Cloverdale Farm County Park - Ocean County

[MikeBickerson]

My wife was working Saturday, so I took the boys and went to check out Cloverdale Farm County Park in Barnegat Township. For those that haven't been (although I know many folk here already have), this is a cranberry farm that will continue to be used a demonstration farm (although I'm not sure if they started that part of their program yet).

We went for the 1.4 mile nature trail that goes around the outside of the bogs, which was a very pretty walk.

Cranberry packing house in the background:

Remains of the old sawmill:

Early morning ice on the bogs:

Cranberries:

Some more fine work by the Ocean County Parks and Rec Department, even if it did take them 11 years to get this place open.

Trail info and more pictures -
https://southjerseytrails.org/2017/01/16/cloverdalefarm/

 

[46er]

Some more fine work by the Ocean County Parks and Rec Department, even if it did take them 11 years to get this place open.

To be fair, the park was open for sometime before being closed due to the vandal caused fire. One of my favorite spots, as is Lochiel Creek County Park, also in Barnegat Twnship.

 

[Toothy Critter]

Any chance of wading out into the bogs and doing any fly fishing there?

 

[46er]

Any chance of wading out into the bogs and doing any fly fishing there?

Give the Visitors Center a call at 609-607-1861; it is open Friday-Sunday.

http://www.oceancountyparks.org/ContentPage.aspx?ID=bd2ea943-fd87-4f75-b7b4-a1658788288d

 

[bobpbx]

Any chance of wading out into the bogs and doing any fly fishing there?

If you have a license, go for it without asking. I would if I were in your shoes. Easier to ask forgiveness rather that explain to people what you want to do and thereby run into the bureaucracy wall. This is just my opinion.

 

[Toothy Critter]

I don't mean is it LEGAL when I ask is there a chance... I was only concerned if it looked physically possible. Some old bogs are easily walked and then some look awfully scary. Some are great for wading out pretty far as long as there is access thru some of the ditches along them.

 

[46er]

I was only concerned if it looked physically possible. Some old bogs are easily walked and then some look awfully scary. Some are great for wading out pretty far as long as there is access thru some of the ditches along them.

Which is why I suggest you call them. They may be drained depending on the season. They are dry harvest bogs. Take a look at some satellite images; you can make out the drainage channels in the 2 bogs immediately downstream of the reservoir, there is also the stream bed that runs thru them.

 

[GermanG]

Active cranberry bogs are not exactly the most productive fishing waters since they are drained every year during the growing season and do not have water on them long enough to allow fish to grow to a size anglers would be interested in. Wet harvest bogs have water in them only slightly longer than dry harvest ones, typically the few days required to harvest, then the water is drained to the next lowest cultivated bog. While gamefish could be washed through the water control structures, the reservoirs, which hold water year-long, are much more productive for fishing. At Cloverdale, several of the bogs below the reservoir near the park entrance have been permanently flooded as well. The former owners concentrated their management and harvest on the southern-most bogs and the remaining ones became too overtaken by weeds for the county to keep under cultivation without extensive restoration. These are potentially good waters to fish as well.

 

[Toothy Critter]

I shoulda been more specific Not the old working bogs themselves...I know they go dry. But all present and former bogs have a "Reservoir" At Cloverdale it seems to be the most western pond according to Google Earth. Timeline shows pretty consistent water. Bog themselves are pretty east to wade, but the reservoirs are tricky. That's where I was hoping someone may have a heads up on the pond that acts as a water reserve for when the bogs get flooded. Or I can get off my butt and go see.