The Glades is a name for 7113 acres (28.8 km²) in southern New Jersey along the Delaware Bay

Delaware Bay

Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...

. The formal name of this preserve is The Glades Wildlife Refuge and is publicly accessible at several points. Several of these points are part of New Jersey's Coastal Heritage Route.

Public areas

• The Russell Farm Trail, is a trail in the Glades that goes through forests and leads to an observation tower
  Observation tower
  An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...
  
   looking over a tidal marsh. Bald eagles, waterfowl and other birds can be seen from the observation tower during the year.

• Reineman Wildlife Sanctuary- This area open by appointment only

Flora and fauna

Part of Bear Swamp

Bear Swamp, New Jersey

Bear Swamp is a swamp in Cumberland County, southwestern New Jersey, notable for its of old-growth forests and the birds they contain. It is divided into two areas, Bear Swamp East and Bear Swamp West, separated from each other by gravel mines and roads....

, Bear Swamp West, is in the Refuge. Its broadleaf swamp forests contain 100 acres (40.5 ha) of old-growth forest, one of the largest such tracts in New Jersey.

Fortescue Beach and Raybins Beach are home to migratory birds each spring as well as horseshoe crabs, which lay their eggs on the sand at low tide. Parking along the road at Fortescue Beach is allowed in certain designated areas

Turkey Point is also home to migratory birds as well as nesting birds. The area is known for being home to the black rail and for crabbing in nearby Johnson's Ditch. The Wildlife Area at Turkey Point is always open and there is no admission charge.

Activities

There are also numerous marked trails throughout the refuge. Most of these trails have very limited parking if any immediately by the trailheads.

See also

• Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
  Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
  The Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is part of the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge. A component of the Delaware River estuary in Salem County, New Jersey, it just north the Salem River and south of Pennsville....
  
  
• Cape May National Wildlife Refuge
  Cape May National Wildlife Refuge
  The Cape May National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area on the Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System and managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service...
  
  
• Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
  Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
  The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern New Jersey along the Atlantic coast north of Atlantic City, in Atlantic and Ocean counties. The refuge was created in 1984 out of two existing refuge parcels created to protect tidal...
  
  
• Killcohook National Wildlife Refuge
  Killcohook National Wildlife Refuge
  Killcohook National Wildlife Refuge was a National Wildlife Refuge located on the east bank of the Delaware River adjacent to the current Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. It had originally been established in 1934 as a secondary sludge disposal site for use by the Army Corps of Engineers...
  
  
• The Glades (Florida)
  The Glades (Florida)
  The Glades is a nickname given to the western half of Palm Beach County, Florida. Everything west of a North-South line through 20 Mile Bend is considered to be in The Glades.Cities and communities within The Glades include:* Belle Glade...