The Bear Swamp cache is part of The Shades of Death Geocache series which profile some of the local folklore and legends of the famous centuries old road that twists and turns its way through a rural part of the state.
Another explanation to the "Shades of Death Road" name points to the Pequest lowlands and nearby Bear Swamp, used today for sod farming. In 1850, malaria-carrying insects were discovered nesting in a cliff face along the road. They flourished in the nearby wetlands of Bear Swamp, causing annual outbreaks of the disease. The high mortality rates due to the remoteness of the area from effective medical treatment cut a swath through so many families that a street once called merely "Shade" or "Shades Road" due to its tree cover took on the name "Shades Of Death" out of dark humor. The problem was so widespread, that in 1884 a state-sponsored project drained the swamps, ending the threat.
What is known is that for centuries, this road has been a dark, mysterious thoroughfare for travelers to cut across one of the more isolated parts of our state. What isn’t known is exactly how this street earned its curious name.
Bear Swamp
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