South Branch Reservation: Three Bridges Section
Readington Township, Hunterdon County, NJ

Directions:

from the Flemington Area:
Take Route 202 north from the Flemington Circle to the junction with Route 613. At the traffic light, turn right and proceed 0.7 mile, crossing over the railroad tracks and the river. The park sign and entrance is on the left side.

from the Clinton Area:
Take Route 31 south to the junction of Route 618. Cross over Route 31 and take Route 618 until it ends at Route 629. Turn right onto Route 629 and follow the road to the junction with Route 202. Take Route 202 south until the junction with Route 613. Proceed as above.

History:

1860's  --  the nearby railroad town of Three Bridges was founded.  Two of the river bridges were made of steel while the third was a covered bridge that crossed a nearby farm stream.

1881  --  all three bridges were damaged by a severe storm, but only the steel bridges were replaced.

1975  --  Hunterdon County acquired most of the land that makes up the South Branch Reservation.

Facilities:

picnic site; fishing.  No restroom facilities.

Trails:

A short trail exists along the river's edge.

(Source: http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/depts/parks/guides/trailmaps/ThreeBridgesl.htm)

7/20/04.  The attraction here is the red shale cliffs along the river.  The area is small (with a picnic area) and the trail is definitely short (red diamond markers). 

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = plants found in bloom on date of field trip, 7/20/04

Trees:
Acer negundo (ash leaf maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Acer saccharinum (silver maple)
Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven)
Albizia julibrissin (silk tree)
Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust)
Juglans nigra (black walnut)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Morus alba (white mulberry)
Ostrya virginiana (American hop hornbeam)
Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)
Salix sp. (willow)
Tilia americana (American basswood)

Shrubs:
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel)
Pachysandra terminalis (pachysandra)
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose) 
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)

Vines:
Cuscuta sp. (dodder)
Humulus lupulus (Japanese hops)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) *
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis spp. (grape)

Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) *
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common  ragweed)
Ambrosia trifida (giant ragweed)
Aquilegia canadensis (columbine)
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Bidens frondosa (beggar ticks)
Chelidonium majus (celandine) *
Chenopodium album (pigweed)
Commelina communis (Asiatic dayflower) *
Coronilla varia (crown vetch) *
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace) *
Dipsacus sylvestris (teasel) *
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pileweed)
Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane ) *
Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot)
Galinsoga sp. (gallant soldiers) *
Geum canadense (white avens) *
Hemerocallis fulva (tawny day lily)
Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket) *
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed) *
Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs) *
Lycopus sp. (bugleweed)
Mollugo verticillata (carpetweed) *
Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose)
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel) *
Paronychia canadensis (forked chickweed)
Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) *
Polygonatum pubescens (hairy true Solomon's seal)
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose knotweed) *
Polygonum robustius (smartweed) * ?
Prunella vulgaris (self-heal) *
Rumex crispus (curled dock)
Rumex obtusifolius (broad leaved dock)
Sanicula canadensis (Canada sanicle)
Saponaria officinalis (bouncing bet) *
Scrophularia marilandica (Maryland figwort) *
Sedum sp. (sedum)
Solanum nigrum (white nightshade) *
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion) *
Trifolium repens (white clover) *
Urtica dioica var. dioica (stinging nettle) *
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain) *
a yellow mustard * covered with Japanese hops so could not see leaves
squash or pumpkin * escaped

Rushes:
Juncus tenuis (path rush)

Grasses:
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Bromus inermis (smooth brome grass)
Echinochloa sp. (barnyard grass)
Elymus hystrix (bottle brush grass)
Hordeum sp. (barley) ?
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass) 
Phleum pratense (Timothy grass)
Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass)
Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail grass)

Ferns:
Dryopteris marginalis (marginal wood fern)
Polypodium sp. (rock cap fern)