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Long Hill Township is the quiet corner of southern Morris County that most people only pass through on the train. It is made up of five small sections, Stirling, Gillette, Millington, Meyersville and Homestead Park, and it shares its entire northern border with the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. That makes it one of the best places in the county to see birds, walk flat wooded trails and get a free close look at eagles and owls. Here is our guide to things to do in Long Hill Township, NJ.
The Raptor Trust in Millington
Start here. The Raptor Trust at 1390 White Bridge Road in Millington is a wild bird rehabilitation center that also lets visitors walk a self guided Aviary Trail past about 50 resident hawks, eagles, falcons and owls that cannot be released. Admission is free (donations are welcome), and it is open seven days a week, weather permitting: 9 AM to 4 PM from Labor Day to Memorial Day and 9 AM to 6 PM in summer. Two things to know: dogs are not allowed anywhere on site, including the parking lot, and the rehab areas are off limits. It is one of the stops in our roundup of places to see wildlife in Morris County.
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge covers more than 7,700 acres and runs along the whole north side of the township. Local residents bought the first land and handed it to the federal government in 1964 to stop a proposed jetport, and today it is a Registered National Natural Landmark. The township’s own Great Swamp page breaks it into two halves:
- The Wilderness Area, roughly everything east of New Vernon Road, has no roads and few signs. You can hike, snowshoe or cross country ski on or off trail. One easy way in: from Meyersville Circle, drive north on New Vernon Road about a mile to White Bridge Road, turn right and park at the dead end.
- The Management Area, west of New Vernon Road, is open on set trails at the Wildlife Observation Center (about 1.7 miles north of Meyersville Circle on New Vernon Road), at the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center at 32 Pleasant Plains Road, and along Pleasant Plains Road.
White Bridge Road, which runs about two and a half miles from the Passaic River past The Raptor Trust to the refuge’s Orange Trail, is the township’s best known birding stretch, with more than 130 species recorded. The other side of the swamp, in Harding, is covered in our guide to things to do in Harding Township.
Township trails and quiet walks
Long Hill’s Environmental Commission put together a Birding and Breakfast guide to the township’s smaller natural spots. Our picks from it:
- Hicks Tract: 59 township owned wooded acres with a paved track between Millington and Stirling, reached from Knollanddale Road off Northfield Road. Look for pileated woodpeckers.
- Central Park: about 71 acres of wet woodland along the north side of Valley Road.
- The Passaic River flood plain: wet woods and vernal ponds near the Valley Road and River Road junction in Millington and the lower end of Main Avenue in Stirling.
- Shrine of St. Joseph: quiet grottos and short trails behind the parking lot on Long Hill Road in Stirling, at the high point on the southern edge of the Great Swamp basin.
- The Clay Pits: a trail east of Mountain Avenue in Gillette that leads to old clay pits and the Passaic River.
Kantor Park and the summer concerts
Matthew G. Kantor Memorial Park sits next to the municipal building and the public library at the eastern edge of the commercial district, with paved paths and access to the river. In summer it hosts the township’s free Dog Days of Summer concert series on Thursday evenings. Bring a chair and a blanket.
Stirling Lake
Stirling Lake is the township’s summer swim spot, with a sand beach, a playground, a Wibit inflatable course, a pavilion and fishing contests. It is a membership lake, with registration opening April 1 on Community Pass. Members can bring guests, and guest passes are $12 each at the gate.
Where to eat
Long Hill’s dining is small and local, centered on Valley Road and Main Avenue. The anchor is The Stirling Hotel at 227 Main Avenue in Stirling, a longtime tavern open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 AM to 8 PM and closed Mondays. It is an easy stop after a morning at the swamp. For a bigger restaurant scene, Summit, Chatham and Madison are a short drive east.
Getting there
Long Hill has three stops on NJ Transit’s Gladstone Branch: Gillette, Stirling and Millington, which makes it an easy car free day trip from Summit and the rest of the line. By car, it sits between Route 78 and Route 24, about 20 minutes south of Morristown. For local history before you go, the Long Hill Historical Society is a good place to start.
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