| Dismal Swamp | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Dismal Swamp | |
| Location | Middlesex County, New Jersey |
| Area | 650 acres (3 km2) |
TheDismal Swamp is amarshy area inMiddlesex County incentralNew Jersey. The marshes border the towns ofEdison,South Plainfield, andMetuchen.[1]
The Dismal Swamp is awetlandecosystem located in anurban environment. Theswamp covers nearly 650 acres (3 km2) with 12 acres (0 km2) located inMetuchen with the remaining portion in Edison and South Plainfield. The swampcontains a number of wildlife species, including theendangeredloggerhead shrike. There are an estimated 165 differentspecies of birdsin the swamp.[2]
The swamp's geology is part of thePassaic Formation and consists ofsedimentary rock composed of red-brownshale.[3]
Relics found in the swamp, believed to be from prehistoric times, includestone axes,spear heads, andarrow points indicating that the swamp wasinhabited byearly man.[3]
It was known to the Lenape as Maniquescake.[4]
Avineyard was planted in the southern section of the swamp during the 1700s with subsequent agriculture development during the 1800s.[3]
In the early 1900s aRussianexilesettlement,New Petrograd, was established near the swamp near the Metuchen border.[3]
It is believed that the name of the swamp comes from Dismal Brook, astream that once flowed through the area.[3]
The Triple CRanch, located within Dismal Swamp, isheadquarters to the Edison Wetlands Association. Located in the middle of the Swamp, andadjacent to 275 acres (1 km2) of land owned by Edison Township, the 5.27 acres (0 km2) ranch is one of the few remaining working farms in northern MiddlesexCounty.[5]
TheMiddlesex Greenway, arail-trail, provides public access to some sections of the swamp.[6]
40°32′51″N74°22′28″W / 40.54743°N 74.374492°W /40.54743; -74.374492
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