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 with oak, beech, and laurel, Great Swamp provides a home for 39 species of mammals including mice, moles, skunks, raccoons, otters, foxes, white-tailed deer, and the endangered Indiana bat. Migratory birds see Great Swamp as a "nest and rest" (244 species have been identified). Numerous reptiles and amphibians have taken up residence, including rare bog turtles, wood turtles, and blue-spotted salamanders.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | New Jersey |
| Size | 3,660 acres |
| Designated | 1968, by Congress |
| Center point | 40.72° N, 74.46° W |
| Night sky | Noticeable light pollution (Black Marble reading 130) |
Boundary map
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.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
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
Nearby on the other atlases
- 5.3 miSpeedwell Village--The Factory ↗National Historic Landmark
- 1.1 miSmith, Nathaniel, House ↗Berkeley Heights, NJ
- 1.8 miMadison Station ↗Madison, NJ
- 1.8 miGibbons Mansion ↗Madison, NJ
- 1.8 mi
- 1.9 miBower, David S., House ↗Chatham, NJ
- 2 miMethodist Episcopal Church ↗Madison, NJ
- 2 miMurray Hill Station ↗Murray Hill, NJ
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for New Jersey
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
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
How do I get to Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 40.719° N, 74.458° W. Morristown National Historical Park is 3 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
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?
The National Register has 357 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.