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Trail Guides
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Piney Hollow Preservation Area
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4
 
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Piney Hollow Road, Piney Hollow, NJ
Phone: (856) 694-1234
Franklon Township
From Whitehall Road, turn Left onto Dutch Mill Road. After 0.8 miles turn Right onto Union Avenue, and then Left onto Victoria Avenue. After 1 mile, turn Right at the "T" intersection onto Piney Hollow Road. After 0.5 miles turn Left into the gravel parking area for Piney Hollow Preservation Area. DIRECTIONS FROM NEAREST HIGHWAY: From Route 55, take exit 39B for Route 40 East toward Malaga. Continue on Route 40/Harding Highway for 6.8 miles, then turn Left at the traffic light onto Brewster Road, which will become Piney Hollow Road. After 2.6 miles, turn Right into the gravel parking area for Piney Hollow Preservation Area. Map
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| Snapping Turtle | Matt Webster |
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| | Piney Hollow Preservation Area consists of 40 acres of mixed forest and swamp in the Western reaches of the Pinelands National Reserve. Uplands with multiple species of oak give way to Atlantic white cedar swamp mixed with pitch and Virginia pine and an understory of mountain laurel and highbush blueberry. The trail borders McCarthy Lake, which was created from former cranberry bogs. The dikes crossing these bogs are fairly overgrown, but can be navigated enough to find vantage points from which to scan the wetlands. A wide variety of reptiles and amphibians, as well as rare plants, insects, birds and mammals can be found in these secluded woods.
Visit in July to see the wonderful display of water lilies blooming. Insect repellant is highly recommended!
White-tailed deer make their presence known as they scatter from shrubs. Look carefully in mud or snow for tracks of coyote, fox, raccoon and river otter. Canada Goose, Black Duck and Mallard are present in pockets of open water. Listen for Barred Owl at dusk and dawn.
Listen for the trills of Pine Warbler, and the ascending buzz-buzz-buzz-buzz of Prairie Warbler. Amphibians such as Pine Barrens treefrog, gray treefrog, carpenter frog, spring peeper and Fowler's toad are active. Check mossy areas, wet leaves and the vernal pools in the middle of the trail for salamanders. Look carefully for the often hidden blooms of wildflowers and orchids.
Nesting birds include Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee and Whip-poor-Will. Dragonflies and damselflies are abundant over the lake, as are Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows. Reptiles to keep an eye out for are red-bellied turtle, painted turtle, musk turtle and black rat snake. Less common reptiles that occur here include pine snake, rough green snake, king snake and spotted turtle. Watch for bats and Common Nighthawk over the lake at dusk.
Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks stop along their southbound migration to hunt in the woods and waterfowl are abundant in the lake. Occasionally, river otter and beaver can be spotted swimming. Red squirrels and Wild Turkey rustle through the understory.
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