Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge At A Glance...

Over 360 bird species have been recorded here, and the refuge is known internationally as a birding hotspot.
The Wildlife Drive is 8 miles long and open year round, with observation towers at Gull Pond and Turtle Cove.
Large wintering populations of American black duck and Atlantic brant make the cold months one of the best times to visit.
The refuge protects more than 47,000 acres and runs almost 50 miles up the coast, from Brigantine to Brick Township.
Holgate is one of the last undeveloped stretches of barrier island in New Jersey, and it is open in winter and closed all summer for nesting birds.
It supports one of the largest breeding populations of the federally threatened piping plover.
Todays Sunrise: 6:40 am, Sunset: 7:03 pm
New Jersey Greater Atlantic City Region Atlantic County

About Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge protects more than 47,000 acres of southern New Jersey coastal habitat, actively managed for migratory birds. The refuge sits on one of the Atlantic Flyway's most active flight paths, which makes it an important link in seasonal bird migration, and its value for protecting water birds and their habitat keeps rising as the New Jersey shore is developed for our own use.

It is not one place. The refuge runs almost 50 miles up the coast, from Brigantine north to Brick Township, in separate pieces - salt marsh, shallow coves and bays, barrier beach and upland forest. Nearly all of it is water and marsh you look at rather than walk on.

The part almost everyone means by Forsythe is the headquarters area on Great Creek Road, where the Visitor Information Center and the 8-mile Wildlife Drive are. The bird list here runs to over 360 species, and the refuge is known internationally as a birding hotspot.

Activities:
- Fishing
- Hunting
- Jogging / Running
- Walking
Amenities:
- Restrooms/Bathrooms
- Beach
- Parking Lot(s)
- Nature / Environmental Center
- Picnic / Sitting Area
Trails:
- Boardwalks
- Flat / Easy
- Natural Surface (Dirt/Roots/Rocks)
- Walking Paths
Park Type:
- Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
- Scenic Areas (overlooks/waterfalls)
Rules/Regulations:
- Entrance Fee Required
- Must be Leashed
- Special Hunting Permit Required

Contact / Location

Primary Address:

Get Directions 800 Great Creek Road,
Galloway, New Jersey 08205

Contact:

Maps & Brochures:

Related:

Trail & Path Info

About 8 miles of hiking trails are spread across the refuge's units, plus the Wildlife Drive itself. They are separate places rather than one connected network, so pick one before you set out.

Wildlife Drive - open year round. An 8-mile self-guided auto tour through salt marsh, freshwater impoundments and upland forest, with numbered Blue Goose marker signs keyed to a pamphlet. Observation towers stand at Gull Pond and Turtle Cove. Bicycles are allowed on the drive.

Cedar Bonnet Island Trail, Manahawkin - open year round. A 1.5-mile loop through restored salt marsh, easy enough for any ability, good for walking, birding and fishing. Bicycles are allowed here too.

Graveling Point Trail, Little Egg Harbor Township - open year round. A 0.85-mile out-and-back across beach and salt marsh with wide views of Great Bay. A popular fishing spot, busy in summer.

Holgate Clamming Trail - open September 1 to March 31 only. A 0.4-mile path to the shellfishing grounds along the western edge of the Holgate peninsula.

The deCamp Wildlife Trail in Brick Township is the northernmost of them, well over an hour's drive from the headquarters area.

Bicycles are not permitted on the hiking trails - only on the Wildlife Drive and the Cedar Bonnet Island Trail.

Things to See & Do

The Wildlife Drive is the reason most people come. Eight miles of one-way road carry you out between managed freshwater pools on one side and open salt marsh on the other, which is why so much is visible from a car. Birds tolerate a vehicle far better than a person on foot, so the drive doubles as the best photography hide on the refuge.

The observation towers at Gull Pond and Turtle Cove are the two places to stop and scan properly rather than drive past.

The Visitor Information Center has exhibits, current trail and drive conditions, the refuge brochure and birding pamphlet, and the Friends of Forsythe gift shop.

Holgate, at the southern tip of Long Beach Island, is one of the last undeveloped stretches of barrier island in New Jersey. It is open to walking below the berm crest from September 1 through March 31, and closed the rest of the year for nesting birds.

Best Time of Year to Visit

Winter is one of the best times to come, not a compromise. The refuge supports large wintering populations of American black duck and Atlantic brant, both of which depend on these coastal wetlands for food and shelter. The Wildlife Drive is open year round, and the birds that make the refuge nationally known are here in the cold months.

Winter has three practical advantages as well. Holgate is open from September 1 to March 31 and shut through the whole nesting season. The Holgate Clamming Trail keeps the same window. And the refuge's own advice is to carry insect repellent in late spring, summer and early fall - a salt marsh in July is a different proposition.

Spring and fall migration are the classic birding peaks, and summer brings the breeding season, including one of the largest breeding populations of the federally threatened piping plover. But summer is also when Holgate is closed and the insects are at their worst.

There is no bad month here. Bring more layers than you think you need - the marsh is open, flat and windy, with nothing to shelter behind.

Admission & Guidelines

Entrance to the Wildlife Drive is $4 per car. Passes are sold at the Visitor Information Center during its opening hours. Cash or check only - credit cards are not accepted, though most passes can also be bought online beforehand. Federal recreation passes are honored, and several fee-free days are set each year.

Pets are permitted on some trails and must be leashed. No pets and no fires at Holgate.

Bicycles are permitted on the Wildlife Drive and the Cedar Bonnet Island Trail, and not on the hiking trails. No ATVs or dirt bikes anywhere on refuge property.

Stay on the trails - closed areas exist so wildlife has somewhere to rest and feed, and not every closed area is signed. Hunting and fishing are permitted in places and can carry their own permit requirements. Driving on the Holgate beach needs a beach buggy permit from Long Beach Township.

Hours / Season of Operation

The refuge is open year round, sunrise to sunset. The gate at the end of Great Creek Road opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, and the Wildlife Drive and trails keep the same hours.

The Visitor Information Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, and is closed on holidays. It is shut Mondays and Tuesdays, so a visit early in the week means no gift shop, no pass sales and no staffed desk - though the drive and the trails are still open.

Holgate Wilderness Area is closed April 1 through August 31 for the bird nesting season, and closures can run later if birds are still fledging. From September 1 to March 31 the beach is open to walking, and to permitted vehicles, below the berm crest. The area above the berm crest is closed all year to protect dune habitat.

The Holgate Clamming Trail follows the same September 1 to March 31 window.

Facilities

Most of the refuge's public facilities are at the headquarters area on Great Creek Road, open daily sunrise to sunset. Accessible restrooms are there, along with the Visitor Information Center, its exhibits, and the Friends of Forsythe gift shop.

Observation towers at Gull Pond and Turtle Cove sit on the Wildlife Drive, and there is a picnic and sitting area at the headquarters.

Away from headquarters the units are undeveloped - a parking area and a trail, and little else. There is no water and no restroom at Holgate, Graveling Point or Cedar Bonnet Island.

Parking

Parking is at the headquarters area, 800 Great Creek Road, where the visitor lot sits beside the Visitor Information Center at the start of the Wildlife Drive. From US 9, turn east on Great Creek Road and follow it to the refuge gate at the end.

The other units have their own small lots and are reached separately rather than from headquarters: Cedar Bonnet Island in Manahawkin, Graveling Point in Little Egg Harbor Township, and Holgate at the far southern end of Long Beach Boulevard on Long Beach Island.