Stanton Station Section
Stanton Station Road, Raritan Township, Hunterdon County

Directions:

from the Flemington Area:
Take Route 31 north about 5.6 miles from the Flemington Circle. Make a right onto the jug handle for Stanton Station Road. The parking lot is 1/2 mile on the left hand side, just after the bridge.

from the Clinton Area:
Take Route 31 south about 6.2 miles from Interstate 78 to the traffic light for Stanton Station Road. Turn right onto Stanton Station Road and then follow the corresponding directions above.

History:

The Stanton Station Section is named after the passenger and freight train station that was once located a short distance away. The station and rail-line were part of the Lehigh Valley Railroad.

late 1930’s --  passenger service at the station discontinued and the station abandoned.

1943  -- the building was purchased by Robert and Hermia Lechner for $75 for use as a dining hall. The building is still standing and is now part of Echo Hill Park.

1975  -- the county acquired most of the land as part of the South Branch Reservation.

Facilities:

Fishing available on the South Branch of the Raritan River. The river is stocked with Rainbow, Brook, and Brown Trout.

Trails:

There is a moderate trail that runs parallel with the river. Several scenic views overlooking the river exist. The trail system also offers access to Old Clinton Road. These trails are open to hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.

7/26/04.  From the parking area the wide trail takes the walker over to the bank on the South Branch of the Raritan River.  At the T-intersection I turned right and walked as far as the orange-red marked trail would take me (which was not very far). The trail goes through a hemlock grove on a small cliff area.  On the last 700 feet of the trail, one is not supposed to go off the path because private property comes right up to the trail.  Coming to the end of the trail I walked back to the T-intersection.  Walking past the T-intersection takes the walker to the one lane bridge over the river.  Near the bridge I turned left and walk back to the parking area.

Source:

http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:WjJCLA2_HOIJ:www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/pdf/parks/Stanton%2520Station.pdf+%22South+Branch+Reservation%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = plant found in bloom on date of field trip, 7/26/04

Trees:
Acer negundo (ash leaf maple)
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)
Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory)
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust)
Nyssa sylvatica (tupelo)
Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Sassafras albidum (sassafras)
Tilia americana (American basswood)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)
Ulmus americana (American elm)

Shrubs:
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Mitchella repens (partridge berry)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Vaccinium pallidum (hillside blueberry)
Viburnum acerifolium (maple-leaf viburnum)
Viburnum prunifolium (blackhaw viburnum)

Vines:
Dioscorea villosa (wild yam root)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis spp. (fox grape)

Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Amphicarpaea bracteata (hog peanut)
Arisaema triphyllum (jack in the pulpit)
Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) *
Aster sp. (aster)
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle)
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) 
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pileweed)
Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot) *
Glechoma hederacea (gill over the ground)
Heracleum lanatum (cow parsnip)
Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket) * one bloom
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed) *
Lysimachia nummularia (moneywort)
Mimulus ringens (monkey flower) *
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel)
Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) *
Pilea pumila (clearweed)
Plantago major (common plantain)
Podophyllum peltatum (may apple)
Polygonum arifolium (halberd-leaved tearthumb)
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose knotweed) *
Polygonum sagittatum (arrow-leaved tearthumb)
Potentilla canadensis (dwarf cinquefoil)
Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil)
Prunella vulgaris (self-heal)
Rumex crispus (curled dock)
Saururus cernuus (lizard's tail) *
Solanum nigrum (black nightshade) *
Solidago spp. (goldenrod)
Sparganium sp. (burreed)
Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage)
Urtica dioica var. dioica (stinging nettle)
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain) *
Viola sp. (violet)
a yellow mustard *

Rushes:
Juncus tenuis (path rush)

Sedges:
Carex crinita (fringed sedge)
Carex lupulina (sedge)
Carex typhina (sedge)
Scirpus cyperinus (woolly grass bulrush)

Grasses:
Cinna arundinacea (wood reed grass)
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Deschampsia flexuosa (hair grass)
Elymus hystrix (bottle brush grass)
Elymus virginicus (Virginia wild rye grass)
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass) 
Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass)

Ferns and Fern Allies:
Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern)
Dryopteris marginalis (marginal wood fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)
Thelypteris noveboracensis (New York fern)