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Hawk Rise Sanctuary is a 95-acre ecological preserve and wetland complex in Linden. The sanctuary and the Linden Landfill’s surrounding forest areas and wetlands became the core of a Linden greenway, through the combined efforts of the Department of Environmental Protection, the city of Linden, a local environmental group and the New Jersey Audubon Society.
An Administrative Consent Order issued by the DEP called for the proper clean-up and closure of the Linden Landfill, a dump site that was located along the Rahway River. The consent order also included an agreement with the city to enhance 50 acres of surrounding forest areas and wetlands to create additional habitat for the greenway.
The sanctuary includes a walkway/trail system, overlook platforms, and pedestrian bridges. In addition to panoramic views of the Rahway River, trails are equipped with interpretive signage to provide visitors with habitat descriptions and information regarding 123 species of birds and other wildlife that have been seen in the area.
The city also has worked with the Linden Public Schools system to integrate the sanctuary with the science curriculum and bring student groups to Hawk Rise for ecological studies. New Jersey Audubon also offers a full suite of natural history programs for families and adults.
In 2012, separate SEPs provided for Linden Hawk Rise park improvements including adding benches, placing blue chips on trails, and constructing a 4.5-acre park enclosure to protect the native vegetation from excessive deer browsing.
For directions and more pictures of the Hawk Rise Sanctuary click here.
The sanctuary with the filled-in landfill at the top
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