Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1960, lies 26 miles west of New York City's Times Square and seven miles south of
Morristown, New Jersey. Swamp woodland, hardwood ridges, cattail marsh, and grassland typify this 6,818 acre refuge. The Swamp contains many large old oak and beech trees, stands of mountain laurel, and species of other plants of both northern and southern botanical zones.
The refuge bird leaflet lists more than 223 species of birds according to their seasonal occurrence. Mammals found on the refuge include the white-tailed deer, beaver, muskrat, raccoon, skunk, red and gray fox, woodchuck, and cottontail rabbit. An interesting variety of fish, reptiles, and amphibians, including the rare and endangered bog turtle and the blue-spotted salamander, are also found on the refuge.