One of the most prominent geographical features of Northern New Jersey are the Kittatinny Mountains which are part
of the famed Appalachian Chain. Its foothills are called the NJ Highlands, composed of the Pohchuck, Wawayanda, Bearfort,
and Ramapo Ridges. The Ramapo Ridge are home to the most dense forests in North America. Between the Kittatinny Mountains
and the Highlands lies the Kittatinny Valley.
The
Ridge and Valley region are also called the NJ Skylands. This section of the state is
dotted with many lake towns that include Budd Lake, Lake Mohawk, Lake Hiawatha, Swartswood Lake, and Lake Hopatcong. The area
is known for its many rivers, horse ranches, dairy farms, and ski resorts. In
the central north part of the state are the Watchung Mountains composed of three separate ridges called the Orange Ridge,
the Prekness Ridge, and the Long Hill Ridge. The very most Northeast border of the state is bounded by the Palisades ridge
that overlooks the Hudson River.
Seventy-two miles of the Appalachian Trail
lay in the Northwest corner of New Jersey. The trail enters the state as it crosses the Delaware Water Gap, near Dunnfield
Creek and Mt. Tammany.
On
its way along the Kittatinny Ridge, it runs through Worthington State Forest, where it passes by Sunfish Pond and Crater Lake.
It then goes through Stokes State Forest as it crosses through Sunrise Mountain and continues upward and northeast along the
Kittatinny Ridge for about 40 miles. The Kittatinny Valley (also called the Limestone Valley) lies almost directly to the
east of the trail while the Delaware Water Gap lies to its west.
At High
Point State Park (1803 feet), the Appalachian Trail turns eastward and runs through the Kittatinnny Valley, the Pohchuck,
Wawayanda, and Bearfort Ridges as it roughly parallels the NY State boundary. It goes northward into NY near Greenwood Lake.
Many hikers along the trail have commented that the New Jersey portion
was one of the the most scenic parts, and one of the few times they encountered a black bear.
