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CANCELLED: Groundhog Day Hike

Rifle Camp Park 387 Rifle Camp Rd., Woodland Park, NJ, United States

Due to extreme temperatures and icy trails, this hike is cancelled. To experience similar views and amazing falls, register for our March 31 Paterson Falls Explorer Hike & Tour!   Shadow or no shadow, this Groundhog Day hike is happening! February 2nd is the midpoint of the winter season and a great day to get outside and shake off your winter blues. Rifle Camp Park, located just south of Garret Park in Passaic County, is extensively forested and also the perfect spot to catch stunning views of the Paterson skyline. This is an intermediate hike with some ups and downs, and rocky underfoot. Dress for the weather, hiking shoes strongly recommended. Registration is required.

Sold Out Free – $40.00

2/16: Dog Lovers Hike at the CMA

Great Swamp Watershed Association's CMA 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, United States

Calling all pooches! Grab your family and a leash, and c’mon out to the CMA for a much-needed, mid-winter hike. We know you’re ready to get some fresh air and sniff new smells. This is your day! You must play nice with other dogs, remain on your leash for the entire hike, and make sure your human cleans up after you. Limit: 15 pups, so register today!

Get Tickets Free – $40.00 1 ticket left

3/29 Vernal Pool Exploration Hike

Great Swamp Watershed Association's CMA 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, United States

With temperatures rising, the forest floor will be hopping with new life as frogs and other amphibians crowd into shallow puddles of water to breed and lay their eggs. These puddles, better known as vernal pools, provide a perfect opportunity to learn more about Mother Nature here in New Jersey. But we have to hurry! They disappear quickly. This annual Vernal Pool Exploration provides a fun, outdoor learning experience for kids and adults alike. Discover the differences between a spring peeper, a chorus frog, and a wood frog. Find out how far an endangered spotted salamander will walk to find a mating pool. And, learn how much everything we have come to appreciate about the springtime depends upon a few unassuming puddles of water on the forest floor. Warm clothing and waterproof footwear, especially hiking boots, are strongly recommended. Registration is required.

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

SOLD OUT – 3/31: Paterson Falls Explorer Hike and Tour

Paterson Great Falls National Park 72 McBride Ave,, Paterson, NJ, United States

We are sorry to say this event is sold out. Please check out other exciting upcoming events at GSWA on our website: https://www.greatswamp.org/events/   Explore Paterson from the other end of the Passaic. Join us for an afternoon of nature and natural history. Ilyse Goldman, Interpreter at the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, will guide us on an informative hike through the area where will check out the new viewing platform to explore the 77-foot high waterfall. From there we’ll hike along the old raceway, and we'll even squeeze in a museum visit. It's a great opportunity to gain insight into the importance of Paterson, the first planned industrial city that was centered around the Great Falls, and how it changed the face of our country. We will meet at the Great Falls and go from there. Dress for the weather, hiking boots recommended for potentially muddy conditions. Registration is required.

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

4/6: Stream Assessment Training (Free)

Florham Park Library 107 Ridgedale Avenue, Florham Park, NJ, United States

Want to try something a little different? How about becoming a stream monitoring volunteer? Even if you just want to learn about stream health, this free, interactive training opportunity may be just the thing for you! An indoor classroom session teaches you how to conduct visual and biological stream assessments, identify macroinvertebrates, and recognize environmental factors that may impact stream health. An outdoor session lets you practice your new-found skills at a local stream site. By afternoon, you will be a fully trained visual-stream assessment volunteer and ready to conduct an assessment! Bring a pair of boots and clean shoes to change into. There will be a short walk to reach the stream. Tools and supplies are provided. Preferred volunteers are 15 or older. Includes indoor & outdoor sessions. Bring a pair of boots and clean shoes to change into. There will be a short walk to reach the stream. Tools and supplies are provided. Preferred volunteers are 15 or older. Includes indoor & outdoor sessions. This free training session will be conducted in conjunction with the AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassador Program. Registration is required.

RSVP Now Free

CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER – 5/2: Hike at Watchung Reservation

Watchung Reservation 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside, NJ

Want to explore a deserted village? Do you like scenic gorges and trails that follow the water? Our hike at Watchung Reservation will have all those things and more! Join us for an adventure through the reservation led by GSWA Education Associate, Adam Palmer. We will walk and talk about the winding paths and forest as we adventure alongside the Blue Brook, and we may even stop at Lake Surprise! (It’s a…surprise.)  Registration is required.

Sold Out Free – $40.00

SORRY, THIS HIKE IS SOLD OUT! 5/18: Full Moon Hike @ CMA

Great Swamp Watershed Association's CMA 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, United States

May's full moon is known as the "Flower Moon" to signify the flowers that bloom during this month. Join Hazel England, GSWA Director of Education and Outreach, Land Steward, as she leads us on a hike to discover some gentle nighttime creatures. May is great time to enjoy a moonlit hike at the CMA. The canopy and bright moonlight provide the perfect backdrop to hear and spot owls. Our full moon hikes are a real hoot, so don't miss out on this unique, family-friendly opportunity! Registration is required.

Sold Out Free – $40.00

5/23: Fungus Walk through the Swamp

Great Swamp Watershed Association's CMA 1 Tiger Lily Ln, Morristown, NJ, United States

Join your fellow fungus enthusiast, GSWA Education Coordinator, and all-around fungi, Adam Palmer, on a foray into the mysterious world of mushrooms, slimes and molds. Enjoy a hike around our Conservation Management Area as we look for and talk about the important roles of decomposers, symbiotic relationships, and even parasites in an ecosystem. Register today as there won’t be mush-room left on this hike if you wait!

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

6/9: Great Swamp Great Music Festival

Hartley Farms Polo Field Spring Valley Road, Harding Township, NJ, United States

Gather up your friends and family for an afternoon of live, outdoor music at our 2nd Annual Great Swamp, Great Music Festival. Grab a spot under the tent or in the field, and check out the variety of tasty food, merchandise, and adult beverages for sale by our local vendors. It’s all the ingredients you’ll need for a sensational Sunday afternoon! Your email confirmation serves as your ticket - be sure to print it and bring it along! For more information, click here.   TICKET SALES HAVE ENDED: Please purchase tickets at the gate.

Free – $20.00

6/14: June Moon Hike

Jockey Hollow Visitor Center 600 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ

Explore Jockey Hollow by the full moon in June! Look and listen for owls, bats, fireflies and other nocturnal creatures by the light of a full moon. Later we will relax by a roaring bonfire and hear stories that 18th century colonists told around their own campfires and learn about their views on the darkness. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity with two highly experienced and knowledgeable naturalists, Adam Palmer, GSWA Education Associate, and Eric Olsen, Park Ranger and local historian. Space is limited and it will fill up fast! This hike is free to all GSWA members; a $10 donation is appreciated from non-member adults, $5 for children. Registration is required. Register at GreatSwamp.org or call 973-538-3500. (Image courtesy of ChingChing Tsui CC-BY-2.0)

Sold Out Free – $40.00