Schooley's Mountain

Last updated
Schooleys Mountain
Anthony-Corwin Farm, Washington Township, Morris County, NJ - area view.jpg
Schooley's Mountain, view from Long Valley, New Jersey
Highest point
Elevation 1,200 feet (366 m) [1]
Coordinates 40°49′45″N74°47′37″W / 40.8292660°N 74.7934986°W / 40.8292660; -74.7934986 [2]
Geography
Location Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey, U.S.
Topo map USGS Hackettstown
Climbing
Easiest route Road

Schooley's or, officially, Schooleys Mountain [2] is a mountain ridge in northern New Jersey that stretches from Lake Hopatcong in the north to Hampton in the south. It is centrally located within the southern Highlands, positioned almost equidistantly from the Kittatinny Valley in the west and the Piedmont plateau in the east. [3] Schooley's Mountain is also one of the largest ridges in a group of geologically similar and parallel mountains, which include Allamuchy Mountain, Pohatcong Mountain, Scotts Mountain, and Jenny Jump Mountain.

Contents

Geography

Schooley's Mountain is separated from Musconetcong Mountain by a gap and the valley of Spruce Run, which bifurcates the mountain itself higher in its course. The mountain ridge extends about 20 miles northeast, being separated by Budd Lake and the South Branch Raritan River from Mooney Mountain. The northeasternmost point looks out upon Waterloo and the Musconetcong River, the valley of which lies upon its northwestern side; on the southeastern side is Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey, drained by the South Branch Raritan River.

Prominent subsidiary peaks include Mount Kipp (951 feet (290 m)), at the southeastern tip, and Point Mountain (935 feet (285 m)), overlooking Anderson in the Musconetcong Valley. The summit of the ridge proper lies in an area of private homes on Kim Lane, on the northeastern part of the ridge. [4]

The community of Schooley's Mountain is on top and in the middle of the ridge, which rises about 400 to 800 feet (120 to 240 m) above the surrounding valley.

History

The mountain is named for the Schooley family, Quaker landowners in the area during the 1790s.

The mountain air and the chalybeate springs on the mountain once made it a fashionable summer destination. For similar reasons, a state tuberculosis sanatorium was once located around Mount Kipp.

Many small iron mines were worked on the mountain in the late 19th century; remains of some are still visible today. Granite was also quarried from the mountain.

The main crossing at the mountain is Schooley's Mountain Road, formerly Washington Turnpike. General George Washington noted in his diary that he considered the route from "Dutch Valley to Schooley's Mountain a hazardous and round about thoroughfare."[ citation needed ]

Recreation

While much of the flatter terrain on the ridge has been cultivated or, more recently, developed for residential housing, much of Schooley's Mountain is still wooded. On the northwest side, Cataract Park, along Schooleys Mountain Road (Route 24), preserves a waterfall and an old mine opening on the steep side of the ridge. Schooley's Mountain County Park, home of Randolph YMCA's Camp Washington, encloses the valley of Long Valley and small Lake George on the southeastern side of the mountain. Lake George has been drained and dredged but swimming is no longer permitted. The Electric Brook runs from Lake George over several waterfalls in the park before it reaches the south branch of the Raritan River. The park offers once offered boat rentals and currently has a baseball field and gazebos beyond hiking. One of the completed segments of Patriots' Path runs through the park.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren County, New Jersey</span> County in northwestern New Jersey, United States

Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. According to the 2020 census, the county was the state's 19th-most populous county, with a population of 109,632, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 940 (+0.9%) from the 2010 census count of 108,692, which in turn reflected an increase of 6,255 (+6.1%) from 102,437 counted at the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Passaic</span> Former proglacial lake in New Jersey, U.S.

Lake Passaic was a prehistoric proglacial lake that existed in northern New Jersey in the United States at the end of the last ice age approximately 19,000–14,000 years ago. The lake was formed of waters released by the retreating Wisconsin Glacier, which had pushed large quantities of earth and rock ahead of its advance, blocking the previous natural drainage of the ancestral Passaic River through a gap in the central Watchung Mountains. The lake persisted for several thousand years as melting ice and eroding moraine dams slowly drained the former lake basin. The effect of the lake's creation permanently altered the course of the Passaic River, forcing it to take a circuitous route through the northern Watchung Mountains before spilling out into the lower piedmont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watchung Mountains</span> Group of three long low ridges in northern New Jersey

The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 and 500 feet high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States. The name is derived from the American Native Lenape name for them, Wach Unks. The Watchung Mountains are known for their numerous scenic vistas overlooking the skylines of New York City and Newark, New Jersey, as well as their isolated ecosystems containing rare plants, endangered wildlife, rich minerals, and globally imperiled trap rock glade communities. The ridges traditionally contained the westward spread of urbanization, forming a significant geologic barrier beyond the piedmont west of the Hudson River; the town of Newark, for example, once included lands from the Hudson to the base of the mountains. Later treaties moved the boundary to the top of the mountain, to include the springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musconetcong River</span> River in New Jersey, United States

The Musconetcong River is a 45.7-mile-long (73.5 km) tributary of the Delaware River in northwestern New Jersey in the United States. It flows through the rural mountainous country of northwestern New Jersey. The name derives from the Lenape words moschakgeu meaning "clear" and hannek meaning "stream". Part of it is a National Wild and Scenic River.

