New Jersey Butterfly Club

Glenhurst Preserve and Wagner Farm

by Mike Newlon

County: Somerset.

Municipality: Warren Township.

Directions: From I-78, take exit 36 (King George Road) and drive south 0.2 miles south to the stop light at Mountain Avenue. Turn left and drive 1 mile to the entrance (just past a small bridge) on the left. The entrance is marked by a sign reading “Glenhurst Nature Trail”. At the parking lot there is a kiosk with information about the site and a trail map.

Parking: Yes, at both sites.

Nearest sizable town: Warrenville, a few miles south on King George Road, has shopping centers and restaurants. The closest gas station is on King George Road, immediately north of I-78 and there is another in the direction of Warrenville.

Habitats: Old fields, grown up to varying extent, cedar groves, a stream, ponds, forest, the Passaic River.

Maintained/Marked trails: Yes, although recently mowing has been episodic and trails may be grown up knee-high (or higher) and rutted from passage of mowing and construction equipment. Off-trail walking may be difficult because of thick vegetation and tussocky ground.

Restrooms: None at Glenhurst Meadows. In the warmer months there is a portable toilet at Wagner Farm (see below).

Picnic tables: One.

Species recorded: Tiger, Spicebush, and Black Swallowtails; Cabbage White; Clouded and Orange Sulfurs; Hairstreaks (uncommon) include Banded, Hickory, Striped, Juniper, Red-banded, and Gray; Eastern Tailed-Blue; Summer Azure (can be abundant in June; native dogwoods, their host plants, are common); Great Spangled Fritillary; Pearl Crescent; Eastern Comma and Question Mark; American Lady, Red Admiral, Red-spotted Purple and Viceroy; Little Wood Satyr, Appalachian Brown and Common Wood-Nymph; Monarch; Horace’s and Wild Indigo Duskywings; Silver-spotted Skipper; Common Checkered-Skipper (once); Least Skipper; Little Glassywing and Northern Broken-Dash; Dun, Peck’s, Hobomok, Zabulon, Delaware, Tawny-edged, and Broad-winged Skippers; in some years Painted Lady, Sachem, and Fiery and Ocola Skippers.

Best time to visit: June through August for butterflies; any time of year for birders, although fall migration can be especially good. In some years Red-headed woodpeckers have been regular along the Passaic River; listen for their soft three-note rattle.

Exploring Glenhurst Preserve: From the Glenhurst parking lot continue straight ahead through the gate. A large area of old fields and thickets lies ahead of you. The Red Trail (consult the map on the kiosk or available here) follows the perimeter of this area and is the best trail for butterflies on the tract. Early in the day the west side of the red trail, straight north from the parking lot, catches the sun early, while the trail on the east side of the area is still in shade. When you reach the Cross Trail in about 100 yards you have the option of continuing north to reach the ponds and the Passaic River, or crossing over to the east side. If there has been heavy precipitation recently the latter may be the only option as the northbound Red Trail may be impassible. Recently there has been a large patch of Purple loosestrife in the SE corner of the Red-Trail loop which in late summer attracts swallowtails, skippers, and other butterflies.

Exploring Wagner Farms: To reach Wagner Farm, return to Mountain Avenue, turn right, and drive 0.2 miles to the unmarked gravel driveway, between the fenced Community Garden and the silo. Cabbage Whites and Sulfurs are abundant in the extensive meadows here. Recently the upper part of the meadow has been mowed in summer, making it unattractive to butterflies. If mowing has not been recent patches of thistle and milkweed may attract them. It is usually worth walking around the community-garden fence. The garden is closed to non-gardeners but one can look through the fence; patches of marigolds, zinnias, and Mexican sunflowers attract butterflies. In the direction of the buildings you will find an enclosed Children's Garden which is open to the public. The garden areas here are also worth checking.

Special precautions: Glenhurst Meadows, once a farm and then a golf course, slopes from Mountain Avenue down to the Passaic River. Attractiveness of this site for butterflies is slowly declining as open fields grow up to brush and trees. The tract offers the best access to a large area of protected land along the Passaic. The lower parts are often muddy and sometimes under water, especially now that beavers have taken up residence. Rubber boots are handy in getting through tall vegetation, especially if you wish to get off-trail, and often necessary. Ticks and mosquitoes are present during warmer months, so take appropriate precautions. Parts of the Glenhurst tract abut private property. The border is usually obvious. DO NOT TRESPASS.

You might also want to visit: Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.