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High in the Skylands By Jan
Barry A cardinal flits through a green glade, then whistles to his mate. A waterfall sprays into a cool, shimmering pool nestled amid a jumble of boulders. Just beyond a winding forest trail, strawberries glisten in a sun-drenched meadow. Summer has arrived in the Skylands, New Jersey's offbeat retreat and fount of delight that reinvigorates body and soul. The Skylands, or New Jersey Highlands, have been called ''the Yellowstone of the East,'' a North American rain forest, and the Garden State's ''last frontier.'' This is mountain country. Think deep shade, chill water, vigorous jaunts to breathtaking views: smoky-blue ridges, tumbling streams, forest-fringed lakes that are home to eagles, bears, trout, and cheery residents of 200-year-old villages and farmhouses. Just minutes away from busy highways, here is a land that feels wonderfully timeless. The rustic region of mountains and lakes, forests and farms has one of the nation's major flyways for ducks and geese, hummingbirds and hawks, and an Audubon field guide full of neotropical songbirds, egrets, herons -- even a rebounding population of bald eagles. It is also home to bobcats, black bears, coyotes, timber rattlesnakes, wild turkeys, and herds of white-tailed deer. Especially during spring and fall migrations, or at dusk in the summer, wildlife viewings along road edges and lookouts can be spectacular. The colorful transformation of autumn leaves rivals New England's fall foliage.
In Millbrook Village, just 60 miles but a distant era from the George Washington Bridge, delighted drop-ins stroll grassy paths through a Kittatinny Mountain valley shared by deer browsing for apples amid weathered clapboard houses filled with generations of meticulously re-created mountaineer history. In another mountain valley 15 miles to the east, Waterloo Village comes alive, just minutes off Route 80, as blacksmiths, millers, and other artisans demonstrate the intricate skills that built 19th century communities along the Morris Canal. A short drive to the southeast, just outside Morristown, farming at a pace Robert Frost's poetry celebrated is re-created at Fosterfields: a ''living historical farm,'' where chipmunks scamper underfoot on farm lanes meandering among barns, crop fields, and pastures grazed by dairy cows, plow horses, and a dozen muddy, happily grunting piglets overseen by two enormous, dozing sows. Not far over the horizon, at Matarazzo Farms, visitors are welcome to tramp around and enjoy hayrides, strawberry festivals, winery tours, and acres of Jersey-fresh, pick-your-own fruits and vegetables. ''This is the Vermont of New Jersey,'' says farm owner Bob Matarazzo of his Warren County environs. ''It's like driving into another world.'' During the 20th century, the Skylands have become a magnet for tourists and weekend visitors. The high country has also attracted 700,000 residents, who live mainly in suburban communities that sprang up around lakeside summer homes and rural hamlets. In recent years, the Skylands have been the focus of fierce struggles between developers and conservationists. Shortly after taking office, Governor Whitman launched an eco-tourism campaign as a key underpinning of a state policy to preserve the New Jersey Highlands from rampant development. Kayaking the Delaware River, bird-watching in the Great Swamp, biking through the countryside near her Tewksbury Township estate, Whitman has lured news crews to locales that showcase New Jersey's mountain getaways. But many local environmentalists worry that too many tourists can overwhelm country roads, hiking trails, and wildlife habitats, as has happened in particularly popular national parks. In Morris County, boosters recently promoted a new hiking trail by highlighting the fact that it passes a cave full of endangered bats. One of the Garden State's unexpected delights, the Appalachian high country attracts an estimated 8 million visitors annually -- even without a boost from the governor. It is a mecca, especially on weekends and holidays, for families, couples, and single folks who enjoy hiking, biking, boating, rafting, canoeing, camping, swimming, skiing, horse riding, hunting, fishing, fruit and vegetable picking, bird watching, and nature walks. Still, the six-county northwest sector -- stretching from the Ramapo Mountains on the Bergen-Passaic border to a sweeping panorama of rural Americana along the banks of the Delaware River -- is sprawling enough to seldom be truly crowded. Also known as the New Jersey Highlands, the region encompasses Action Park water slides and ski slopes in Sussex, hot air balloon flight paths across Hunterdon, the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area in Warren and Sussex, Ringwood Manor and the state Botanical Gardens at Skylands Manor in Passaic, Morristown National Historical Park and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Morris, and fox-hunt horse country in