Shuster Pond Preserve

Hardwick
92 acres

Hiking at Shuster Pond Preserve

Shuster Pond Preserve is a conservation easement on privately-owned land. Public access is provided via a hiking trail that can be accessed from Mallard Pond Road. Visitors must stay on the trail to avoid trespassing on private property.

In 2021, RVC purchased 22 acres to add to the northern end of this preserve. The existing hiking trail is being extended through this area, and an updated trail map is in development.

unique features

This 92-acre preserve is part of the state-designated Shuster Pond Natural Heritage Priority Site, and is a prime example of an intact limestone forest. The unique ecosystem hosts a variety of rare and endangered plants associated with limestone, plus abundant wildlife that thrives within the dense interior forest, and in and around Shuster Pond, a large sinkhole pond. The porous “karst” hydrology of the forest directly charges a bountiful spring that feeds Shuster Pond. This spring is the second most prolific in the Ridge and Valley Region, flowing at an average of 5 million gallons per day, and ultimately helps maintain the water quality of the Paulins Kill River.

Shuster Pond Preserve is part of a large, open-space greenway of preserved land that includes several other RVC preserves, plus lands owned by The Nature Conservancy and the State of New Jersey.

history

The conservation easement was acquired by purchase in 2007, using grants from the Garden State Preservation Trust (Green Acres), the Warren County Open Space Trust Fund, Hardwick Township, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Beneficia Foundation, and Conservation Resources, Inc.

An additional 22 acres were purchased by RVC in 2021, using grants from Green Acres, The Nature Conservancy, and the Open Space Institute Land Trust.