Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge
Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge
1547 Rt 565
Sussex, NJ 07461
Phone:973-702-7266
Fax:973-702-7286
Web: www.fws.gov/northeast/shawangunk
Established: 1999.
Location:About 12 miles northwest of the I-84/I-87 junction near the town of Wallkill, New Jersey.
Facilities:Trails, wildlife viewing sites, visitor contact station.
Activities:Wildlife observation, hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, educational programs.
Special Features:The grassland present today was created in the 1940s when the U.S. military filled a wetland to build an airstrip. Though manmade, the grassland is important to the survival of grassland birds and is one of only two large grasslands in the Hudson Valley.
Habitats: 565 acres, primarily grassland with some wooded areas.
Access: Open during daylight hours, but access is restricted to existing roadway and runways.
Wild life: Grassland-dependant birds including northern harrier, short-eared owl, upland sandpiper, horned lark, eastern meadowlark, bobolink, and several species of sparrow.
See other parks in New Jersey.