Mehrhof Road, Little Ferry, NJ
Phone: (201) 460-1700
www.njmeadowlands.gov
The Town of Little Ferry/New Jersey Meadowlands Commission
Directions: Exit Schmidt’s Woods Park by turning Left onto Mill Ridge Road. Turn Left onto Stonewall Lane. Pass through 1 stop sign and Stonewall turns to the Right and becomes Hops Lane. Turn Left onto Paterson Plank Road at first stop sign. Pass through 2nd traffic light and turn Left. Follow sign for Route 3 Clifton. Follow ramp, bear Right onto Service Road and then
onto Route 3 West. Bear Right over bridge and after 1.1 miles take exit on the Right for 120 North/East Rutherford. Stay Left and follow signs for Route 503 North, Moonachie. Route
503 is also Washington Avenue. After crossing Empire Blvd. it becomes Moonachie Avenue and after crossing Broad Street it becomes Liberty Street. Pass through 6 traffic lights, including
one for fire station. After 3.3 miles, turn Right onto Washington Avenue, Little Ferry. Take 3rd Right turn onto Mehrhof Road. After 4/10 of a mile turn Right onto Crescent Street then turn Right into parking lot adjacent to the Little Ferry Department of Public Works. Entrance to park is in back of roller hockey rink. Map
NJ Transit Bus Line Nos. 161/772 stops at Liberty Street and Union Avenue or Chamberlain Avenue (they are the same street). Walk south along Liberty Street to Washington Avenue and turn Left onto Washington Avenue and follow directions above.
The wooded area is cool and pleasant on hot summer days. There is a great diversity of vegetation at this site; the woodland and field support a variety of birds. Notice birch, oak, sweet gum, maple, chestnut, sumac, sassafras, pepperbush, elderberry, primrose, Joe pye weed, goldenrod, jewelweed and many species of grasses and fern. The vegetation surrounding the pond consists of phragmites along with mulberry, willow, cottonwood and cherry trees. You may also see red and gray foxes, common raccoon, eastern cottontail, weasel, meadow vole, eastern chipmunk, opossum, striped skunk, field mouse, woodchuck and common muskrat.
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Located in Little Ferry, this 28-acre lowland forest and meadow habitat was protected in 1990 by an agreement between the Borough of Little Ferry and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. Losen Slote Creek Park is adjacent to Mehrhof Pond and centers on the impounded Losen Slote Creek, a former tidal tributary of the Hackensack River. It offers a nature trail and seating areas. Mehrhof Pond is fenced in for safety reasons by the Bergen County Utilities Authority, but you can walk along the road and peer though the fence to scan the pond for waterfowl. The Pond was named after the Mehrhof family, who owned a brick-making operation in the late 19th century. Huge clay deposits were found throughout the Meadowlands, so brick-making was an attractive business. A large clay deposit on the eastern side of the site was mined and the remaining pit is now a viable freshwater pond. The area is a botanical treasure trove, including damp and wet woodlands, thickets, ephemeral streams and several distinct meadow types.
Stop by the pond first. If it is not frozen you will see hundreds, if not thousands of Ruddy Ducks and other waterfowl. In Losen Slote Creek Park, walk through the woods to see White-throated Sparrow, White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, along with Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Check all the pin oaks for roosting Long-eared Owl during the day. An occasional Cooper’s Hawk and Northern Goshawk have been known to pass through the area.
In the woods, look for Yellow Warbler, American Goldfinch, Brown Thrasher, Indigo Bunting and Rufous-sided Towhee. You may also find nesting Red-tailed Hawk and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. Look for an occasional Green Heron, Louisiana Waterthrush and Ring-necked Pheasant.
Numerous birds nest and feed here including American Robin, Northern Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Gray Catbird, and Eastern Kingbird. On the outer fringes you will see Yellow Warbler, Song Sparrow and American Goldfinch.
Migrating warblers take full advantage of the diverse vegetation as an abundant food source before heading south. Look by the creek for Mallard, American Black Duck, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teals, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Green Heron and American Bittern.
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