Great Egg Harbor National Scenic and Recreational River
Beginning as little more than a trickle near Berlin, New Jersey, the Great Egg Harbor River gradually gathers the waters of seventeen tributaries as it winds through the forests and wetlands of the Pine Barrens. Along the way, the narrow stream becomes a broad tidal river before reaching Great Egg Harbor Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
Known locally as the “Great Egg”, the river drains more than 300 square miles and provides important habitat for fish, waterfowl, bald eagles, and other wildlife. Its lower reaches are bordered by sweeping salt marshes like those in our photograph. Although the landscape may appear quiet and empty, these wetlands are alive with plants and animals and serve as an important meeting place between freshwater and the sea.
In 1992, Congress protected 129 miles of the river and its tributaries as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and President George H. W. Bush signed it into law.. The river is protected through cooperation among the National Park Service, the State of New Jersey, and the communities through which it flows, preserving a remarkably wild landscape within one of the most densely populated regions of the country.
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