The Sourlands

Last updated
Boardwalk in the Sourland Mountain Preserve TheSourlands.jpg
Boardwalk in the Sourland Mountain Preserve

The Sourlands is a region in the central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey that includes portions of Hunterdon County, Mercer County, and Somerset County. It is centered on Sourland Mountain and comprises parts of Lambertville, East Amwell, West Amwell, Hillsborough, Hopewell Boro, Hopewell Township, and Montgomery Township. The region is flanked by the Hopewell Fault to the south and Amwell Valley to the north [1] that runs from Mount Airy to an area just west of Flagtown and a diabase formation running from Lambertville to Mount Airy. The Sourland also include a hilly area towards the southwest called Pleasant Valley, with a number of farms. Although much of the Sourlands is not conducive to farming, Pleasant Valley and the slopes on the surrounding ridges have a number of farms. The slopes of the ridge to the north are also home to Unionville Vineyard.

Contents

Ridges

Topographic map depicting the greater Amwell Valley-Sourlands region. Greater Amwell and Sourland Region.png
Topographic map depicting the greater Amwell Valley-Sourlands region.

Towns and villages

Former villages and hamlets

John Harbort's stone house in Harbourton Village Store, Harbourton, NJ.jpg
John Harbort's stone house in Harbourton

Natural features

Historic sites

Trails and recreation areas

Amwell Lake AmwellLake.jpg
Amwell Lake
Northern Stony Brook Greenway StonyBrookGreenway.jpg
Northern Stony Brook Greenway

Related Research Articles

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

Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. At the 2020 census, the county was the state's 4th-least populous county, with a population of 128,947, an increase of 598 (+0.5%) from the 2010 census count of 128,349. Its county seat is Flemington. The county is part of the Central Jersey region of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 31</span> Highway in New Jersey

Route 31 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States. It runs 48.93 mi (78.75 km) from Bus. US 1 / US 206 in Trenton, Mercer County, north to an intersection with US 46 in Buttzville in White Township, Warren County. Along the way, Route 31 heads through the communities of Flemington, Clinton, and Washington. Most of the highway is state-maintained; however, the section within the city limits of Trenton is maintained by the city. Much of Route 31 is a two-lane highway that passes through farmland, woodland, and mountainous areas. Two portions of the route—from Trenton to Pennington and from Ringoes to Clinton—consist of more development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Amwell Township, New Jersey</span> Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, US

East Amwell Township is a township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 3,917, a decrease of 96 (−2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 4,013, which in turn reflected a decline of 442 (−9.9%) from the 4,455 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Amwell Township, New Jersey</span> Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, US

West Amwell Township is a township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 3,005, a decrease of 835 (−21.7%) from the 2010 census count of 3,840, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,457 (+61.1%) from the 2,383 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Route 579 (New Jersey)</span> Highway in New Jersey

County Route 579 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 37.24 miles (59.93 km) from John Fitch Parkway in Trenton to Route 173 in Greenwich Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sourland Mountain Preserve</span> Protected area of New Jersey, US

The Sourland Mountain Preserve is located on Sourland Mountain, in the Sourlands region of New Jersey. It is within Hillsborough Township and Montgomery Township of Somerset County. The largest donation of land was made by Norma Gilbert Farr, trustee of the Linus R. Gilbert Foundation. The Farr family has donated over 3,000 acres to the Sourland Mountain Preserve and the Somerset County Parks Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Route 518 (New Jersey)</span> County highway in New Jersey, U.S.

County Route 518 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 20.58 miles (33.12 km) from Route 29/Route 165 in Lambertville to Lincoln Highway in Franklin Township. It is also known as the Georgetown Franklin Turnpike.

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

Sourland Mountain is a 17 miles (27 km) long ridge in central New Jersey, U.S., extending from the Delaware River at Lambertville to the western end of Hillsborough Township near the community of Neshanic, through Montgomery Township and into Hopewell Township in Mercer County. It comprises the largest contiguous forest in Central Jersey, nearly 90 square miles (233 km2) in area. The highest point is only 568 feet (173 m) above sea level, but the way it rises steeply from the surrounding farmland has earned it the title of 'mountain'. The ridge itself sits within a larger area of rough terrain called The Sourlands.

<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">Amwell Valley</span>

The Amwell Valley is a small valley in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, between the Hunterdon Plateau and the Sourlands. It comprises Stockton, parts of Delaware Township, West Amwell, East Amwell, Flemington and Raritan Township. The region borders the Delaware River to the west and the South Branch Raritan River to the east. The entire area has elevations around 200 feet above sea level. US 202 is the main route running west to east through the valley. Old York Road also passes through the valley, taking a generally more southern route through Raritan and along the Sourlands at Mount Airy. Like the Hunterdon Plateau, Amwell Valley still has a large number of farms due to its sufficient climate, relatively flat land and the presence of silt-loams soils. The valley is home to Unionville Winery and Old York Cellars in Ringoes.

<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.

