Great Swamp Ride

The Great Swamp Tour consists of two loops passing through and around the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. A remnant of a glacial lake in southern Morris and northern Somerset counties, the Great Swamp forms the source of the Passaic River.

The routes feature some hills and only moderate traffic volumes, at least during non-peak weekday hours. But remember, the wildlife area is surrounded by residential development. Because of this, bicyclists must be prepared to share the road with motor vehicle traffic.

The Great Swamp is one of the truly unspoiled natural jewels of the state. Just 25 miles west of New York City you’ll be serenaded by frogs and accompanied by turtles as you enjoy the many resident bird species, including the majestic blue heron.

The really ambitious bicyclist can begin at Jockey Hollow and pick up Loops 1 and 2 at the Glen Alpin/Green Village Road/Lee’s Hill Road intersection. Or, they can make the three-mile trek to Jockey Hollow as a side trip. It’s a worthwhile excursion to see this encampment of log huts used by the Continental Army in the winter of 1779-80.

Parking can be a challenge for this tour. There are a few spaces at the wildlife management area and wilderness observation trails.

For Loop #1, limited parking is available at the Morris County Outdoor Education Center or on local streets near Madison or Chatham.

For Loop #2, limited parking may be available at the Somerset County Environmental Education Center, Lord Stirling Equestrian Center or on local streets in Basking Ridge and Far Hills.

File Formats

KML (20k)
Use to view tour guide routes in a mapping application on a desktop computer, mobile device or GPS device.
Geospatial PDF (622k)
Use to view your current location along the tour guide routes using a GPS enabled mobile device.
PDF (1m)
Use to view or print the tour guide routes in a brochure format.

Instructions for using these files formats is available.