Outdoor Events

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.

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Experience our trails in a new light - moonlight! Join Education Director, Hazel England, on a warm summer's moonlit night through our conservation management area and learn to identify owls, bats, and other creatures of the night by their sounds and habits. Note: This hike will take place over dark, uneven and sometimes slippery terrain - please dress according to the weather and wear sturdy hiking boots. Registration required. Register now or by calling 973-358-3500

Witness breathtaking views of New York City from one of the largest tracts of preserved land in New Jersey. Continue your exploration of the Watchung Mountains with our education associate, Dan Ross, and take the opportunity to explore this gorgeous Passaic County Park. On this hike, you will explore new trail systems and find native wildlife in their preparation for the long cold months to follow. You truly won’t want to miss this third installment of our downstream adventures series! Please note: This is a difficult hike of considerable elevation. Registration required.  Register online at GreatSwamp.org or call (973) 538-3500. Please note: Newspaper listings for our event are out-of-date. The start time has changed to 4:00 pm. Please plan accordingly. 

We team up with Madison Mud: A Clay Studio, to bring nature right into your own home. Sandra LaVigne, GSWA Director of Water Quality, will lead a hike at our Conservation Management Area. As we discuss fall foliage, get inspired to create our own bit of nature! Participants will have the opportunity along the hike to collect samples of leaves that inspire them and press them into an artistic clay tile. Melanie, of Madison Mud, will glaze your tiles with your choice of color. Tiles must be picked up at Madison Mud, Main St, Madison, date to be determined (approximately 10 days after the hike). Madison Mud has generously offered GSWA an additional fundraising opportunity! When you pick up your tile at the studio, if you chose to create another building project with Madison MUD, half the studio fee for your additional project will be donated to GSWA  (the cost of this optional additional project is $30). This opportunity will be available from the appointed pick up date through December 1, 2017. You create a beautiful handmade piece of pottery and help to support GSWA at the same time! Further details available at the hike. Space is limited and registration […]

November’s full moon is known as the “Beaver Moon.” According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, Algonquin Native Americans and American colonists called the November moon the “Beaver Moon” because “this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs.” Join Great Swamp Watershed Association as we hike the moonlit trails, and listen for nighttime creatures. The open canopy cover and bright moonlight provide the perfect backdrop to hear and spot owls, as they become more active for the mating season. Registration required.  Register online or call (973) 538-3500.   Please note this address is approximate: Barrett Field contains the parking lot. Please use this lot for parking.