Every year, as winter loosens its grip on central New Jersey, something remarkable happens on a quiet stretch of Beekman Road in East Brunswick. The town shuts down the road. Not for construction, not for flooding, but for salamanders.
It is now that time of year! Images are starting to appear on Facebook of the lucky residents who got out to see the start of their annual migration.
East Brunswick is believed to be the only municipality in New Jersey that actually closes a public roadway to protect migrating amphibians. For a handful of rainy nights each spring, Beekman Road goes dark to traffic so that spotted salamanders, spring peepers, wood frogs, and other amphibians can safely cross to their breeding pools on the other side.
An Ancient Migration Meets a Modern Problem
The salamanders have likely been making this journey for centuries, if not longer. They spend most of the year hibernating in the leaf litter and soil of the Ireland Brook Conservation Area forest on the east side of Beekman Road.
When temperatures climb above 40°F and the rain starts falling on early spring evenings, they wake up and head for the vernal pools — small seasonal wetlands — on the west side of the road to breed and lay their eggs. After a few weeks, they cross back.
The problem? At some point, a road was built right through the middle of their migration route. And as environmental scientist David Moskowitz has put it, when a car meets a salamander, the car always wins.
How It All Started
The road closure tradition began in the early 2000s, thanks to Moskowitz, who serves as chair of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission. While exploring the area around Beekman Road, he discovered large numbers of salamanders and frogs that had been killed by passing cars.
His response was direct: he brought a live spotted salamander and a dead one to the office of then-Mayor William Neary and made the case that something needed to be done. The mayor agreed immediately, and the road has been closed every spring since.
The effort was formalized with a resolution signed by the Mayor and Town Council in December 2011, officially supporting the Beekman Road Vernal Pool Protection Plan.
What Lives Here
The vernal pools along Beekman Road support a surprising diversity of amphibian life. According to Moskowitz, the area is home to spotted salamanders, wood frogs, green frogs, pickerel frogs, chorus frogs, northern gray tree frogs, bullfrogs, and eastern newts. This is believed to be the last location in East Brunswick where spotted salamanders still breed.
The spotted salamander is the star of the show — a striking amphibian about six to eight inches long, glossy black with vivid yellow spots running down its back. A single female can carry up to 100 eggs and live as long as 30 years.
By the Numbers
The scale of amphibian migration in New Jersey can be staggering. At a similar crossing site on Waterloo Road in Sussex County, the state Department of Environmental Protection has documented more than 300 salamanders and frogs per hour crossing a quarter-mile stretch of road on peak migration nights.
Volunteer surveys have also documented a roughly 20% mortality rate during migration at sites without road protections in place.
In East Brunswick, the results of the road closure speak for themselves. Before the program began, Moskowitz says he never observed wood frogs breeding in the Beekman Road vernal pools. Today, there are thriving populations of wood frogs in addition to the spotted salamanders.
When and Where to See It
The salamander crossing takes place on Beekman Road in East Brunswick, which becomes White Pine Road as it crosses into South Brunswick. The road is closed intermittently from roughly late February through early April, typically from around 5 or 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., depending on the weather.
Here’s what you need to know if you want to visit:
Best conditions: The salamanders move on warm, rainy nights when temperatures are above 40°F. They migrate under the cover of darkness, with peak activity typically between 7 and 9 p.m. Cold or dry nights may yield little to no activity. The migration is entirely weather-dependent and unpredictable — the road is not closed every night.
Getting there: GPS directions to the intersection of Church Lane and Beekman Road, East Brunswick, NJ will get you to the right spot. Parking is available at a small county lot on Beekman Road, accessed from White Pine Road on the South Brunswick side, and on Crispin Lane off Church Lane.
What to bring: A bright flashlight is essential — phone flashlights are not adequate. Without a strong beam, there is a real risk of accidentally stepping on a small frog or salamander, which defeats the purpose entirely. Wear bright clothing for visibility, and bring an umbrella if rain is expected.
Important safety rules: Never walk Beekman Road when it is not officially closed — it is not safe. Church Lane is dark with fast-moving traffic. Hold children’s hands when crossing Church Lane. Do not handle the amphibians; human skin oils can be harmful to them, and they are slippery and easy to drop.
Stay updated: The Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission posts road closure updates on their Facebook page and website at friendsebec.com. Because the migration depends entirely on weather conditions, checking for updates before heading out is strongly recommended.
A Growing Movement
East Brunswick’s program has inspired similar efforts across the state. Road closures for amphibian crossings have been established in Princeton and near the Sourland Mountains, with organizers consulting with Moskowitz on how to set them up. The Delaware Water Gap also closes a section of road during migration season.
In places where road closures aren’t feasible, volunteers serve as crossing guards, physically helping amphibians across. The state has also launched the CHANJ initiative, which includes constructing underground wildlife tunnels at sites like River Road in Bedminster and Waterloo Road in Sussex County.
Why It Matters
Spotted salamanders are a vernal pool obligate species, meaning they depend entirely on these seasonal wetlands to reproduce. As Moskowitz has explained, vernal pools are like oases in the forest — lose the pool, and you lose every species that depends on it. Amphibians also play a vital ecological role: they consume large quantities of insects, including disease-carrying species, and they serve as an indicator species whose presence reflects the overall health of the local environment.
On the best migration nights, the closed stretch of Beekman Road transforms into something unexpected — families with flashlights, the deafening chorus of spring peepers echoing through the darkness, and small, ancient creatures making the same journey they have made for generations. It’s one of central New Jersey’s most unusual and wonderful signs that spring has arrived.
Sources: NJ 101.5 (March 2025, February 2024); East Brunswick Patch (March 2020, March 2025); Fox 5 NY (February 2020); Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ (March 2021); PIX11 (February 2023); Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission (friendsebec.com); 4-H ISTOPS (February 2022); Rutgers 4-H Animal Science Resource Blog (March 2020)
