You're driving down Sawmill Road in Medford, New Jersey, and suddenly the suburban sprawl just... stops. The air gets cooler. You smell pine needles instead of exhaust. That’s when you hit the Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. It isn't just a park or a petting zoo. Honestly, it's a 171-acre slice of what New Jersey looked like before everyone decided we needed a strip mall on every corner.
It’s quiet. Mostly.
If you visit in the spring, the "quiet" is interrupted by the frantic chirping of thousands of orphaned birds. Cedar Run handles over 6,000 animals a year in their hospital. Think about that number for a second. That is a staggering amount of trauma, healing, and frantic feeding schedules managed by a relatively small team of dedicated humans.
What Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge Actually Does (It’s Not Just Hiking)
Most people show up because they want to see the owls. I get it. The Wildlife Housing Area is cool. You walk along these wooden boardwalks and see Great Horned Owls, Bald Eagles, and Red-tailed Hawks that can’t be released back into the wild. They’re "residents" now. But the real heart of the operation—the stuff you don't always see—is the rehabilitation hospital.
Founded by Elizabeth and Jim Woodford back in 1957, this place started as a grassroots effort to save the Pine Barrens. It grew into a full-scale medical facility for wild animals. They take in everything: squirrels that fell out of trees, turtles cracked by car tires, and fawns whose mothers were spooked by dogs.
The philosophy here is simple: if it can be released, it goes back. If it’s too injured to survive, they try to give it a job as an "educator."
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The Resident Characters You Have to Meet
When you walk the paths at Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, you aren't just looking at exhibits. You're looking at individuals with stories.
Take the Vultures. Turkey Vultures get a bad rap because they eat dead stuff, but they are incredibly smart. At Cedar Run, you might see them sunning their wings. It's called the "horaltic pose." They look like they’re practicing yoga. Then there are the owls. The Screech Owls are tiny. Smaller than you think. They look like little clumps of bark until they blink those huge, yellow eyes at you.
It’s easy to spend an hour just staring at the Bald Eagles. They are massive. Seeing them up close—without the barrier of a hundred yards of river water—really puts their power into perspective. Their talons are the size of human hands.
Why the Pine Barrens Ecosystem Matters Here
Cedar Run is located within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve. This isn't just "the woods." It’s a globally unique ecosystem. The soil is acidic and sandy. The water in the lake is tea-colored because of the tannins from the cedar trees.
You’ve probably heard of the Jersey Devil. Legend says he haunts these woods. While you likely won’t spot a winged horse-man, you will see Pitch Pines and Scrub Oaks.
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Hiking the trails is a lesson in resilience. The Pine Barrens are designed to burn. The trees actually need fire to drop their seeds. When you walk the White, Blue, or Orange trails at Cedar Run, look at the ground. You'll see reindeer moss—that crunchy, pale green stuff—and if you’re lucky, maybe a Pink Lady’s Slipper orchid.
Don't go off the trails, though. Seriously. Ticks are the real monsters of the Pine Barrens, and they don’t care about your weekend plans.
The Wildlife Hospital: Behind the Scenes
The hospital is where the heavy lifting happens. It is one of the busiest wildlife rehab centers in the tri-state area.
They don't get state or federal funding for the animals. Every bandage, every syringe of medicine, and every pound of specialized bird seed is paid for by donations and admissions. It’s a grind.
If you find a "baby" bird on the ground, the staff will probably tell you to leave it alone. That’s a "fledgling." It’s supposed to be there. This is a huge point of friction for well-meaning hikers. We want to save everything, but sometimes "saving" an animal is actually kidnapping it from its parents who are watching from a nearby branch.
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Educational Programs and the Nature Center
The Nature Center building acts as the gateway. It’s got some cool hands-on stuff for kids, but the real value is the staff. They know their stuff. If you want to know why a particular hawk is sitting a certain way, ask.
They run night hikes. They do "Coffee with the Critters." They do "Wild Friends" sponsorships where you can basically pay for the food for an owl for a year. It's a great way to feel connected to the place without having to actually scrub a cage.
Common Misconceptions About the Refuge
- "It's a zoo." No. A zoo keeps animals for display. Cedar Run keeps residents because they are physically or behaviorally unable to survive in the wild. Most have permanent wing injuries or were "imprinted" on humans (which happens when people try to raise wild animals as pets).
- "They take domestic animals." Please don't bring your unwanted kitten or stray dog here. They are strictly for New Jersey wildlife. They can't take your parakeet either.
- "It's just for kids." Honestly, I find it more peaceful as an adult. The trails are flat—classic Jersey—which makes for a low-stress hike where you can actually listen to the wind in the pines.
Getting the Most Out of Your Visit
Go early. The animals are more active in the morning. If you go at 2:00 PM in the middle of July, everything is going to be napping in the shade.
Bring binoculars. Even though the residents are in enclosures, there is a ton of actual wild activity happening in the trees above you. Cedar Run is a birding hotspot. You might see a wild hawk circling the resident hawks, trying to figure out what the deal is.
Next Steps for Your Visit:
- Check the Intake Hours: If you are bringing an injured animal, check their website first. They have specific protocols and hours for drop-offs.
- Pack for Ticks: Use repellent and wear long socks. This is the Pine Barrens. Ticks are a lifestyle here.
- Bring Cash for the Gift Shop: It’s small, but the money goes directly to animal care.
- Respect the "No Touching" Rule: These are wild animals, not pets. Even the ones that seem friendly are stressed by loud noises and fingers poking at their cages.
- Volunteer: If you live nearby and have a thick skin and a strong stomach, they are almost always looking for volunteers to help with the messy work of wildlife rehab.
Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge is a reminder that we share this state with some pretty incredible creatures. It’s a place that asks for nothing but a little respect for the natural world and maybe a few bucks to help fix a squirrel’s broken leg. It’s authentic New Jersey at its best.