Hersfield Parks and Veterans Park
Pompton Lakes, Passaic County, New Jersey

Two parks connected by a bridge over the Wanaque River. 

No Dogs or Other Animals.

Directions:

US 287 south; get off at exit 53; turn right onto Paterson Hamburg Turnpike; right turn onto Ramapo Avenue; right turn onto Hersfield Park Place; head into the park. 

Geology:

Located along the west side of the Wanaque River.

History:

The bridge was built in 1959. 

Facilities:

Two baseball fields, football field and track tennis courts, basketball court, skate-boarding, children's playground and picnic areas.  The only facility the Veterans Park has is the picnic area and the other side of the pond. 

Trails:

5/23/2005.  On an overcast day, Ceferino Santana and I walked around the park.  (Poor dog Sonar had to wait in the car.)  There is a short trail on the opposite shore of the Wanaque River in the Veterans Park woods.  The woods are small.  We followed the short trail until it hit private property and turned back.  The most interesting find was the mile-a-minute vine which did not seem to be getting out of hand.  Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = plant found in bloom on date of field trip, 5/23/05

Trees:
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharinum (silver maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Betula nigra (river birch)
Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Carya sp. (hickory)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
Juglans nigra (black walnut)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Picea abies (Norway spruce)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)  *
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)
Sassafras albidum (sassafras) 
Tilia americana (American basswood)
Ulmus rubra (slippery elm)

Shrubs:
Alnus serrulata (smooth alder)
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepper bush)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)  *
Ligustrum sp. (privet)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)  *
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Sambucus canadensis (common elderberry)

Vines:
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Dioscorea villosa (wild yam root)
Polygonum perfoliatum (mile-a-minute vine)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Smilax rotundifolia (round-leaved greenbrier)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis sp. (grape)

Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) *
Allium vineale (field garlic)
Arisaema triphyllum (Jack in the pulpit)
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Claytonia virginica (spring beauty)  *
Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane)  *
Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot)
Geranium maculatum (wild geranium)
Glechoma hederacea (gill-over-the-ground)  *
Impatiens sp. (jewelweed)
Lycopus virginicus (Virginia bugleweed)
Matricaria matricarioides (pineapple weed)  *
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel)
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain) 
Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed)
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed) 
Potentilla canadensis (dwarf cinquefoil)  *
Ranunculus abortivus (kidney-leaved crowfoot)
Rumex obtusifolius (broad dock)
Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) *
Veronica officinalis (common speedwell)
Viola sororia (common blue violet)

Sedges:
Carex sp. (sedge)

Grasses:
Anthoxanthum odoratum (sweet vernal grass)
Poa annua (annual blue grass)
Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass)

Ferns:
Thelypteris noveboracensis (New York fern)