Warm greetings and best wishes for a season marked by renewed health and sanity. Join us in our continued exploration among the hills and valleys of Northwest New Jersey. We hope you keep the personality of the New Jersey Skylands near and dear when you need to freshen your horizon!
Here are some highlights from the region's calendar
of events, along with some other suggestions for you and
your family.
July 10 - 17
Temperature's rising, but don't let it slow you down! Take advantage of a calendar sizzling with intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Don't wait; the summer days are melting away!
Just Another Whistle Stop
Lafayette’s 1780 meeting with George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, informing them of French support during the American Revolution, is memorialized on the Morristown Green.
In 1824-25, the French general, Marquis de Lafayette, accepted President James Monroe's invitation to return to America on a "Farewell Tour" in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the nation's founding. Lafayette supported the American Revolution by securing French support, fighting alongside Washington's army, and boosting morale through his leadership, diplomacy, and commitment to liberty. Since last summer (2024) a National Bicentennial Celebration has traced Lafayette’s route on the exact dates and in the exact order he followed on his tour of America as the “Guest of the Nation” two-hundred years ago.
This weekend, the tour comes to Morristown where the general returned on Bastille Day, July 14, 1825. During the winter encampment of 1779–1780, Lafayette had assisted George Washington and the Continental Army in coordinating strategy between American and French forces. The celebration includes a parade, reenactment and other events on the Green on Sunday, July 13. And on Monday,
July 14 the Morris County Library will host a Symposium: Lafayette: Human Rights Champion. Check here for all details.
Rock A Bye Baby
The Rockaway Valley Railroad was about 25 miles long and lasted for
about 25 years. It was constructed primarily to ship peaches, and
although it also saw other freight and passenger traffic, orchard owners were responsible for the railroad's commencement
in 1888.
Record peach crops kept the railroad afloat in the 1890s, even as
the financial picture for the company clouded. Unfortunately, before
the little railroad had an opportunity to turn a profit, the peaches
were infected with blight, and the Hunterdon orchards passed their
prime. The Little Railroad That Couldn't lives on, if only for hikers, cyclists
and patrons of local lore. Take a walk and imagine the slow moving
locomotive rocking back and forth on its way through the countryside.
Tavern Tracking
Frenchtown’s National Hotel retains a precious old-time elegance.
Early settlements in northwest New Jersey typically grew around a mill, which provided sustenance for the body; a church, which offered sustenance for the soul; and a tavern, which delivered sustenance for both. In Hunterdon County, hundreds of the oldest taverns are now mostly forgotten. Many remain however, some hidden in plain sight, having been incorporated into later additions and renovations, evolving into establishments still in service. So, in celebration of spring's arrival, it would certainly be sensible to do your own research by visiting some of these places.
On The Banks Of The Wild Six
When the Jersey sky hangs white in summer haze, head to the woods at Six Mile Run in Franklin Township, Somerset County. The 3,037-acre property takes off from the Millstone River and winds its way through forest, meadow and suburb, with its own renegade offshoot creating the pond in Hidden Lake Park, before ending unceremoniously in a North Brunswick industrial park. But in the park that bears its name, a myriad of trails and habitats alongside this quiet stream are made for easy—long or short—relaxing walks.
Paradise Lost, And Found
A mile-and-a-half north of Millbrook Village in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, you can turn off Old Mine Road and head straight uphill towards the top of the Kittatinny Ridge. Just below the ridge are a series of small lakes that define a haven for those looking for a place to get lost wandering through mountainside forest full of wildlife and open meadows surrounding crystal clear waters. But, the pristine aura at Blue Mountain Lakes yields scant evidence of the ambitious development for which it was created. More...
Centenary Stage Company's Summerfest opens on July 10 with Escape to Margaritaville, a musical comedy featuring the most-loved Jimmy Buffet classics. The series selection of music, comedy and theatrical favorites features four great shows running July 10 - August 23. Lackland Center, 715 Grand Ave., Hackettsown
More than just an agricultural fair, the Farmer’s Fair (July 26 - August 2) boasts a hot air balloon festival, and a variety of shows and competitions you don’t often find in today’s world of digital entertainment. From demolition derbies and a rodeo, to fry pan throwing and hay bale rolling in the Agricultural Olympics, the Fair provides a great variety of entertainment for all! Warren County Farmer’s Fairgrounds, Rt. 519 near Stryker’s Rd., Harmony.
July 3 - 10
June hands off to July, and summer starts to roll. Firecrackers, fairs, picnics and independence! There's always a link to good old summer time.