Pohatcong Creek is a 30.7-mile-long (49.4 km) tributary of the Delaware River in northwestern New Jersey in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kittatinny Mountain</span> Ridge in northwestern New Jersey

Kittatinny Mountain is a long ridge traversing primarily across Sussex County in northwestern New Jersey, running in a northeast-southwest axis, a continuation across the Delaware Water Gap of Pennsylvania's Blue Mountain. It is the first major ridge in the far northeastern extension of the Ridge and Valley province of the Appalachian Mountains, and reaches its highest elevation, 1,803 feet, at High Point in Montague Township. Kittatinny Mountain forms the eastern side of Wallpack Valley; the western side comprises the Wallpack Ridge (highest elevation: 928 feet above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia Trail</span>

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Branch Raritan River</span> River in New Jersey, United States

The South Branch Raritan River is a 50-mile-long (80 km) tributary of the Raritan River in New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schooley's Mountain, New Jersey</span> Populated place in Morris County, New Jersey, US

Schooley's Mountain is an unincorporated community located within Washington Township in Morris County, New Jersey. Named for the Schooley family who owned a considerable amount of land there in the 1790s, the community is on Schooley's Mountain, a mountain with an elevation of about 1,000 feet (300 m) directly north of Long Valley. It rises 600 feet (180 m) above the surrounding valley, located about 45 miles (72 km) from New York City. It contains many housing developments and Schooley's Mountain Park, a recreational area with an overlook, a waterfall, and numerous hiking paths, as well as Lake George. In its past, Schooley's Mountain was a resort and an estate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skylands Region</span> Region of New Jersey, US

The Skylands Region is a region of New Jersey located in the Northern and Central part of the state. It is one of six tourism regions established by the New Jersey State Department of Tourism; the others are Gateway Region, Greater Atlantic City Region, the Southern Shore Region, the Delaware River Region, and the Shore Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of New Jersey</span> Overview of the geography of New Jersey

New Jersey is a state within the United States of America that lies on the north eastern edge of the North American continent. It shares a land border with the state of New York along the north, ratified by both states after the New York – New Jersey Line War, which is its only straight line border. New Jersey is slightly larger than the country of Kuwait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Route 517 (New Jersey)</span>

County Route 517 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 53.86 miles (86.68 km) from Lamington Road in Tewksbury Township to the New York state line in Vernon Township where it continues as Orange County Route 26. It passes through mostly rural and exurban communities. Its speed limit varies from as much as 50 mph (80 km/h) to as little as 25 mph (40 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cushetunk Mountain</span> Mountain in New Jersey, US

Cushetunk Mountain is a ring shaped mountain in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located in Readington and Clinton Township in Hunterdon County. The Lenape Native Americans called the mountain "Cushetunk" meaning "place of hogs" after the wild hogs found there. In the 1960s, the valley at the heart of the mountain was dammed and filled with water to create Round Valley Reservoir. Today, the mountain and its accompanying lake act as a vital water supply to Central New Jersey, while at the same time providing numerous recreational opportunities to the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Brook (Raritan River tributary)</span> River in Somerset County, New Jersey

Middle Brook is a tributary of the Raritan River in Somerset County, New Jersey. The stream can be referred to as Rha-weigh-weiros, a Native American name meaning "running from a deep hole", on early maps of the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunterdon Plateau</span> Plateau in New Jersey, US

Hunterdon Plateau is a plateau in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It borders the higher Musconetcong Mountain to the northwest, the Delaware River to the west, Amwell Valley to the south and the lower lying areas of the Newark Basin to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finesville, New Jersey</span> Populated place in Warren County, New Jersey, US

Finesville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Pohatcong Township in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The CDP was defined as part of the 2010 United States Census. As of the 2010 Census, the CDP's population was 175.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony–Corwin Farm</span> Historic house in New Jersey, United States

The Anthony–Corwin Farm is a historic farmhouse located at 244 West Mill Road near Long Valley in Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 1992, for its significance in architecture. The 11.5-acre (4.7 ha) farm overlooks the valley formed by the South Branch Raritan River. The farmhouse is part of the Stone Houses and Outbuildings in Washington Township Multiple Property Submission (MPS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spruce Run (Raritan River tributary)</span> River in Hunterdon County, New Jersey

References

  1. "Schooleys Mountain". ListsOfJohn.com. Retrieved 2013-01-26.
  2. 1 2 "Schooleys Mountain". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2009-01-20.
  3. Dalton, Richard (2003). "Physiographic Provinces of New Jersey" (PDF). New Jersey Geological Survey Information Circular. NJDEP.
  4. USGS 7.5-minute image map for Hackettstown, New Jersey, 2014.