USFWS · Wilderness area · New Jersey

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness

Roughly 25,000 years ago, where the Wisconsin Glacier reached its furthest point south and stopped, the creation of Great Swamp began. With cattail marshes, wet meadows, swamp woodlands, and ridges thick...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateNew Jersey
Size3,660 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1968, by Congress
Center point40.7188, -74.4579
Night skyNoticeable light pollution (Black Marble reading 130)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness?

3,660 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness in?

New Jersey.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1968.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness?

No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How do I get to Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 40.719, -74.458. Morristown National Historical Park is 3 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 130 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, noticeable light pollution.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness?

Morristown National Historical Park (3 mi), Thomas Edison National Historical Park (10 mi) and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (18 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness?

354 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Speedwell Village--The Factory and Smith, Nathaniel, House.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.