Let Freedom Sing!
Patrick Cogan, of the First National Broadway Tour, reprises his role in Escape to Margaritaville at Centenary Stage.
Rich and varied, music in Northwest New Jersey is just the ticket for evenings that end on high notes. Your musical destination is never very far away and often the price can't be beat. Keep an eye on the list!
Centenary Stage Company'sSummer Musical Theatre Series presents a selection of Musical Theatre favorites during the summer months featuring an assortment of up and coming regional talent. First up, Jimmy Buffet's Escape to Margaritaville, a musical comedy featuring the most-loved Buffet classics, with a book by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia and Emmy nominee Mike O'Malley, July 10-20!
Jazz on the Back Deck graces the Morris Museum in Morristown with swinging sounds from around the world. Tonight (July 3), John Lee & Friends present selections from a repertoire based on the vast experience of these musicians.
Celebrate the Fourth (Friday) with the Yacht Rock Gold Experience, part of the the Somerset Concert Series in the Park. Shows are free and normally take place on Sunday evenings at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater.
Grab a lawn chair or blanket and come enjoy a wide range of musical talent most Fridays at the magnificent New Jersey Botanical Gardens in Ringwood. Next week, (July 11) it's fiddler Kenny Kosek.
The Hunterdon Symphony continues Thursday evening shows at the annual Music Under The Stars series next week (July 10) with Billy Joel tributaries, the Captain Jack Band. Presented by the Hunterdon County Park System, free concerts are held throughout the summer at Deer Path Park, in Flemington.
Since the turn of the 20th Century, New Jersey's Daughters of the American Revolution have been inventing ways to preserve our heritage. For nearly fifty years, Sussex County's D.A.R. chapter has been concerned with the renovation of a house built around 1787 as well as its preservation as the Van-Bunschooten Museum. Located at 1097 Route 23 North in Wantage the house tells the story of post-Revolutionary settlement and accurately depicts domestic lifestyles of that era.
In Morristown, the Schuyler-Hamilton House is where Alexander Hamilton courted Betsy Schuyler during the War for Independence. After the war, the Hamiltons never returned to the Morristown home and in 1923, the property was advertised for sale, with enough details included about the home’s beguiling past to attract a successful bid from the Morristown Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The home’s later admission to the Historic Register was two-pronged—one for its important role in the two winter encampments, but also for its early example of historic preservation in America.
Too hot to handle!
This time of year is perfect for big time strokes on the Delaware. 331 miles from Hancock, NY, to its mouth at Cape May Point, NJ, the Delaware is the longest free-flowing river in Eastern United States. Knowing the river - its beauty, history, and its hazards - can provide you and your family with many days of enjoyment this summer.
Seed to Stem
Roughly seventy true lettuce heirlooms and a mosaic of varieties make this leafy annual of the aster family far from ordinary. It is great for you, delicious, accessible, easy to grow with varieties to harvest in every season in Skylands territory. Never too late!
Kymer's Camping Resort offers park model, cabin and luxury tent rentals as well as trailer or tent campsites with water, electric and cable TV hookups and an Olympic-size swimming pool on two-hundred scenic acres located in Sussex County near the Kittatinny Mountains, at 69 Kymer Road in Branchville.
Come down to the market for fresh-picked produce, farm-fresh eggs, fresh-cut flowers, local honey, handmade soaps, jewelry, and crafts. Plus live music all summer long! Meet your friends and neighbors and support family farms and local businesses.
June 26 - July 2
Easy Living
Summer life on a Morris Canal boat looks like a good time. After all, the mules did all the work, right? If you think it wasn't as simple as that, you're probably correct!
Summertime and the living is easy! So says DuBose Heyward's poem etched so deeply in our minds with the music of George Gershwin. Well, let's hope so!
Spread your wings and reach for the Skylands. Take advantage of a schedule full of intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or choose among dozens of natural attractions or outdoor activities suggested on our website.
Pay attention, the days are already getting shorter!
Stowing Away The Time
Join the celebration on Saturday, June 28 (rain date June 29) as Warren County marks its Bicentennial with a full day of free, family-friendly fun at Warren County Community College from 12 noon to 9 p.m., capped by fireworks at 9:15 p.m.
