Daniels Preserve

100 Acres South Harrison Township Gloucester County

Acquired by New Jersey Conservation Foundation in 2007, this preserve along Harrisonville-Ferrel Road in South Harrison was known locally for many years as Daniels’ Woods, after former owner and blacksmith Bruce Daniels. It is one of the few large wooded tracts remaining in South Harrison.

Most the Daniels Preserve is covered with native hardwood forest. Among the interesting features of the property are vernal ponds created decades ago when storms blew down large trees, roots and all, leaving holes that filled with water. These pools are now home to numerous amphibians.

Daniels’ Woods is verdant all year round, with a lush growth of laurel, holly and pine, as well as delicate four-inch-high tree ferns known as ground pines.

The preserve is a natural area that currently has no designated parking areas or blazed hiking trails.