April High Point State Park events
Sussex n High Point State Park will mark spring’s arrival with the following programs in April: Vernal ponds at High Point Saturday, April 4 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Adults/children ages 8 and up. Registration is required. Vernal ponds, unique, temporary wetlands, are the breeding grounds for a number of amphibians and other species. There will be a short introduction to these ponds in the Interpretive Center, and then participants will travel to a handful of High Point’s vernal ponds for a first-hand look. This program will include both walking (a mile or less) and driving (approximately five miles). There will also be walking off-trail, so sturdy shoes are recommended. Moonrise walk Thursday, April 9 from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. Adults/children ages 10 and up. Hike a one mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail to an observation platform where participants will watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky. This hike is moderately strenuous with some steep portions and a rocky, uneven trail surface. Sturdy shoes are recommended. Participants will return to their cars by moonlight via an easier route. Beaver walk Tuesday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon Families with children ages five and up. Registration is not required. Meet at the Sawmill Lake Boat Launch. Take a walk around Sawmill Lake (about two miles) to see lodges and other signs of beaver activity. Beaver movie and craft Tuesday, April 14 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Families with children ages five and up. Registration is not required. Meet at the Interpretive Center. Watch a movie about beavers that will show a side of the beaver’s life not seen standing by a lake, then make a 3-D beaver habitat picture to take home. Late afternoon canoe/kayak tour Saturday, April 25 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Registration is required. Take a leisurely, naturalist-guided paddle around Lake Steenykill. Bring your own non-motorized boat. Call 973-875-1471, email highpointprograms@gmail.com, or visit www.highpointpark.blogspot.com for more information.