The event is part of a year-long series of events marking 200 years since 1824 legislation created a new county in 1825. The county was named for Joseph Warren, a major figure in the Patriot movement in the early days of the American Revolution who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. Event activities and attractions will include
live music by eleven bands with local roots on two stages, free rides and games, a beverage garden with Warren County’s own breweries & wineries, free tethered hot-air balloon rides, food trucks, and vendors from all walks of Warren County life. Parking is free and there will be shuttles from designated off-site lots. Bring chairs or blankets, but leave tents and umbrellas, pets and outside alcohol or coolers at home. Warren County Community College is located at 475 Route 57 West just west of Washington Borough. For more information and updates, check here.
Short Walks on the Long Trail
The Appalachian Trail, which stretches over two thousand miles from Georgia to Maine, enters New Jersey at the Delaware Water Gap, heads north along the Kittatinny Ridge to High Point, then east through the Pochuck Valley. You can explore the midsection of New Jersey's Appalachian Trail as it traverses two of our most celebrated state parks — High Point and Stokes Forest — and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, along a 45-mile route along the Kittatinny Ridge through Sussex and Warren counties. Country lanes or park roads every few miles intersect the entire stretch so that you can plan any number of modest day hikes along the AT. Or take a couple of days to walk the whole distance. Elevation in this section ranges from 350 to 1,685 feet, and, if you prefer to walk downhill most of the time, hike north to south. You can conquer the Trail this summer by taking these suggested day hikes.
Station to Station
The Hunterdon section of the Columbia Trail includes occasional interpretive signs which relate the area's history.
Rail trails are a legacy of some of the many railroads that once thrived in northwestern New Jersey in an era when trains had names, each with its own character and personality. You don't need a whole lot of hiking know-how or aerobic virility to enjoy a rail trail. You can walk for miles without the struggle of an uphill climb or the danger of twisting an ankle on a protruding rock on the soft cinder dirt that makes up the surface of most rail trails.
While Hunterdon County's system of rails was not as intricate as farther north, where mining was more prevalent, the county was home to many spur lines used to transport passengers and products to charming villages and hamlets. Exercise for the body and mind!
Wet and Wild
Boat launch near the spillway dam at Echo Lake
The Pequannock Watershed, which weaves through and around Newfoundland and West Milford, has been called one of the New Jersey’s last wilderness areas. To call it wild might seem exaggeration, and yet, with an extraordinary amount of land undeveloped and restricted, the word applies. A swath of forest crisscrossed by trails, some rough or unpaved roads, occasionally punctuated by development, the territory is familiar in places; rugged in others.
There are miles of trails up, down, and around a mini-range of mountains, through woods, past rocky streams, still lakes and reservoirs, with glimpses of the ruins of a stone castle and abandoned iron mines, all framed by dramatic shears, sliced by the Wisconsin Glacier ages ago. Get familiar this summer!
Planet Jersey
Photo by Dave Zolla
Who has not been enchanted by the mysterious hummingbird? With wings that beat too-fast-to-see, it seems to stand still in midair. If you can get closer you can hear the buzz of drone-like precision, sparkling like a gem in the sun encased by flashes of green, red and gold. Then it suddenly darts like a tiny spaceship to another zone where it may hover again for your inspection—or not. Close encounters of the hummingbird kind don’t have to be rare occasions. You can turn your backyard into a hummingbird paradise, a place where these beautiful creatures will become regular visitors. Don’t let them pass you by!
Come down to the market for fresh-picked produce, farm-fresh eggs, fresh-cut flowers, local honey, handmade soaps, jewelry, and crafts. Plus live music all summer long! Meet your friends and neighbors and support family farms and local businesses.
Centenary Stage Company's Summerfest opens on July 10 with Escape to Margaritaville, a musical comedy featuring the most-loved Jimmy Buffet classics. The series selection of music, comedy and theatrical favorites features four great shows running July 10 - August 23.
Lackland Center, 715 Grand Ave., Hackettsown
June 18 - 25
Turning Point
In a land crisscrossed by interstates, punctuated with traffic lights, and clogged with cars, it’s easy to overlook how much northwestern New Jersey territory you can still cover on a horse. Saddle up this summer!
The summer solstice is Friday (June 20), the day with more light than any other! Good thing; you'll need all that sunshine to enjoy all that Northwest New Jersey has to offer this and every day of the splendid season. Take advantage of a schedule full of intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or choose among dozens of natural attractions or outdoor activities suggested on our website. Spread your wings and reach for the Skylands; summer starts now!
Take a Float on the Wild Side!
Heading upstream through the Refuge from Bassetts Bridge, the Wallkill is a corridor of beauty.
