Explore the mysteries, discover the magic...

Dawn breaks and the rising sun settles the darkness back into the earth. The red-winged blackbirds with their tomato-red epaulets and wing bars of gold add their trill to the morning chorus of thrushes, warblers, woodpeckers, and other songbirds while searching the trees and underbrush for insects and frightening away would-be intruders with song and fluffed feathers.

Ducks and geese, sheltered in coves and among the soft-stemmed grasses, wild rice and floating plants of the marsh, untuck themselves and begin feeding. Across the marsh the sun warms the white wing and long, elegant neck of a great egret as it feeds in the shallow water among the grasses.

On the woodland floor, the creamy, yellow-tipped bloomers of Dutchman's-breeches blow in the soft breeze tied in a line to their thin flower stalk by even thinner stems. Trout lilies thrust their speckled spears skyward, and the bright green umbrellas of the may apples unfold to shade the creamy white flowers below.

Overhead at midday an osprey's wings beat a rhythm of flap, flap, glide, while keen eyes search the water dotted with lilies below. Suddenly the wings fold and the bird drops like an arrow shot from the sky. In less then a breath, its wings spread, talons open, the water splashes, and then great heaves of powerful wing beats lift the bird and talon-clenched fish from the water. Strong, full flaps carry them to an out-streched branch of a nearby cottonwood.

As the light softens into early evening, a great blue heron cruises the marsh, neck folded, wings gracefully arched, supporting the glide and then a quiet landing that barely ripples the surface. Its smoky blue coloring blends with the surrounding hues of sky, water, trees and grasses, and its perfect stillness camouflages its presence as it stalks its prey of fish and frogs.

Later the moonlight echoes in the still water, reflecting back the gunmetal blue expanse of sky overhead. Raccoons, traveling lightly, leave only their tracks in the softened mud along the water's edge as evidence of their presence in the darkness. A low croak rumbles from the bullfrog punctuating the high-pitched musical chorus of spring peepers, and from somewhere in the marsh a screech owl sends a call into the night air.

Rich with Natural Resources

Located southeast of Trenton in Hamilton Township, the 1,250 acre Hamilton/Trenton Marsh is the northernmost freshwater tidal marsh on the Delaware River. The marsh includes both tidal and nontidal marshland, forested swamp and upland and second-growth forest. Ponds, creeks, and Delaware & Raritan Canal and the Delaware River are all connected by this extensive waterway.

This diverse habitat supports an astonishing 550 species of plants, more then 230 species of birds and many mammals, amphibians and reptiles, including many rare and endangered species.

Ecologically the marsh plays many roles. It contains floodwaters, consumes pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorous and provides food for plants and animals in the entire Delaware estuary. This wetland is as ecologically productive as a tropical rainforest.

Steeped in History and Culture

The boundaries of the marsh nearly conincide with those of the Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark, the largest-known early Native American Middle Woodland village site in the Mid-Atlantic, where artifacts dating back more than 6,000 years have been found.

In the mid 1800's the Delaware & Raritan Canal was built along the marsh, and mules towed canal boatts laden with coal from Pennsylvania to New York.

During that same century, a man-mide dike gathered gurgling water from the natural springs and created the lake now known as Spring Lake as part of the White City Amusement Park. This major amusement park attracted people from throughout the region, and the remains of the ornate steps that linked thr trolley stop at the top of the bluff to the park below are still visible today.

In the 1950's more than 200 acres were deeded to Mercer County and the John A. Roebling Memorial Park was established.

In more recent history the marsh has seen more significant alterations. It is surrounded by industrial facilites, and now a major highway is being built through the middle, crossing its many waterways and making it visible to more people than ever before.

Abounding with Recreational Opportunities

Amble on the same lands that Native Americans roamed and hunted more than 6,000 years ago. Canoe and fish the creeks and river that nourished the animals, fish, and plants that fed those who have traveled before us. Explore the canal, whose activity level at one time rivaled the much better known Erie Canal.

Enjoy the hundreds of birds that stop to rest and refuel at the marsh on their arduous migrations each spring and fall. Capture the bearuty of the woodland and water flowers in a sketchbook, catch the echo of sunlight from a bird's wing through your camera and let the wildness resonate in you.

Sit quietly, listen and watch the mysteries unfold. Make yourself a part of the landscape, go gently, blend in, and the magic somes to you. Like the elusive butterfly of happiness, it alights on your shoulder - catches you by surprise. The next thing you know, the magic is inside you.