South Branch Reservation: Wings Section
Deer Path Road, Readington Township, Hunterdon County, NJ

Directions:

from the Flemington Area:
Take Route 31 north past the Hunterdon Medical Center. Immediately after crossing the bridge over the South Branch of the Raritan River, turn right onto Deer Path Road. Proceed to the first sharp bend to the left. Only roadside parking is available; please do not block the gate.

from the Clinton Area:
Take Route 31 south past the Hunterdon County Parks Department headquarters. After passing West Woodschurch Road, take the next left onto Deer Path Road and proceed as above.

History:

The Wings Section is named after the prior owners of the property, William and Mary Ann Wing. William and his brother, Walter, who farmed on 16 acres of the parcel. Operating under the name of Wilwal Inc., they sold their produce to immigrants in New York City and the surrounding area.

1975  -- Hunterdon County acquired most of this land as part of the South Branch Reservation.

Facilities:

Fishing, hiking, hunting, horse riding, mountain biking; no restroom facilities are available.

Trails:

The trail goes along the Raritan River.

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

7/26/04.  This summer has been very cool compared to others.  And we have had quite a lot of rain.  The red earth had become red mud and parts of the walk were slippery. 

At the entrance area, there is a gate behind which is a wide, mowed path on the left and a marked trail on the right.  I took the orange-red, marked trail.  There is a lot of multiflora rose on the path and it can be a nuisance at times.  There are three small wooden platforms serving as bridges over the little creeks in the area. One can walk off the main trail and over to the river at many points. 

The trail reaches a kind of T-intersection.  I took the right turn and the trail took me along the river.  The trail gradually petered out as the high ground on the left approached closer and closer to the river leaving  less and less land on which to walk.  Eventually the flat land just petered out as the high ridge reaches the river.  At this point I turned around and returned to the T-intersection. 

This time I took the left turn off the T-intersection This part of the trail heads along the marshy area on the left and goes up onto the high ridge.  Here one sees the backyards of a lot of large houses.  One can turn left on top of the high ridge and head back to the parking lot (returning to the gate at the parking area).  I just turned around and walked back the way I had come into the area. 

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)
Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory)
Celtis occidentalis (hackberry)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Juglans nigra (black walnut)
Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)
Salix sp. (willow)
Tilia americana (American basswood)
Ulmus americana (American elm)

Shrubs:
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Rubus sp. (black berry)

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

Herbs:
Acalypha sp. (three-seeded mercury)
Achillea millefolium (yarrow) *
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp)
Arisaema triphyllum (jack in the pulpit)
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) *
Aster sp. (aster)
Bidens comosa (beggar-ticks)
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle)
Callitriche sp. (water starwort)
Cardamine impatiens (narrow-leaved bittercress)
Cichorium intybus (chicory) *
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle)
Commelina communis (Asiatic dayflower) *
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace) *
Dianthus armeria (Deptford pink) *
Dipsacus sylvestris (teasel)
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pileweed)
Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot) *
Galinsoga sp. (quickweed) *
Geum canadense (white avens) *
Glechoma hederacea (gill over the ground)
Hackelia virginiana (Virginia stickseed) *
Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket)
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed) *
Lespedeza stipulacea (Korean bushclover)
Lindernia dubia (false pimpernel) *
Lotus corniculatus (birdfoot trefoil) *
Ludwigia palustris (water purslane)
Lycopus sp. (bugleweed) *
Lysimachia nummularia (moneywort)
Mimulus ringens (monkey flower) *
Myosotis laxa (smaller forget-me-nots) *
Myosotis scorpioides (larger forget-me-nots) *
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel) *
Penthorum sedoides (ditch stonecrop) *
Pilea pumila (clearweed)
Polygonum arifolium (halberd-leaved tearthumb)
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose knotweed) *
Polygonum sagittatum (arrow-leaved tearthumb)
Polygonum sp. (a hot white polygonum) *
Ranunculus bulbosus (bulbous buttercup) *
Rumex crispus (curled dock)
Rumex obtusifolius (broad dock)
Saururus cernuus (lizard's tail)
Scutellaria lateriflora (mad-dog skullcap) *
Solanum carolinense (horse nettle) *
Solidago spp. (goldenrod)
Teucrium canadensis (American germander) *
Thalictrum pubescens (tall meadowrue) *
Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail)
Urtica dioica var. dioica (stinging nettle)
Urtica dioica var. procera (tall stinging nettle)
Verbena hastata (blue vervain) *
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain) *
Viola sp. (violet)
a water lily
a yellow mustard *

Rushes:
Juncus effusus (soft rush)
Juncus tenuis (path rush)

Sedges:
Carex crinita (fringed sedge)
Carex lupulina (sedge)
Carex lurida (sallow sedge)
Carex ovales type (sedge)
Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge)
Cyperus sp. (nut or umbrella sedge)
Scirpus cyperinus (woolly grass bulrush)

Grasses:
Elymus canadensis (Canada wild rye grass)
Elymus hystrix (bottle brush grass)
Elymus virginicus (Virginia wild rye grass)
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass) 
Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass)
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue grass)
Phleum pratense (Timothy grass)

Ferns and Fern Allies:
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)