threat of development. There is just so much abundant and unique plant and animal life here to explore!  Your guide, GSWA Education Associate, Dan Ross, leads an adventure through the wetlands in search of the flora and fauna that call this treasure home! Your organizer will contact you with exact parking information. Also, please wear knee boots if you have them or otherwise long pants- some areas are overgrown with prickly vegetation. Registration required. Register here or call (973) 538-3500.

Grab your kayak or canoe and join GSWA for an immersive river journey as we paddle downstream on the Passaic River. During your trip, you will explore the calm waters of the Passaic and learn about riverine habitat, the plants and animals specialized to this environment as well as some local history. You must bring your own boat, paddles, and personal flotation device (PFD). You will not be able to join the guided paddle without a PFD, which will be inspected before we leave. You should be dressed to get wet (including your shoes) and bring your own water. You will be asked to sign a waiver prior to participation. Registration is required. We have a limited space available. Register for this event through this page or by calling 973-538- 3500.