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Southampton Township, Burlington County
989 Acres
Bear Swamp at Red Lion is a remote and wild place. Located on
the edge of the old community of Red Lion near the Red Lion Circle,
where Route 206 and Route 70 intersect, it was here in Bear Swamp
were the legend says a man hunting bear came upon a mountain lion.
After his gun misfired he fought and killed the cat bare handed,
returning back to town with the lion red with blood. Three streams
either originate here or flow through this swamp. The large wetland
forest includes pitch pine lowlands, Atlantic white cedar bogs,
American holly, sweet gum and swamp magnolia. The tall flat tops
of the oaks and black gum is indicative of the old age of these
trees. Barred owls find suitable nests in the hollow of an old
snag tree. Fly poison, with pretty white flowers, grows among
beds of cinnamon fern in open areas of the forest. Geologically
positioned at the transition between the inner and outer coastal
plain physiographic provinces, areas of the swamp were historically
used for cranberry bogs. Neighbor farms in the area still produce
the red berries for market.
The preserve is assembled of three major tracts, each donated
to the Trust. The Audubon Wildlife Society, a conservation group
from the town of Audubon NJ, donated two of these properties.
The Audubon Wildlife Society and other birders enjoy spotting
prothonotary warblers and Kentucky warblers along the swampy streams.
Public Access and Uses:
The preserve is best accessed from Hawkins Road, however roadside
parking is limited. Some unmarked primitive trails can be accessed.
The Trust allows registration
for deer hunting at this preserve.
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