Good Place to Go in New Jersey for Wildlife Pictures

I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE KNEW OF A PLACE TO VISIT IN NEW JERSEY

THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO TAKE PICTURES, AND HIKE ECT. I AM A

CENTRAL NEW JERSEY COASTAL NATIVE, AND HAVE BEEN TO STOKES STATE

FOREST ECT. I AM LOOKING FOR A PLACE ACCESSABLE FOR A DAYTRIP, SO

DELAWARE, EASTERN PENN, AND SOUTHERN NY AREN"T OUT OF THE QUESTION.

I JUST DONT WANT TO PHOTGRAPH SHORE BIRDS, SANDY BEACHES AND PINE

TREES ANYMORE.

There are wetlands very close to the Philly airport. Also have you been down to Cape May? It is not too much of a trip if you seart out early enough.

Up Rt-15 off I-80, heading for Picatinny(sp?). Mts, lots of rocks showing, hard-wood forest. Standard wildlife, but in a more rugged terrain than where you're at. Mt. laurel might still be blooming, and would be worth the trip for that alone.

 

Farther away, Ricketts Glen St. Park in PA (Sullivan Ct.) is pretty, as are most of the State Game Lands. Starting in Lancaster, PA, take rt 896 S. from US-30, which will run you through Amish country down to Delaware. I remember it being pretty, but always was too involved in trying to not hit a buggy to pay much attention to the scenery. Some quaint towns along the way too. (in a 1930s/40s frozen in time, not deliberately colonialized, look)

Downtown Newark can get pretty wild.....:)

Lakota Wolf Reservation:

 

http://www.lakotawolf.com/

Check out Delaware Water Gap Nat Recreation area and Worthington State forest. Lots of great hiking trails, wildlife and serenity.

Old farmsteads reverting back to nature. This Rec. area was going to be under water, due to the Tocks Island dam project. Residents were forced to leave their properties and then the project was stopped. Land was then turned into park.

Take the last exit heading west off Interstate 80 onto Old Mine Rd. which runs north toward Stokes State Forest. Plenty of places to pull off and explore.<div></div>

This is not an answer to your question. I know you are tired of taking photos of shore birds. For me, Edwin Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, which is a little bit north of Atlantic City, is a paradise for bird watching and photo-taking. It is one of the best refuge, if not the best in the Northeast. Just make sure to go there at low tide.

Try the Manasquan Reservoir in Howell, in central jersey. A nice 5 mile loop around the lake. Lots of birds - including Bald Eagles. Lots of snakes, turtles, deer and other assorted wildlife. You may also want to check out Round Valley and Spruce Run. Merril Creek, way out off of Rt.78 past Clinton is also a good destination with the possiblity of seeing bear.

Actually at Brigantine probably the best time to go is on the rising tide rather than the extreme low tide. This pushes the shorebirds toward you. Rising and falling tides can concentrate herons and terns around the water outflows on the brackish/salt water pond. Extreme low tide tends to disperse the birds, and high tide pushes them out of reach. In Delaware, Bombay Hook is (IMHO) *better* than Brigantine/Forsythe for bird photography, especially herons, avocets, stilts and large #s of geese in the winter.

 

There aren't that many pine trees in central and northern NJ, but if you don't like shorebirds we'll be content for you to avoid Jamaica Bay NWR in NYC in early fall. There are enough of us as it is.

How about in Alabama or near for taking wildlife pictues?