Somerset. Along the Passaic County border, the Jersey Highlands share with New York's Highlands three great outdoor attractions in Greenwood Lake, Sterling Forest, and a rugged stretch of the Appalachian Trail. Other popular Skylands destinations are Monksville, Round Valley, and Spruce Run reservoirs, Lake Hopatcong, and a veritable ''lake country'' of other water impoundments that do double duty as aquatic parks and the water supply for more than half the state's residents. Crisscrossed by three interstate highways serving an international trade zone, AT&T headquarters, and numerous other corporations, the region is hardly inaccessible. Yet, incredibly, to many New Jerseyans it's virtually a foreign country. ''People from Montclair or Teaneck will call as though we're in Yellowstone,'' says Tom Drake, editor of the Skylands Visitor, a seasonal tourism guide published in Denville. Marketing the Skylands ''as a destination, and what's available,'' he said, ''still has miles to go.'' Overshadowed by Pennsylvania's multimillion-dollar promotion of the Poconos, the Skylands is advertised on a shoestring budget, yet has as much to offer, says Drake. Given the stereotype of New Jersey as a fume-belching toll road linking Pennsylvania and New York, out-of-state visitors often do oa double-take on encountering the scenic heights of the Garden State. Wandering tourists pull into Wawayanda State Park, off a mountain back road linking West Milford and Warwick, N.Y., look around in wonder, and ask: ''Where are we?'' Park Superintendent Bob Goodman delights in welcoming dazzled visitors to an unusual corner of New Jersey where black bears roam, bald eagles soar, and rainbow trout and largemouth bass outnumber people. ''People come here from all over -- England, New Zealand, Canada, all of the states,'' says Goodman, who supervises a rustic park that is but one in an emerald string of six state and federal forests linked by 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail. ''People come here to vacation in the East.'' In contrast to congested park facilities at the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and other famous national parks in Western states, Skylands parks have real elbow-room for roaming around amid spectacular scenery. From High Point and Stokes State Forest in the far north to Bull's Island 60 miles south on the Delaware River, the region has more than three dozen county, state, and national parks and wildlife refuges. ''The state park system in New Jersey is tremendous,'' says Drake. ''They're beautiful. There's trails of all kinds. There's services -- well-serviced, clean [faciliti p> The Skylands also offer a number of fascinating historic sites -- from Prallsville Mills on the Delaware near Stockton to Jockey Hollow and Washington's headquarters in Morristown, Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, to Sterling Hill Mine outside Franklin. For North Jerseyans, the region is nicely situated for day trips and minivacations. Accommodations are available at an assortment of private campgrounds and state park campsites (which may require reservations on weekends and holidays), a growing network of bed-and-breakfasts, and a variety of hotels and motels. At the upscale end, Seasons Resort at Great Gorge in Vernon Valley offers a luxury resort featuring 54 holes of golf, horseback riding, and skiing. For backpackers, a favorite rest stop is Apple Valley Inn Bed and Breakfast in the Glenwood section of Vernon Valley. ''Tourism is the No. 2 industry in the state. In Sussex County, it is the No. 1 industry. It has overtaken agriculture in terms of dollars earned,'' said Paula Williams, operator of a bed-and-breakfast in Stanhope. ''Eco-tourism is very important here.'' She said the B&B trade has expanded to 15 sites in the northwest corner of the state, from five or six when she and her husband opened the Whistling Swan Bed and Breakfast in 1985. Because of a conspicuous lack of road signs, finding parks and other attractions in the Skylands can be an adventure. But taking a wrong turn can turn into discovery of a hemlock-shaded waterfall, the famously picturesque Red Mill in Clinton, antique shops and cozy restaurants in Colonial-era villages such as Lambertville and Chester, or an exciting fishing hole along the Musconetcong River. The best part of the Skylands, says Drake, ''is the freedom to explore. You can just get out there and find out what's there for yourself.'' Copyright © 1996 Bergen
Record Corp.
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The region's history is intertwined with
its natural features. During the American Revolution, the
rugged terrain provided George Washington and his
hard-pressed troops sanctuary from British forces. During
the 18th and 19th centuries, the region's iron mines and
forges helped fuel the Industrial Revolution. Its
villages provided many of the volunteers for the Union
cause in the Civil War. 
Deer Hunting
Forsythe Wildlife Refuge
Natural
& Cultural Sites: