Hunterdon
Flemington
Cider Mill Grassland Preserve
Flemington, NJ 08822
Last Updated: 02/20/2023
Overview of Selected Trail
Grassland habitat with trails running along hedgerow and meadow edges. This preserve is ideal for bird watching.
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Distance:
Over three miles of trails.
Time:
Duration varies depending upon route chosen. Using all sections of the preserve, one can easily do a long walk of several hours, or one can take an easy 30-minute stroll.
Markings:
To preserve the natural state of the site, the trails are not marked, but are mowed during the late summer. The trails run along the hedgerow, meadows, and edges of the fields. To protect nesting birds, from April until the end of July the trails are not mowed.
Trail Usage:
Pets, bicycles, and motorized vehicles are prohibited. Please remember to stay on trails for the safety of nesting and ground-dwelling birds.
Elevation:
Rolling hills with minimal changes in elevation.
Difficulty:
Easy
Parking:
A gravel parking lot is located on Cider Mill Road near field signage.
Tips:
Bring binoculars for excellent bird watching.
Due to the grassland habitat, use tick repellent and wear proper clothing to prevent tick bites.
Amenities:
Informational kiosk and interpretive sign.
Directions:
From downtown Flemington: Take Main Street, turn left onto Church Street and continue onto Voorhees Corner Road, turn right onto County Spur 613/Old York Road, turn left onto Clover Hill Road, then turn right onto Cider Mill Road. The preserve will be on your left.
From Hillsborough: Head west on Amwell Rd. Turn left onto Cider Mill Rd. Proceed for about half a mile to the parking lot after the curve in the road.
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Survey the property from the interpretive sign featuring the environment’s history and types of grassland species that inhabit the area. Then proceed to the nearby kiosk at the trailhead on Cider Mill Rd. Walk along the hedgerow and meadow edges as shown on the map.
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Grassland birds use the hayfields, meadows and pastures for breeding, building nests on the ground foraging exclusively with these areas. Other birds nest along the edges of the fields and rely upon the open areas for feeding on insects and seed. In the fall, the fields provide food for migrating sparrows, larks, and warblers. Raptors, including American kestrel, northern harrier and short-eared owl rely on grasslands for hunting small animals such as meadow moles and jumping mice.
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In the northeastern United States, agricultural land has provided home and sanctuary to grassland birds and other wildlife for hundreds of years. Birds such as the bobolinks and eastern meadowlarks nested, hunted for food, and returned each spring to continue the recurring cycle. As land was cleared for farming during the early nineteenth century, grassland-dependent birds expanded their populations.
Over the last 100 years, the quality and quantity of grasslands needed for wildlife has declined due to changes in land use and agricultural practices. Remaining fragmented farmland is no longer suitable for species that require large unbroken tracts of land. Hayfields that were traditionally harvested late in the season, avoiding impacts to nesting birds, are mowed earlier and more frequently during the growing season.
Do you have information about this trail?
Click Here to contribute.
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