Trip #3: Parvin State Park

Today was an enjoyable, sunny day at Parvin State Park, located in Pittsgrove in southern New Jersey. My mom accompanied me today and we enjoyed a brisk two-hour walk around the lake. There is one main trail that circles Parvin Lake, and then there are a few other trails that are further in the woods. We walked on the green trail, but our stay could have been extended if we walked the other trails that branched off.

We parked at the main entrance on Almond Road, where the office is located. Among having brochures for Parvin State Park, there were also plenty of brochures for other places in New Jersey and the nearby states. There was a small beach area we could walk around, but I assume once the summer season begins, a fee will be charged to enter.

We commenced our trail walk right outside the office. The leaves haven't bloomed yet, but I did find some purple flowers growing off the side of the path. It also appeared that red buds were sprouting in the dirt. On the animal side of things, I saw a spotted, orange butterfly and purple moth/butterfly. I was startled when I saw (what I assumed to be) a cardinal fly across the trail and hide among a group of trees. Unfortunately, she moved too quickly to snap a picture of her. However, I was able to get a few pictures of a small, round bird up in the trees, as spastic as he was up there. And speaking of trees, a number of them had either fallen down, grown sideways, or fallen sideways. I found this natural art to make the trail more scenic, especially the branch that looked like a duck's head!

We later came across a campground area next to the lake, where we could sit and look out onto the water. There were two geese and a mallard duck nearby, and a group of geese floating off in the distance. As the group started to swim closer to us, the two geese nearby began to fly out and chase the other geese away, as if they were protecting their territory. When the two geese returned, my mom suggested that they were on their honeymoon and simply wanted some privacy.

As we crossed one of several bridges, we saw a man with a fishing net. He was looking for something to add to his pond, and already caught a turtle. I asked if I could take a picture of the little guy, and upon looking at his shell, it appeared that an animal had tried to eat him. I looked in the water to see if I could find anything, and saw his buddy, safely basking in the sun on a rock. (He was too far in the water for the man to pick him up.) 

As a general summary for Parvin State Park, it's a great place to walk your dog, go for an easy hike, go for a trail jog, camp with some friends, or go for a swim. This probably isn't a park I would return to for hiking. A woman told me it gets pretty packed in the summertime, and a crowded trail is no fun. It's nice to hear the trickle of water falling along rocks in a stream, or the birds chirping in trees without the sound of kids yelling and people talking.

Here is the link to the pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=347029&id=753450259&l=b5e2af666b

Two State Parks, One Wildlife Refuge down.

Next weekend: Cheesequake State Park with a group of friends.