Published in
The Bergen Record, June 23, 1996
Natural & Cultural Sites in North
Jersey
North Jersey
1. High Point State Park
875-4800. Sussex. 14,192 acres. High Point Monument
designates the highest point in New Jersey (1,803 feet).
Visitors center, boat launch, swimming, fishing, bridle
paths, hiking (including the Appalachian Trail, or AT)
and cross-country skiing trails, a nature center, cabins.
2. Stokes State Forest
948-3820. Branchville. 15,735 acres. Picnicking,
swimming, boat launch, fishing, hiking (AT), bridle
trails, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. Sunrise
Mountain Scenic Overlook and Tillman Ravine Natural Area.
3. Swartswood State Park
383-5230. Route 519, Newton. 1,357 acres. Nature center,
picnicking, swimming, boat launch, boat and canoe
rentals, fishing and hiking, nature, biking, and bridle
trails, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating
and ice fishing.
4. Hopatcong State Park
398-7010. Landing. 113 acres. Picnicking, plus swimming,
boat launch, fishing, ice fishing, ice boating, on Lake
Hopatcong. 663-1909.
5. Allamuchy Mountain State Park
(908) 852-3790. Willow Grove Street, Hackettstown. 6,965
acres. Designated natural area, with fishing and multiuse
trails for hiking, horseback riding, and cycling.
6. Jenny Jump State Forest
(908) 459-4366. Farview Road, Hope. 2,015 acres.
Picnicking, swimming, hiking and nature trails, boating,
observatory.
7. Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural
Resource Educational Center
(908) 637-4125. Oxford. Tours and programs about trout
and natural resources. Picnicking, hiking trails.
8-9. Delaware Water Gap National
Recreation Area
(908) 496-4458 (Kittatinny Point Visitor Center). Along
the Delaware River. 70,000 acres. The park runs for 35
miles along the New Jersey and Pennsylvania sides of the
river. The Old Mine Road follows the New Jersey side.
Cycling, hiking (25 miles of the AT), picnicking,
canoeing and rafting, educational programs. Millbrook
Village restored 19th century rural community.
10. Worthington State Forest
(908) 841-9575. Old Mine Road, Columbia. 5,879 acres.
Visitor center, picnicking, boat launch, fishing, hiking
(AT) and snowmobiling trails. Dunnfield Creek and Sunfish
Pond Natural Areas.
11. Frelinghuysen Arboretum
326-7600. East Hanover Avenue, Morris Township. 125
acres. Visitor center, gardens, forested hiking trails,
and a Braille nature trail.
12. Morristown National Historic Park
539-2016. Morristown. Historic site, with 20 miles of
hiking and riding trails. Visitor center with exhibits
and films. Includes Jockey Hollow, Wick House, and Ford
House. Adjacent Lewis Morris Park offers picnicking and
swimming.
13. The Raptor Trust
(908) 647-2353. White Bridge Road, Millington. 14 acres.
Within Great Swamp, a haven for injured birds.
Educational programs.
14. Great Swamp National Wildlife
Refuge
425-1222. Basking Ridge. 7,375 acres. Protected wetlands.
Half-mile boardwalk, observation blinds, 10 miles of
trails. The Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center, 247
Southern Blvd., Chatham Township, features exhibits,
educational programs, hiking, and canoeing. 635-6629.
15. Lord Stirling Park and
Environmental Education Center
(908) 766-2489. Lord Stirling Road, Basking Ridge. 450
acres. In the Great Swamp, with 8.5 miles of trails, and
bird-watching blinds. Extensive nature library and
exhibits.
16. Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife
Sanctuary
(908) 766-5787. Hardscrabble Road, Bernardsville. 260
acres. Hiking trails, birding programs, night hikes.
17. Hacklebarney State Park
(908) 879-5677. Off Route 24, Long Valley. 892 acres.
Picnicking, fishing, hiking.
18. Voorhees State Park
(908) 638-6969. County Road 513, Glen Gardner. 625 acres.
Picnicking, hiking, biking, and nature trails,
observatory.
19. Spruce Run Recreation Area
(908) 638-8572. Clinton. 1,910 acres. Picnicking,
swimming, boat launch, boat and canoe rentals,
cross-country skiing, ice fishing, ice boating.
