Pigeon Swamp State Park is a New Jersey state park located on Deans Rhode Hall Road ( Middlesex CR-610) in South Brunswick, in Middlesex County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States. It is an undeveloped park, with a mix of habitats including open ponds and uplands hardwood forests. It also includes a good example of an inner coastal plain lowland

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

hardwood forest. At one time, it was a major nesting site for

passenger pigeon The passenger pigeon or wild pigeon (''Ectopistes migratorius'') is an extinct species of pigeon that was endemic to North America. Its common name is derived from the French word ''passager'', meaning "passing by", due to the migratory habits ...

s before they became extinct. It was declared a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

in December 1976. The park is located in the Lawrence Brook watershed.

History

The name of the park came from one of its original owners, Ann Pidgeon, daughter of

Jeremiah Basse Jeremiah Basse (died 1725) was a governor of both West Jersey and East Jersey. He became governor of West Jersey in 1697, and became governor of East Jersey in 1697. Basse was not an effective governor, however, after Andrew Hamilton returned ...

. It transferred to John Wetheril in 1761. In 1780, the building of the

Great Ditch Great Ditch is a drainage ditch that drains areas of the Pigeon Swamp State Park in New Jersey in the United States. Course Great Ditch starts at , in the Pigeon Swamp State Park. It flows west, crossing Fresh Ponds Road and Route 130 before jo ...

was begun which attempted to drain Pigeon Swamp in order to create farmland. The ditch was maintained by the state until the mid 19th century. In 1945, the Dallenbach Sand Company dredged part of the site, near what is now

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

. The dredged section is clearly visible from Deans Rhode Hall Road as an open area with a large lake. The entire area is fenced off. As of February 1973, Pigeon Swamp was a unprotected wetland. In 1974, efforts began to turn it into a state park. The park comprises a large number of land plots, owned by the state of New Jersey and managed by its Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry. Development continues to occur nearby, although there are attempts to preserve space for historical or environmental reasons.

Flora and fauna

Many instances of sweetgum,

red maple ''Acer rubrum'', the red maple, also known as swamp maple, water maple, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest Service recognizes it as the most abundant nativ ...

pin oak ''Quercus palustris'', the pin oak or swamp Spanish oak, is a tree in the red oak section (''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae'') of the genus ''Quercus''. Pin oak is one of the most commonly used landscaping oaks in its native range due to its ease of ...

and black gum trees are visible from the road and trails. In the open meadows,

kestrel The term kestrel (from french: crécerelle, derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviou ...

s and

red-tailed hawk The red-tailed hawk (''Buteo jamaicensis'') is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members wit ...

s have been spotted. There are also

vernal pool Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe ...

s which are heavily used by amphibians

Visiting

The park is mostly undeveloped land, with no facilities, other than a small parking area. Deer hunting is allowed in the park, so appropriate cautions must be taken during deer season, including wearing

Blaze orange Safety orange (also known as blaze orange, vivid orange, OSHA orange, hunter orange, or Caltrans orange) is a hue. Safety orange is used to set objects apart from their surroundings, particularly in complementary contrast to the azure col ...

clothing. A certain area of the park is closed off to the general public. It is used as a training facility for large cranes and tractors. The area, which includes a lake, is surrounded by barbed wire fences.

References

External links

New Jersey State map of region
{{authority control Swamps of New Jersey State parks of New Jersey South Brunswick, New Jersey National Natural Landmarks in New Jersey Parks in Middlesex County, New Jersey Landforms of Middlesex County, New Jersey