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2019 Lighthouse Challenge of NJ»
I visited the National Scenic and Recreational Maurice River as a side trip during The Lighthouse Challenge of NJ, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019. I visited about half of the participating sites, focusing on the ones I didn’t see in 2018.
After visiting the East Point Lighthouse, which sits at the mouth of the Maurice River at the Delaware Bay, I followed the signs for the Maurice River Townships Bike Trails. This led me to a landing area upriver from the lighthouse.
This part of the river runs through salt marshes. Congress designated 29 miles of the river under the Wild and Scenic River program in 1993 because of its importance as a link between the Pine Barrens and the Delaware Bay ecosystems.
It is a habitat for over half of the state’s endangered species, a productive oystering area and is the only place in NJ where wild rice grows.
2019 Lighthouse Challenge Posts:
- Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse
- Finn’s Point Lighthouse
- Supawna Meadows NWR
- East Point Lighthouse
- Maurice River
- Cape May Lighthouse (Coming Soon)
- Cape May Point State Park (Coming Soon)
- Tatham Lifesaving Station (Coming Soon)
- Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary (Coming Soon)
- Lifesaving Station 30 (Coming Soon)
Location: Fort Mott & Lighthouse Rds, Pennsville, NJ 08070
Designation: National Scenic and Recreational River
Date established/designated: December 1, 1993
Date of my visit: October 19, 2019
Even though we lived in NJ for four years and explored it quite a bit, you keep coming up with new places for me.
So much to see😊
I like the road and the perspective shot. It feels like something I would like to walk or drive down. –Curt
Thanks 😊. I just released 5 of your comments from spam….not sure why they went in there
I learned about the Pine Barrens from the last Barbara Kingsolver book, “Unsheltered”. Did you read it? The bike trail sounds wonderful. I’d love to be able to explore it some day.
No, have not read that one. The Pine Barrens are part of an NPS unit…the Pinelands Preserve…it is a vast area in South Jersey with many communities like Vineland within
The book is actually about Vineland.
Yes, that’s why I mentioned it😀
The Maurice River is a joy, but somehow secret to almost everyone I know. Even though I take them there physically, and virtually, in NJWILDBEAUTY blog. In late September, you can join a Purple Martin Festival. These beautiful insectivores gather, literally, to the million point, staging for migration. Citizens United to Save the Maurice River and its Tributaries puts it on – in a neat ‘ship’ called The Bodacious. https://www.cumauriceriver.org/ Thank you for calling attention to this vital waterway.
As I recall, it’s not only wondrous people from that very special non-profit, but also from Cape May Observatory and the Purple Martin Society whom you join in these sundown excursions. There are also swallows of all species, swirling in and out of the martins as sun vanishes; and osprey beyond counting. Eagles are usual in that region, but I’m not guaranteeing a sighting.
Several posts re the martins: https://njwildbeauty.wordpress.com/?s=purple+martins
I’m really glad to ‘meet’ you, meet your blog. Right now, both of us are giving people virtual voyages in our magnificent, underappreciated New Jersey! So appreciative.
Sounds wonderful! Hopefully festivals will be happening by September. The National Park Travelers Club just had to cancel their annual convention (end of July) and my May trip to California canceled. I’m having to go back into the archives to keep enough fresh material going for the blog this year. Nice to meet you as well!