20. Round Valley Recreation Area
(908) 236-6355. Lebanon. 3,639 acres. Picnicking,
swimming, scuba diving, boat launch, fishing, hiking, and
bridle trails, snowmobiling trails and ice skating.
21. Wawayanda State Park
853-4462. Highland Lakes. 13,422 acres, Picnicking,
swimming, small boat launch, boat and canoe rentals,
hiking (AT), fishing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling,
ice skating and ice fishing. Wawayanda Swamp, Bearfort,
and Wawayanda Hemlock Ravine natural areas.
22. Abram S. Hewitt State Forest
853-4462. Hewitt. 2,001 acres. A less-traveled area, with
hiking trails.
23. Long Pond Ironworks State Park
839-0128. Route 511, West Milford Township. 1,725 acres.
Fishing, hiking, boat launch, ice fishing. Remains of
ironworks factory and village.
24. Ringwood State Park
962-7031. Ringwood. 5,237 acres. Hiking and nature
trails, picnic facilities, snowmobiling, cross-country
skiing. Includes historic Ringwood Manor, estate of 19th
century iron masters; 541-acre Shepherd Lake, 962-6526,
with swimming, picnicking, fishing, boat rentals, and ice
skating.
The 1,119-acre New Jersey State Botanical Garden at
Skylands features 96 acres of gardens. Skylands Manor
House (open only for special events), forest trails,
guided walks.
25. Norvin Green State Forest
962-7031. Bloomingdale and West Milford. 2,790
undeveloped acres. Hiking and nature trails,
cross-country skiing and sledding. Weis Ecology Center,
adjacent to the park on Snake Den Road, has trails,
cross-country skiing, and picnicking.
26. Farny State Park
962-7031. Green Pond Road, near Rockaway. 589 acres. This
park, overseen by Ringwood, is a true wilderness area,
with hiking trails.
27. Ramapo Mountain State Forest
825-1388. Oakland. 2,916 acres. Fishing, hiking,
1,800-acre Ramapo Lake, 337-9708.
28. Campgaw Mountain County
Reservation
Campgaw Road, Mahwah. 1,245 acres. Hiking, skiing,
camping.
29. Allendale Celery Farm Natural Area
Franklin Turnpike, Allendale. 87 acres. A Green Acres
site. Hiking trails, birding platforms.
30. Lorrimer Sanctuary
891-2185. 790 Ewing Ave., Franklin Lakes. New Jersey
Audubon Society headquarters. Bird-watching, hiking,
nature center.
31. James A. McFaul Environmental
Center
891-5571. Crescent Avenue, Wyckoff. 81 acres. Nature
trail, herb garden, live animal and bird shelters, nature
programs and classes.
32. Palisades Interstate Park
768-1360. In New Jersey, from Fort Lee to the New York
State line. The Long Path atop the cliffs runs to
Windham, N.Y.; the Shore Trail runs for 11 miles. The
Palisades Interstate Park Commission oversees 300 miles
of trails, in Harriman and Bear Mountain state parks in
New York as well as in New Jersey.
33. Flat Rock Brook Nature Preserve
567-1265. 443 Van Nostrand Ave., Englewood. A 150-acre
preserve, with 3.5 miles of trails, a nature center,
weekend programs.
34. Hackensack Meadowlands Development
Commission Environmental Center
460-8300. 2 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst. 87-acre
Kingsland Impoundment, and 10 acres of park land.
Boardwalk nature trail (made of recycled plastic boards)
through the meadowlands, with bird blinds. Nature center,
Trash Museum, panoramic views of the wetlands.
35. Liberty State Park
915-3401. Jersey City. 1,211 acres. Visitor center with
exhibits on the New York Harbor area, picnicking,
swimming, boat launch, fishing, and nature trails.
Ferries depart here for Ellis Island and Statue of
Liberty.
36. Liberty Science Center
200-1000. Off Exit 14B of the New Jersey Turnpike, Jersey
City. Built in 1992, now one of the most popular
attractions in the state. Hands-on science and nature
exhibits, Omni Theater.
Copyright © 1996 Bergen
Record Corp.
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