Sunnyside Picnic Area
Kiceniuk Road, Clinton Township, Hunterdon County, NJ

Directions:

from the Flemington Area:
From the Flemington Circle, take Route 31 north about 5.6 miles, make a right onto the jug handle for Stanton Station Road. On Stanton Station Road, make the first right onto Lilac Drive. Travel approximately one mile to Kiceniuk Road and turn left. After crossing the railroad tracks, Kiceniuk bears to the right. Do not proceed straight and cross the river. Continue along Kiceniuk, the parking lot is on the left just before the bridge.

from the Clinton Area:
Take Route 31 south about 5 miles from Interstate 78 to the traffic light for Payne Road. Turn right onto Payne Road and proceed to the end. Turn left on to Lilac Drive and proceed for just over a mile. Turn right at Kiceniuk Road and follow the directions above.

History:

1921  --  the area was owned by Charles W. Alpaugh, president of the South Branch Power Company and a self-proclaimed “Pioneer Power Developer.” He proposed a plan to harness the waters of the South Branch by constructing a power plant to generate hydroelectricity.

by 1928  -- his plan never gained public support and the project was abandoned.

1932  -- the property changes hands several times.

1975  --  Hunterdon County acquires the land as an addition to the South Branch Reservation.

http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/depts/parks/guides/Sunnyside.htm#trails

Trails:

From the parking lot there is a loop trail by the river.  The hike can be extended by following the tail of the tadpole and returning.

7/24/04.   Sarah-David Rosenbaum, my wife Rosemary, dog Sonar and I ate lunch by the river at the picnic area.  After lunch, we walked along the river as far as we could before the informal trail petered out.  We then turned left to head through the thin barrier between the river and the main path (of mowed  grass). Turned right on the main path passing by individual picnic tables here and there in patches of cleared woods.  Walked to near the end of the trail and then turned right to examine some more plants down by the river. 

We then returned to the main path.  Explored around this area a bit.  Turned around and followed the rest of the loop trail back to the parking area.  It was a short walk. 

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = plant found in bloom on date of field trip, 7/24/04

Trees:
Acer negundo (ash leaf maple)
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)
Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory)
Catalpa sp. (catalpa)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
Fagus sp. (beech)
Fraxinus sp. (ash)
Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust)
Juglans nigra (black walnut)
Liquidambar styraciflua (sweet gum) planted
Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus bicolor (swamp white oak)
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Sassafras albidum (sassafras)
Tilia americana (American basswood)
Ulmus americana (American elm)

Shrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Ribes sp. (gooseberry)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Rubus sp. (black berry)
Viburnum opulus (cranberry viburnum)
Viburnum prunifolium (blackhaw viburnum)

Vines:
Cuscuta sp. (dodder)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
Menispermum canadense (moonseed)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis spp. (fox grape)

Herbs:
Acalypha sp. (three-seeded mercury)
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) *
Allium vineale (field garlic) *
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common  ragweed)
Anthemis sp. (chamomile) *
Arisaema triphyllum (jack in the pulpit)
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) *
Commelina communis (Asiatic dayflower) *
Coronilla varia (crown vetch) *
Duchesnea indica (Indian strawberry) *
Elodea canadensis (common water weed)
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pileweed)
Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane ) *
Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot) *
Geum canadense (white avens) *
Hackelia virginiana (Virginia stickseed) *
Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket)
Ludwigia palustris (water purslane)
Lysimachia nummularia (moneywort)
Myosotis scorpioides (forget-me-not) *
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel) *
Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) *
Pilea pumila (clearweed)
Polygonum arifolium (halberd-leaved tearthumb)
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose knotweed) *
Polygonum sp. (a hot white knotweed) *
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed knotweed) *
Prunella vulgaris (self-heal) *
Ranunculus sp. (butter cup) *
Rumex obtusifolius (broad leaved dock)
Saururus cernuus (lizard's tail) * across the river
Silene latifolia (white campion) *
Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage)
Teucrium canadense (American germander) *
Trifolium repens (white clover) *
a tall yellow mustard *
a water lily

Rushes:
Juncus tenuis (path rush)

Sedges:
Carex lupulina (sedge)
Carex lurida (swallow sedge)
Carex typhina (sedge)
Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge)

Grasses:
Bromus inermis (smooth brome grass)
Cinna arundinacea (wood reed grass)
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Elymus hystrix (bottle brush grass)
Elymus canadensis (Canada rye grass)
Elytrigia repens (quack grass)
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass)  -- lots
Panicum clandestinum (deer tongue grass)
Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass)

Ferns and Fern Allies:
Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)