Turkey Swamp Park

Turkey Swamp Park is a 1,180-acre (4.78 km²) park located in Freehold Township, New Jersey on the northern fringe of the Pine Barrens. The chief attraction of this park is the seventeen-acre lake suitable for bass, bluegill and catfish fishing.

Nomenclature

The title of the park may be considered a bit of a misnomer considering the park does not bear a swamp, nor does it act as a habitat for turkeys. Although considering that the soil is rather sandy and the water table lies slightly beneath the surface, this thus gives rise to swampy conditions at times when the surface topography dips to the water line; hence the 'swamp' title. The 'turkey' prefix, however, was adapted from the town's previous name, Turkey. The town once known as Turkey is now known as the unincorporated area of Adelphia. [ [http://nynjctbotany.org/njoptofc/turkeysw.html Turkey Swamp hiking information] , accessed 03 October, 2006]

Park information

The park features miles of trails, an archery range, an array of playgrounds, two soccer fields, and various picnic grounds. A section of the park contains a seasonal campground with electric & water hook-ups. During the appropriate season, canoes, paddleboats, kayaks, and rowboats may be rented. During the winter season, as the massive lake freezes over, ice-skating is available for park visitors.

Flora

The flora of Turkey Swamp Park includes pitch pine, scrub oak, white oak, sweet gum, pepperbush, huckleberry, blueberry, &c.

Trails

*The orange-blazed trail, a convert|1|mi|km|sing=on long trail circumventing the lake.
*The red-blazed trail, a convert|1.75|mi|km|sing=on long trail which leads into the woodsy camping area.
*The green-blazed, a convert|1|mi|km|sing=on trail leading to the lakefront area and bordering the red-blazed trail.
*The blue-blazed, a convert|0.5|mi|km|sing=on trail which guides hikers to the boathouse.

References

ee also

*List of municipal parks in the United States

External links

* [http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.asp?trailid=HGN066-067 Turkey Swamp Park Trail Review]
* [http://www.monmouthcountyparks.com/page.asp?agency=130&Id=2540 Monmouth County Park System - Turkey Swamp Park]