[2] The Great Swamp is located at the northern end of the intruding suburban development from Westchester County and New York City to the south.
[5] The largest single body of water within the Great Swamp is Ice Pond, accessed by a steep dirt road.
Camp Sharparoon, now the Dover Furnace Shooting Preserve, an 1,800-acre (7.3 km2) area west of New York State Route 22, was home to one of the first breeding grounds for ravens within the county.
Other commonly seen species include turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks, swallows, chimney swift, black vulture, American redstart, veery, indigo bunting, Louisiana waterthrush, northern waterthrush, winter wren, black-throated green warbler, willow flycatcher, and alder flycatcher.
Throughout other areas, the wood duck, mallard, Canada goose, great blue heron, and belted kingfisher are seen nesting in various bridges.
Artifacts found at the Rosebud Site off of New York State Route 311 suggest occupations in the swamp date back to the Woodland period.
In consideration of a separate piece of land further south, Connecticut surrendered to New York, and the state gained ownership.