Tempe Wick Reserve

Tempe Wick Reserve, Mendham, NJ (9/11/2011)

We didn't plan on any nature walks today, but we had an extra hour to spare, so we decided to check out the Tempe Wick Reserve, a 51-acre area that I have passed dozens of times in the past but never visited. I knew that, according to this map, there was at least a 0.7-mile loop around a meadow, perhaps more (not indicated on the map). So today we headed here (15 minutes from home) and enjoyed the quiet, cloudy afternoon among the tall grass and wildflowers. It turns out that there actually are two more adjacent loops to the one on the map (in fact, the map doesn't accurately capture any existing loop). The first loop from the parking area mostly follows the perimeter of the open field (which we did today, in addition to a bit of exploring). The second one is to the west and visits that adjacent field, which can be seen on the map. The third loop extends south into the wooded area from the first open field, connecting to that field at its SW and SE corners.

Total distance walked today was a mile in about 45 minutes.

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