March 14 - 21

Warm greetings and best wishes for a year marked by achievement and fulfillment! We hope you keep the personality of the New Jersey Skylands near and dear when you need to freshen your horizon.
These mild days stir the blood, but beware the fickle month of March! How much more winter can there be? In fact, the first sign that spring will be here soon is upon us as daylight savings time began last weekend. The weeks ahead will be packed with adventure, so keep an eye out our virtual efforts to keep you informed.

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Fertile Ground

Community garden at Duke Farms

Who can think of an argument for not having a garden? It’s not easy to do, but you still might have a good reason for not growing your own. Perhaps the deer have finally gotten the best of you. You might not have enough room in your yard, or maybe you have no yard at all. But even if any of these apply to your personal situation, most likely, in the best of all worlds, you’d like to have a garden in your backyard. Gardens are good!
If you're considering a backyard alternative, take a look at a community garden. For most, there are waiting lists, but there's always a chance you can find a spot if you start looking now! More...

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Cast Production

Serious fly-fishermen are almost as busy in February as on opening day in April. Winter is for preparation - the tying of flies. Fishing for trout with flies is like solving a puzzle. The current, the fish, the bugs under the surface and in the air all seem indecipherable. But slowly, with much patience, and relying upon an ever-expanding body of experience collected over a series of seasons, the code can sometimes, although by no means always, be broken.

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Schooley's Elusive Spirit

Hiking up Cataract Park’s steep trail leads to one of Schooley’s Mountain’s old iron ore workings.

Running northeast for twenty miles from Glen Gardner to Lake Hopatcong, Schooley’s Mountain’s steep sides rise to a broad top between the Musconetcong River and, for most of its length, the South Branch of the Raritan. The mountain presents a dichotomy of striking scenes from the past, interspersed with groups of modern homes and stores. The mountain’s southern portion holds routes worthy of exploring, hamlets for artists to ponder, and natural areas for hikers, all shrouded in tantalizing lore that begs a historian’s query. Read on...

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Learning Lenape

For Archaic peoples, rock shelters, consisting of natural overhangs or hillside depressions, were temporary stopovers that offered protection from the rain and snow. In winter they might have been closed in with windbreaks made from skins or brush.

For over 12,000 years the Lenape and their ancestors occupied northwestern New Jersey, successfully adapting to climatic changes in their environment. But, after a little more than a century following European colonization, only a few Indians remained. Arrowheads, stone axes, pottery and other objects are still occasionally found in a farmer's field or along a riverbank, but only a rough sketch of a robust culture remains; we know nothing of the human deeds and dramas that occurred. More...

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Planet Jersey

When the first early spring rains come, thousands of salamanders, frogs and toads emerge from their winter slumber to make short stealthy migrations through the forest to breed and lay their eggs in vernal pools. The journey is often treacherous. (Photo: MacKenzie Hall)

As the season eases into milder temperatures at the onset of spring, all manner of creatures stretch their bodies and move more freely, searching for food and mates while they patrol their home turfs. Among these creatures are some of the most rare, interesting, and beautiful animals in the Garden State. Though they often go unnoticed or are misunderstood, reptiles and amphibians are vital to the balance of our fragile ecosystems—and some of them are in pretty big trouble.

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Thanks for joining us in our appreciation of Northwest New Jersey and all the brilliant ways to get out and enjoy the pleasures of the season. Tap our calendar for the best events for you and your family, or check our current stories. Pick from a multitude of daytrip itineraries and watch out for our virtual efforts to keep you informed. For the more aerobically inclined, the Outdoor Map shows the way to go, or choose among dozens of natural attractions or outdoor activities suggested on our website.

January 1, 2026

Warm greetings and best wishes for a year marked by achievement and fulfillment! We hope you keep the personality of the New Jersey Skylands near and dear when you need to freshen your horizon!

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The New Jersey State Park Service will host free First Day Hikes on New Year’s Day as part of America’s State Parks program, with nine hikes in our area. Dress for the weather, wear sturdy footwear, and bring water and snacks. All hikes are weather-dependent; check with the hosting park before heading out.

Wawayanda State Park, 885 Warwick Turnpike,Hewitt (10am). First annual hike with two options: easy 2.5 miles or moderate 7 miles. Registration recommended, 973-853-4465.

Ringwood State Park / NJ State Botanical Garden, 1304 Sloatsburg Rd, Ringwood (1-3:30pm). Self-guided, family-friendly options of 1 or 3 miles; easy to moderate. No registration required.

High Point State Park,1480 Route 23, Montague (10am). “First Day Challenge” – Strenuous 6-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail and Iris Trail; ages 12+, leashed dogs welcome. Registration required, 973-875- 4800.

Stokes State Forest, 1 Coursen Road ,Branchville (9–11:30am). Moderate 3.5-mile hike past waterfalls and historic sites; families and leashed pets welcome. Registration required, 973-948-3820.

Kittatinny Valley State Park / Paulinskill Valley Rail Trail, 1 Footbridge Lane, Blairstown, (10am–2pm). Easy 4.5-mile rail-trail hike; families and dogs welcome. No registration required.
Round Valley Recreation Area, 1220 Stanton Lebanon Rd, Lebanon (10am–12pm). Easy to moderate 3-mile hike on natural trails. Registration required, 908-236-6355.

Spruce Run Recreation Area / Warren Highlands Trail (9am) Join us for this point-to-point hike featuring some of the newest sections of the Warren Highlands Trail through Phillipsburg, Lopatcong, and Harmony Townships in Warren County. It is a relatively difficult, all-day 15-mile hike for experienced hikers. Meet at the Phillipsburg Public Boat Ramp, accessible from Northampton Street before the free bridge (behind Jimmy’s Hot Dog Stand). For more information call Mike Helbing at 908-343-8374. Registration is not required.

Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, Kingston (12 noon - 2pm) Easy 1.5 mile loop hike through the Mapleton Preserve. Begin and end at the Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Park Headquarters at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston.

Washington Crossing State Park (10am–12pm) Kick off the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution with an interpretive 1.2-mile historic walk tracing the route taken by the "stuff" of the Continental Army on Christmas Night, 1776 across the Delaware River into New Jersey. Sights and stops include the Washington Crossing Bridge, the Nelson House, the Ferry Boat replica, the pedestrian bridge, overlook, the Stone Barn, and the Johnson Ferry House. Registration required, 609-737-2515.

For more information on these and other "First Day" events around the state, check here. Keep those boot heels wandering!

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Great Stories

Visit Morristown National Historical Park, and learn about the life of a common soldier during the encampment at Jockey Hollow, where General Washington and the Continental Army survived through what would be the coldest winter on record. During the army's second winter at Morristown, General Washington lived and made his headquarters in a relatively new two-story house on the outskirts of town built by Jacob Ford, Jr. (above).

The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of America's first crisis. New Jersey lay at the heart of the American Revolution, hosting General George Washington and the Continental Army for nearly half of the war. Strategically positioned between the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and the British Army in New York—and midway between New England and the American South—the state became the crossroads where Patriots, Loyalists, British forces, and Hessians maneuvered for control. Here, decisive American victories at Trenton, Princeton, and Monmouth shifted the course of the war. Here, the Continental Army endured the hardest winter of the century. At Nassau Hall at Princeton University, the Continental Congress convened in 1783. And in New Jersey, General George Washington issued his farewell orders to the Continental Army.
For many, winter is a season for reflection. The challenge of the season strips away pretense and invites deeper understanding. Prepare for a year filled with powerful stories from the Crossroads of the American Revolution.

 

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