Rolfes Tract
Milito Way, Bernards Township, Somerset County, NJ
19 acres
Directions:
From I-287: Take exit for Routes 202/206 North. Bear right onto Route 202 North. Proceed through two traffic lights. Just before the railroad crossing, make a right onto Far Hills Road; from the Leonard J. Buck Gardens, drive 2.2 miles (keep driving on this road even though it changes names to Liberty Corner Road) and make a right onto Somerville Road. Drive 1.6 miles and turn right onto Milito Way (just before I-78 underpass). Drive 0.4 of a mile (the pavement eventually stops and Milito Way becomes a dirt road; property access is marked by a garage on the left and shed buildings on the right) and park.
Geology:
A flag-shaped lot along the Watchung Mountains and surrounded by residential developments. Axel Brook runs into and out of the pond by the office. .
Trails:
There are no formally maintained trails. The lot is bisected by a utility easement. Access to the property is along a narrow path at the end of Milito Way.
11/01/04. I parked across from the Garage and then walked up hill for a short ways. There is an informal path on the right that heads up hill and then bears left. The trail then follows parallel to the backyards of suburban houses. A gas pipe line cuts the property at right angles to the path. There is a lot of Chinese bush clover (Lespedeza cuneata) on the pipe line cut Reached the end of the path which stopped at another row of houses, this one at a right angle with the first. I made a poor choice of footware. I had my rubber boots on and they do not have much support. I found myself bushwhacking through the woods and having to walk over one small boulder after another. It was not fun. I couldn't wait to reach the gas pipe line cut and a smoother surface. I walked a little ways farther uphill to a very nice overlook view. I could see a clearing below the hill and then a small village with a prominent white church steeple with a mountain range in the background. Turned around to return to the entrance path. Turned left and walked downhill to the parking area. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.
Source: Upper Raritan Watershed Association; http://www.urwa.org/land/bernards.htm
PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = plant found in bloom on date of field trip, 11/01/04
Trees:
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven)
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Populus deltoides (cottonwood)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Sassafras albidum (sassafras)
Shrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) *
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Vines:
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
Smilax rotundifolia (round-leaved greenbrier)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis sp. (grape)
Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Circaea lutetiana (enchanter's nightshade)
Coronilla varia (crown vetch)
Dianthus armeria (Deptford pink)
Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot)
Hackelia virginiana (Virginia stickseed)
Lespedeza cuneata (Chinese bush clover)
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed)
Rushes:
Juncus tenuis (path rush)
Sedges:
Carex laxiflora type (loose-flowered sedge type)
Grasses:
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass)
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue panic grass)
Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail grass)
Setaria glauca (yellow foxtail grass)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian nut grass)
Tridens flavus (purple top grass)