CLAYTON PARK
Imlaystown Rd., Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County
394 acres
(908) 842 - 4000


Directions:

south of I-195 and Route 526. Emley's Hill Road. To Prospertown Lake, from the New York area, take the New Jersey Turnpike south to I-195. Go east on I-195 to exit 16 (Route 537). Go southwest on Route 537 for about 2.5 miles. The lake and parking area will be on the left. There is a large sign.


History:

At the corner of Davis Station Road and Imlaystown Road at Booth Bridge, Salter's Mill is here. Richard Salter owned this mill and an ironworks. His son-in-law, Mordecai Lincoln, was the great-great grandfather of Abraham Lincoln.

Prospertown

There was an old Mt. Holly-Freehold Post Road. The route passed through Jobstown, Prospertown, Burksville, Smithburg and Elton. 53

There was a grain mill her and an old hotel. The water of the lake comes from the Ivanhoe Brook. 54

Also here was a dam, a Post Office and a general store.

Beck, Henry Charlton. 1983. Original from 1936. Forgotten Towns of Southern New Jersey. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.


Facilities:

This forested park is where the Park System and Special People United to Ride (SPUR) jointly sponsor horseback riding for mentally and physically disabled people. Check the Activity Center for nature programs, hiking, cross-country ski clinics and craft workshops. The 256-acre hardwood forest park is on Browns Dock Road in Middletown.


PLANT LIST:
Karl Anderson


Trees:
Acer negundo (box elder maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Carya sp. (hickory)
Diospyros virginiana (persimmon)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum)
Morus alba (white mulberry)
Nyssa sylvatica var. sylvatica (tupelo)
Pinus rigida (pitch pine)
Pinus sylvestris (scotch pine)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus coccinea (scarlet oak)
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)
Salix nigra (black willow)
Sassafras albidum (sassafras)


Shrubs:
Alnus serrulata (smooth alder)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (buttonbush)
Chamaedaphne calyculata (leatherleaf)
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush) 8/29/99
Cornus amomum var. amomum (swamp dogwood)
Decodon verticillatus (swamp-loosestrife) 8/29/99
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Prunus maritima var. maritima (beach plum)
Rhododendron viscosum (swamp azalea)
Rhus copallina (winged sumac)
Rosa palustris (swamp rose)*
Rubus cuneifolius (sand blackberry)
Toxicodendron vernix (poison-sumac)
Spiraea tomentosa (steeplebush)
Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)
Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry)
Viburnum dentatum var. lucidum (arrowwood viburnum)

Vines:
Apios americana (groundnut) 8/29/99
Cuscuta polygonorum (smartweed dodder) 8/29/99
Ipomoea hederacea (ivy-leaved morning glory)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
Mikania scandens (climbing hempweed) 8/29/99
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Polygonum scandens var. scandens (climbing false buckwheat) 8/29/99
Toxicodendron radicans var. radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis aestivalis var. aestivalis (summer grape)

Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) 8/29/99
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Asclepias incarnata var. pulchra (swamp milkweed)
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle)
Brasenia schreberi (water shield)
Cabomba caroliniana (fanwort) 8/29/99
Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed)
Chenopodium album (pigweed) 8/29/99
Chenopodium ambrosioides (Mexican tea)
Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) 8/29/99
Commelina communis (Asiatic dayflower) 8/29/99
Conyza canadensis var. canadensis (horseweed) 8/29/99
Coronilla varia (crown vetch) 8/29/99
Croton glandulosus var. septentrionalis (tooth-leaved croton) 8/29/99
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace) 8/29/99
Desmodium paniculatum (tick-trefoil)
Desmodium glabellum (tick-trefoil) 8/29/99
Diodia teres (buttonweed) 8/29/99
Drosera filiformis (thread-leaved sundew)
Drosera intermedia (spatulate-leaved sundew)
Duchesnea indica (Indian strawberry)
Epilobium coloratum (willow-herb) 8/29/99
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pileweed)
Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane) 8/29/99
Eupatorium album var. album (white-bracted joe-pye-weed) 8/29/99
Eupatorium dubium (Joe-Pye-weed) 8/29/99
Eupatorium perfoliatum var. perfoliatum (boneset) 8/29/99
Euphorbia ipecacuanhae (Ipecac spurge)
Euphorbia maculata (spotted spurge) 8/29/99
Euphorbia nutans (eyebane spurge)
Euthamia graminifolia var. nuttallii (flat-topped goldenrod) 8/29/99
Galium tinctorium (stiff marsh bedstraw)
Glossostigma diandrum (mud-mat)
Gnaphalium obtusifolium var. obtusifolium (fragrant cudweed) 8/29/99 near
Helianthemum canadense (frostweed)
Hibiscus moscheutos var. moscheutos (swamp rose mallow) 8/29/99
Hudsonia ericoides (golden heather)
Hudsonia tomentosa (beach heather)
Hypericum boreale (northern St. Johnswort) 8/29/99
Hypericum canadense (Canada St. Johnswort) 8/29/99
Hypericum mutilum (dwarf St. Johnswort) 8/29/99
Hypericum perforatum (common St. Johnswort) 8/29/99
Hypochoeris radicata (cats ear) 8/29/99
Impatiens capensis (jewelweed) 8/29/99
Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce) 8/29/99
Lepidium virginicum var. virginicum (pepper grass)
Lespedeza cuneata (Chinese bush clover)
Lotus corniculatus (birdsfoot trefoil) 8/29/99
Ludwigia alternifolia var. (water primrose) 8/29/99
Ludwigia palustris (common water-purslane)
Lycopus americanus (American water horehound) 8/29/99
Lycopus amplectens (water horehound) 8/29/99
Lysimachia terrestris (swamp loosestrife)
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) 8/29/99
Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweet clover) few 8/29/99
Mollugo verticillata (carpetweed) 8/29/99
Monarda punctata var. punctata (horse mint) 8/29/99
Myriophyllum heterophyllum (varied-leaved water milfoil)
Nuphar variegata (spatterdock) 8/29/99
Nymphaea odorata (water lily) 8/29/99
Oenothera biennis var. biennis (common evening-primrose) 8/29/99
Oxalis stricta (yellow wood sorrel) 8/29/99
Peltandra virginica (arrow arum)
Phytolacca americana (pokeweed)
Plantago aristata (bracted plantain)
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain)
Plantago rugelii (plantain)
Polygonum arenastrum (common knotweed) 8/29/99
Polygonum arifolium (halberd-leaved tearthumb) 8/29/99
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose smartweed)
Polygonum hydropiperoides var. hydropiperoides (mild water pepper) 8/29/99
Polygonum pensylvanicum (Pennsylvania smartweed) 8/29/99
Polygonum punctatum var. confertiflorum (dotted smartweed) 8/29/99
Polygonum sagittatum (arrow-leaved tearthumb) 8/29/99
Pontederia cordata (pickerel weed) 8/29/99
Potamogeton sp. (pondweed)
Potentilla argentea (silvery cinquefoil)
Sagittaria latifolia (broad-leaved arrowhead)
Scutellaria lateriflora (maddog skullcap) 8/29/99
Solanum carolinense (horse nettle)
Solidago canadensis var. scabra (goldenrod)
Solidago gigantea (smooth goldenrod) 8/29/99 near
Solidago nemoralis (gray goldenrod)
Solidago rugosa ssp. r. var. rugosa (goldenrod) 8/29/99 near
Sparganium sp. (burreed)
Spirodela polyrhiza (greater duckweed)
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)
Triadenum virginicum (marsh St. Johnswort)
Trichostema dichotomum (blue curls) 8/29/99
Trifolium repens (white clover) 8/29/99
Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail) 8/29/99 near
Utricularia fibrosa (fibrous bladderwort) 8/29/99
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein) 8/29/99
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain)
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York ironweed) 8/29/99
Viola lanceolata (lance-leaved violet)
Wolffia papulifera (water-meal)
Xanthium strumarium var. canadense (clotbur) 8/29/99
Xyris difformis var. difformis(yellow-eyed-grass) 8/29/99

Rushes:
Juncus canadensis (rush)
Juncus effusus var. solutus (soft rush)
Juncus militaris (bayonet rush)
Juncus pelocarpus (brown-fruited rush)
Juncus tenuis var. tenuis (path rush)

Sedges:
Carex comosa (sedge)
Carex lurida (sedge)
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Carex stricta (tussock sedge)
Cyperus erythrorhizos (red-rooted cyperus)
Cyperus flavescens (yellow cyperus)
Cyperus grayi (Gray's cyperus) 8/29/99
Cyperus strigosus (straw-colored cyperus) 8/29/99
Dulichium arundinaceum (three-way sedge)
Eleocharis palustris (marsh spike rush)
Eleocharis spp. (spike rush)
Fimbristylis autumnalis (fimbristylis)
Rhynchospora alba (white beak rush)
Rhynchospora capitellata (beak rush)
Scirpus cyperinus (woolly-grass bulrush) 8/29/99
Scirpus validus (softstem bulrush)

Grasses:
Agrostis hyemalis (ticklegrass)
Agrostis perennans (autumn bentgrass)
Andropogon virginicus var. abbreviatus (bushy broom grass) 8/29/99
Andropogon virginicus var. virginicus (broom-sedge grass) 8/29/99 near
Aristida tuberculosa (three-awn grass) 8/29/99
Cenchrus longispinus (common sandbur)
Digitaria sanguinalis (crab grass) 8/29/99
Echinochloa crus-galli var. crus-galli (barnyard grass) 8/29/99
Eleusine indica (goose grass)
Eragrostis cilianensis (stink grass)
Eragrostis curvula (weeping lovegrass)
Eragrostis spectabilis (purple lovegrass) 8/29/99
Leersia oryzoides (rice cutgrass)
Leptoloma cognatum (fall witch grass)
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue grass)
Panicum longifolium (long-leaved panic grass)
Panicum rigidulum var. rigidulum (panic grass) 8/29/99
Panicum scoparium (velvety panic grass)
Panicum verrucosum (warty panic grass)
Panicum virgatum (switch grass) 8/29/99
Paspalum setaceum (bead grass) 8/29/99
Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass)
Tridens flavus var. flavus (purpletop grass) 8/29/99

Ferns and Fern Allies:
Lycopodium appressum (southern bog clubmoss)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)

Others:
Chara sp. (musk grass algae)