Mount Rose is a narrow section of the Rocky Hill Ridge in Hopewell Township, New Jersey which is 420 feet above sea level. The ridge's western end is at The Sourlands at Hopewell-Pennington Road and its eastern end is near Province Line Road. The ridge is a diabase intrusion and unlike many of the ridges in the state, it runs from northwest to southeast. Crusher Road travels along the ridge. Pennington-Rocky Hill Road, Cherry Valley Road, Hopewell-Princeton Road and Carter Road meet at a low point along the ridge at the village of Mount Rose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Hill Ridge</span> Ridge in New Jersey

Rocky Hill Ridge, also known as the Mount Lucas-Rocky Hill Ridge, named after Lucas Voorhees, an 18th-century landowner, is a diabase trap rock ridge running west to east in the US State of New Jersey. Diabase intrusions form Baldpate Mountain and Pennington Mountain, the Mount Rose extension of the Mount Lucas-Rocky Hill ridge, and part of the Sourland Mountains. The Ridge is nine miles (14 km) long and continues across the Millstone River, just below The Georgetown Franklin Turnpike, as the Ten-Mile Run Mountain and Lawrence Brook Mountain. The western section of the ridge, which runs to the northwest to The Sourlands, is the Mount Rose section of the ridge.

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

Snydertown is an unincorporated community located within East Amwell Township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The settlement is located on the southern face of Sourland Mountain at the intersection of Linvale Road and Snydertown Road. In the past, a mill operated in Snydertown.

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

Wertsville is an unincorporated community located along County Route 602 in East Amwell Township of Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

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

Vanlieu Corners is an unincorporated community in East Amwell Township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum</span> United States historic place

The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) is a history museum located in the Skillman section of Montgomery Township, New Jersey, United States. The museum is located at the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, an African Methodist Episcopal church constructed in 1899. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 7, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Market–Linvale–Snydertown Historic District</span> United States historic place

The New Market–Linvale–Snydertown Historic District is a 160-acre (65 ha) historic district located along NJ 31, Linvale, Snydertown, and Woodsville Roads in the communities of Linvale, formerly known as New Market, and Snydertown in the townships of East Amwell and West Amwell in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 12, 1998, for its significance in architecture, commerce, settlement, and community development. The district includes 33 contributing buildings, four contributing structures, and one contributing object.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baldpate Mountain (Mercer County, New Jersey)</span> Mountain in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States of America

Baldpate Mountain is a mountain located in the western part of Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, near the Delaware River. A part of The Sourlands, it is the highest peak in Mercer County, and most of the mountain is protected within the county-owned Ted Stiles Preserve.

References

  1. Luce, T J "New Jersey's Sourland Mountain" Hopewell: Sourland Planning Council, 2001. p. 132
  2. Hunterdon Republican
  3. Geological Survey of New Jersey. "Annual Report of the State Geologist of New Jersey ." s.n., 1882
  4. Hunterdon Democrat
  5. Luce, T J "New Jersey's Sourland Mountain" Hopewell: Sourland Planning Council, 2001. p. 38
  6. Ege, Ralph. "Pioneers of Old Hopewell: With Sketches of Her Revolutionary Heroes". Hopewell: Race and Savidge, 1908
  7. "Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, Volume 2" New Jersey Historical Society, 1918
  8. Luce, T J "New Jersey's Sourland Mountain" Hopewell: Sourland Planning Council, 2001. p. 39
  9. Luce, T J "New Jersey's Sourland Mountain" Hopewell: Sourland Planning Council, 2001. p. 37
  10. Fenton, Daniel. "A Gazetteer of the State of New Jersey." New York: New York Public Library, 1834
  11. Luce, T J "New Jersey's Sourland Mountain" Hopewell: Sourland Planning Council, 2001. p. 38
  12. Fenton, Daniel. "A Gazetteer of the State of New Jersey." New York: New York Public Library, 1834
  13. Quick and Van Lieu burial ground
  14. Van Liew, Emerio R. "Liew, Lieu, Lew, Genealogical and Historical Record". Madison: University of Wisconsin, 1956.
  15. Luce, T J "New Jersey's Sourland Mountain" Hopewell: Sourland Planning Council, 2001. p. 39
  16. Moran, Mark and Mark Sceurman. "Weird NJ Volume 2". Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. 2006.
  17. Luce, T J "New Jersey's Sourland Mountain" Hopewell: Sourland Planning Council, 2001. p. 38
  18. Seabroo, Lorraine and Jack. "Hopewell Valley: Images of America". Arcadia Publishing, 2000
  19. Amwell Lake
  20. Cedar Ridge Trail
  21. "Dry Run Creek | New Jersey Trails Association" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  22. Eames Preserve
  23. "Elks". FoHVOS.org. 2017-07-23. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  24. "Goat Hill Overlook | njHiking.com". 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  25. "Hopewell Borough Park | New Jersey Trails Association" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  26. "Hopewell Sourlands Trail | New Jersey Trails Association" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  27. Laport Reserve
  28. Nayfield Preserve
  29. "Omick Woods at Rocktown Preserve | New Jersey Trails Association" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  30. "Otto's Farm Trails | Visit Somerset County NJ". Visit Somerset NJ. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  31. "Pryde's Point-Alexauken Creek | New Jersey Trails Association" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  32. "Rockhopper Trail | New Jersey Trails Association" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  33. "Rock Mill Preserve". www.montgomerynj.gov. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  34. "Rocky Brook Trail | New Jersey Trails Association" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  35. "St. Michaels Farm Preserve | New Jersey Trails Association" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  36. "Skyview". FoHVOS.org. 2017-07-23. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  37. Sourlands Ecosystem Preserve
  38. Sourlands Foothills Trail
  39. Sourland Mountain Preserve - Hunterdon Co.
  40. Ted Stiles Preserve
  41. "Marshalls Corner/Thompson". FoHVOS.org. 2017-07-23. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  42. "Trails". thewatershed.org. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  43. "Woosamonsa Ridge Preserve | New Jersey Trails Association" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.

40°24′46″N74°48′08″W / 40.412680°N 74.802361°W / 40.412680; -74.802361