The Raptor Trust
The Raptor Trust is a family-owned bird sanctuary located in The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. This is a must-do for any nature lover visiting the Morristown area. The proximity to Route 287 also makes this a great stop to stretch your legs, visit the birds, and have a picnic while traveling through the area.
Bald Eagles on display at The Raptor Trust
Fees: Admission is free, but there are donation boxes at the entrance. Be sure to bring cash to support this very worthwhile organization.
Accessibility: It is a network of wide, flat, packed gravel walkways. We have a jogging stroller with inflatable wheels, but I would think most wheelchairs and strollers could be used here with no issues.
What to Bring: Cash (see above re: donations), Bug Spray (it’s in a swamp and can get buggy), Water Bottle
What to Leave Home: Pets and any toys that light up or make noise. This is a rehabilitation center. There are reminders throughout the sanctuary to keep noise to a minimum. We reminded our kids before entering (and several times throughout) to use inside voices even though we were outside, and to not make sudden, extreme movements.
Food: Bring your own, there are no concessions here. There are some benches near the parking lot if you want to picnic there or head down the road to the Somerset County Environmental Education Center. They have several picnic tables, some of which are in the shade.
Restrooms: There are restrooms located on-site, but they are to the left of the parking area, so I suggest going before or after your walk through the sanctuary.
These were the hours when we visited. Check their website for current hours.
As I mentioned above, I have never seen it busy here, but they are a destination for local field trips. There are no set feeding times or talks, but we have encountered a number of employees and volunteers during our visit and they are always happy to talk about the care they are giving to the birds. For those who are squeamish, be aware these are birds of prey, their diets are whole animals. You can easily move along without seeing too much, but if you choose to stay for a feeding, the birds are fed full-size animals like rats and quail (they are dead and frozen). That led to some questions from my youngest, but it was a good learning opportunity.
There is a small gift shop on site and the proceeds benefit the organization. In 2022 they helped 4680 birds from all over New Jersey. Their goal is to rehabilitate and return the birds to the wild, but that is not always possible. Those that are unable to survive in the wild are kept on site. They also offer a variety of paid programs for groups of all sizes. You can find more information here. They have an education center, but it is currently accessible only through the private tours previously mentioned. We wandered in while looking for the restrooms. It appeared to have a lot of fun, hands-on material, but we quickly realized it was not meant to be explored by the general public and we saw ourselves out.
If you are looking to make this a full-day outing, I highly suggest the Somerset County Environmental Education Center, located just down the road, a hike on some of the boardwalk trails through The Great Swamp, or a short drive to Morristown National Historic Park to further explore nature with a side of history.