Outdoor Events

  1. Events
  2. Outdoor Events

Events Search and Views Navigation

Event Views Navigation

Today

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

6/27: “Sounds of Summer” Invitation Only Hike at the Refuge

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - Bluebird Parking Lot Bluebird Parking Lot, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, NJ, United States

We want to show you our appreciation by taking you on a special behind-the-scenes hike at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. This time of year flowers are in bloom, birds such as red-bellied woodpeckers are nesting everywhere, wood froglets can be seen in mass around the vernal ponds, and we may even spot a red fox. We will be on the lookout for all of this and more. Led by GSWA staffers, you will benefit from their combined wealth of natural history knowledge. Not a member? Become a member now by clicking the "JOIN" button at the top of this page. Then come back and register for the hike. This is your special opportunity to take in all the beauty of the amazing lands that form part of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Management area. Claim your "back stage pass" today! Meet at the Bluebird Parking Lot: GSNWR Bluebird Parking Lot, Intersection of Pleasant Plains Rd. Auto Tour Route & Wood Duck Way, Basking Ridge, NJ. You can plug the following coordinates into your GPS (exactly as you see them): 40.709360, -74.502889  

Sold Out $50.00

Night Sky in July

Great Swamp Watershed Association HQ 568 Tempe Wick Rd, Morristown, NJ, United States

UPDATE: due to forecasts of 90% cloudcover and inclement weather this event is postponed for a later date.   Please e-mail knecovska@greatswamp.org to be informed of the rain-date.  Explore the night sky with GSWA and North Jersey Astronomical Group (NJAG) for a very special late night summertime event. Our guest this evening is Mark Zdziarski of NJAG, who will help facilitate our viewing of the night sky and its constellations. This is a great event for amateurs, seasoned skywatchers, and any curious folks wanting to dip their toe in astronomy.   As the evening darkens, Jupiter and Saturn become more prominent in the Southern sky.  With luck, we will see the dragons and heroes of the Summer sky directly overhead; Serpens, Scorpius, Draco as well as Hercules, Ophiuchus (Asclepius), and Bootes the herdsman.   We will also hopefully witness the sounds and sights of late night wildlife at 568 Tempe Wick Rd. This event is weather permitting - Please be sure to check for updates closer to the event. Tickets are extremely limited. For more information on North Jersey Astronomical Group events, visit NJastro.org and on Facebook at NJAG

Free – $40.00

Hike: Birds, Bees & Fungus

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - Bluebird Parking Lot Bluebird Parking Lot, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, NJ, United States

Grab your binoculars and field guides for a Friday evening hike with our knowledgeable naturalists at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The blue bird parking lot trail offers a variety of habitats and critters to see, including a pair of nesting bald eagles if we're lucky! Summer is in full swing and there are lots of beautiful wildflowers, birds, bugs and mushrooms on full display. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to check them all out and learn a little bit more about them! We will meet at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Bluebird Parking Lot at the  intersection of Pleasant Plains Rd. Auto Tour Route & Wood Duck Way, Basking Ridge, NJ. It's a bit tricky, so enter the following coordinates into your GPS as they appear here and to get to the exact location:  40.709360, -74.502889

Get Tickets Free – $40.00

Summer Colors Hike at Garret Mountain Reservation

Garret Mountain Reservation Lambert Castle Parking Lot, 3 Valley Rd., Paterson, NJ, United States

Soak up the last drops of summer at the beautiful Garret Mountain Reservation. Adam will guide you through the trails and identify the many varieties of trees and plants at the peak of their lushness. Situated 500 feet above sea level, Garret Mountain Reserve offers several overlooks with panoramic views of northern New Jersey and New York City that you can't see from anywhere else in Passaic County. Be sure to grab your binoculars, camera and reusable water bottle. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. Registration required.

Get Tickets Free – $40.00