recreation

Edwin B. Forsythe NWR

Recreation Opportunities

Visitors enjoy a wide range of wildlife-dependent activities at Forsythe Refuge. At various times during the year we must close to the public to carry out wildlife management plans, so it is best to check our web site or call prior to visiting. Organized groups are requested to contact the refuge to register their visits in advance.

BRIGANTINE DIVISION	BARNEGAT DIVISION
Photography, Wildlife Observation, Nature Study	Photography,Wildlife Observation,Nature Study
Visitor Information	Holgate
Hunting, Fishing and Crabbing	Hunting, Fishing and Crabbing

Wildlife Observation, Photography and Nature Study

AT THE BRIGANTINE DIVISION

Most of the refuge's public use facilities are located at the Brigantine Division headquarters area in Oceanville, open daily sunrise to sunset. This site provides exceptional wildlife viewing, photography, and environmental education opportunities. Best wildlife viewing occurs in spring and fall. Biting insects abound from mid-May through mid-October. Ticks occur all year, and are most active during warmer months. Some ticks may carry Lyme disease, known to be harmful to humans. Insect repellent and other safety precautions are recommended. For great wildlife viewing tips check out Great Outdoor Recreation Pages site.

Wildlife Drive: A leisurely eight-mile drive through wetlands and woodlands reveals wildlife visible from the roadway. Look for spectacular concentrations of migratory water birds in spring and fall, as they stop and linger in refuge habitats managed to meet their needs.

Nature Trails: A quiet foot traveler may see a variety of wildlife along these tranquil paths. Take time to notice the beauty of a wildflower, a butterfly feeding, the hoofprint of a deer...

Leeds Eco-Trail, a scenic half-mile loop foot path through saltmarsh and woodlands, offers visitors a chance to view life on the edge of these two interesting habitats. Marsh segments of the trail are boardwalked, and the first 700 ft. is accessible to persons in wheelchairs.

Akers Woodland Trail, a quarter-mile easy walking path through native woodlands, provides many seasonal opportunities to see migrating warblers.

Headquarters and Auditorium: The refuge headquarters building contains information and staff offices. The auditorium, which is currently under renovation, offers an interesting array of seasonally changing wildlife displays. Stop in and see the most dangerous creature on the earth. Spread your wings and see how large an eagle's wingspan is. See how small a hummingbird's wingspan is. See our migration displays. New displays will be available soon.
The Headquarters and Auditorium, which are barrier free, are open weekdays 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

A Self-Service Visitor Information Area provides Bird checklists, Wildlife Drive and Refuge brochures, as well as recent wildlife sightings and other important information. Barrier free rest rooms are available.

The Friends of Forsythe Retail Sales Outlet is located next to the Information Booth. Open weekends in the spring and fall, look for environmental books, t-shirts, gifts, and other birding items.

AT THE BARNEGAT DIVISION

Wildlife viewing opportunities are seasonal in some areas of the Barnegat Division and year-round in others.
Barnegat Platform/USFWS/Cindy Heffley Barnegat Observation Platform: Visitors can glimpse migratory water birds feeding and resting in the refuge's 600-acre Barnegat impoundment. The platform and boardwalk are located on Bay Shore Drive between Ridgeway and Edison Avenues, east of Route 9. We are pleased to provide this new birding opportunity to refuge visitors.

The deCamp Wildlife Trail: This one-mile foot trail, located at Montoloking and Adamston Roads in Brick Township, offers visitors year-round opportunities to experience the tranquil beauty of refuge woodlands and wildlife. Its first 1300 feet are wide and flat, with benches -- and becoming moderately more difficult thereafter.

USFWS file photo/piping plover The Holgate Unit: The Holgate Unit of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is located at the southern tip of Long Beach Island. It is 2½ miles long, and consists of more than 400 acres of barrier beach, dunes, and tidal saltmarsh This pristine site is part of Forsythe Refuge's designated Wilderness Area offering visitors seasonal opportunities to observe its remarkable living plant and animal communities. As one of New Jersey's last undeveloped barrier beaches, Holgate is an important and productive area for beach-nesting birds -- including piping plovers.

Piping Plover

	The Holgate Unit: The Holgate Unit of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is located at the southern tip of Long Beach Island. It is 2½ miles long, and consists of more than 400 acres of barrier beach, dunes, and tidal saltmarsh This pristine site is part of Forsythe Refuge's designated Wilderness Area offering visitors seasonal opportunities to observe its remarkable living plant and animal communities. As one of New Jersey's last undeveloped barrier beaches, Holgate is an important and productive area for beach-nesting birds -- including piping plovers.

The piping plover is listed by the federal government as threatened along the entire east coast. Holgate is one of the last nesting sites still available for these birds along the Jersey Shore. More than fifty other bird species nest at Holgate during the spring and summer seasons, including ospreys, black ducks, American oystercatchers, willets, and seaside sparrows. During non-nesting season -- approximately September 1 through March 31 -- visitors are welcome to walk Holgate's beach front, to take advantageof its plentiful wildlife viewing opportunities. (Sorry, pets are prohibited -- they can be harmful to both wildlife and this fragile habitat.) During the nesting season -- April 1 through August 31 -- Holgate is closed to all public access, to ensure undisturbed nesting conditions for threatened piping plovers and other beachnesters. See Holgate Public Use Regulations for more information.

HUNTING, FISHING, AND CRABBING
Seasonal waterfowl and deer hunting, fishing, and crabbing are permitted in designated areas of both the Brigantine and Barnegat Divisions, under Federal and State regulation. For current hunting information, check our hunting page. Boats may be launched at the Brigantine Division's Scotts Landing boat ramp, located at the end of Scotts Landing Road, off Moss Mill Road, at Leeds Point. Several privately owned launch sites are also available near Brigantine and Barnegat Divisions.

For additional information contact:

Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
P.O. Box 72, Great Creek Road
Oceanville, NJ 08231
(609) 652-1665

e-mail

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