The Wallkill River shares with great rivers like the Nile and the Rhine the peculiarity of northward flow. From out of Lake Mohawk, it spills over a dam then becomes a stream, bubbling and rushing fast, seeming most determined to be free.
Ferrytales
River frontage at what is now Worthington State park has always been a popular place.
Situated along the river, within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Worthington State Forest comprises almost 6,000 acres extending about seven miles along the Kittatinny Ridge. If you visit this popular destination, a little historical background will make your stay even more enjoyable.
The Raritan South Branch resembles an arm embracing northwest New Jersey as it runs southwest from Budd Lake through communities it has nourished for hundreds of years, valleys dripping with serenity, and wooded vistas perfumed with the fragrance of a mountain stream. The reservoirs at Spruce Run and Round Valley near Clinton mark the river's "elbow" as it turns to head southeast to the Piedmont, tranquilized, but no less beautiful as it approaches Raritan Bay. For those in search of the latest in nature's seasonal fashions, glances of living local heritage, or the tug of a Jersey trout, following the South Branch from Mt. Olive to Duke Farms in Hillsborough yields a memorable ramble. Check your Google Map, grab your GoPro, maybe hitch your Raleigh or Old Town to the car top, and get started.
Old Man and the Pond
These days, even fishin’ from my heavy-duty, extra-large Cabela’s chair is limited to lakes where I have a smooth – and short – path from my truck to the water’s edge. One thing will never change, however — I still love fishin’. Love it, love it, love it!
Planet Jersey!
If you come upon a wood turtle, admire that groovy carapace and those sexy red legs; and move him out of the road if you have to. But you may not take him home! Wood turtles gained designation as a threatened species in 1979 because of habitat loss and their popularity in the illegal pet trade. There are ten types of turtles in our neck of the woods; all quite fascinating, but let them be! Take a closer look...
Don't miss Saturday's tenth annual Ramsaysburg Summer Concerts season opener with The Slambovian Circus of Dreams - a regional favorite known for their irresistible Americana sound and roots in the Knowlton Riverfest tradition - performing in the bucolic Riverside Amphitheater along the Delaware River, part of the twelve-acre historical park in Knowlton NJ. (rain date June 22)
Celebrate Warren County’s 200th birthday with music, food, games, activities for all ages. The event features fun for all ages with free admission, parking, rides and games, while 11 bands – all with local connections – will play on two stages throughout the day. Craft and informational vendors will be on hand, with refreshments available for purchase from food trucks and a beverage garden featuring beer and wine from the breweries and wineries located within Warren County. Warren County Community College, 475 Rt. 57 West.
Here come those summer days, so take advantage of a schedule full of cool things for you and your family to enjoy. Or choose among dozens of natural attractions or outdoor activities suggested on our website. You'll feel like yours elf again!
Dance to the Music
Dance the day away while you explore upcycled and recycled goods vendors, gardening and outdoor groups, environmental preservation exhibitors and related non-profit organizations and vendors at the Sustainably Green Music and Arts Festival on Saturday (June 14) in Washington Borough. The live music, original art, and crafts celebration combines with the Washington Borough Farmers Market annual kick-off. 10am - 5pm. Washington Business Improvement District, 908/689-4800.
Want To Take You Higher
The view from the top of Mt. Tammany is worth the sweat. Photo: Erin Burnett
Whatever your plans in the great outdoors this summer, make hiking in the Delaware Water Gap part of your adventure. The Gap offers trails for all hikers from novice to expert. Come with a sense of wonder, a willingness to explore, and you may find a trail blazed just for you.
Everyday People
The Newton Firehouse opened in 1891 and housed two active fire companies until the late 1970s when the Newton fire company moved. The building was converted into a museum in 1979. Newton Fire Company is one of the oldest active fire companies in the United States, in continuous operation since 1836.
A mix of historic buildings of varying architectural styles, a walkable downtown, and plentiful eateries surrounded by rural tranquility make Newton a fusion of the then and the now, with great expectations for the to be. Investigate!
Stand!
Climate change legislation is getting short shrift these days, while people who tend the land have observed physical weather-related changes that affect their occupations. Some have had to rethink their direction while others continue on, hoping for the best. But onward thinkers all!
Spend Father's Day Weekend at Kymer's Camping Resort where a schedule of activities planned just for dads awaits. Or just lay back and enjoy these two-hundred scenic acres located in Sussex County near the Kittatinny Mountains, at 69 Kymer Road in Branchville. Life Is Good When You're Camping at Kymer's!!
This bucolic pasture along Long Bridge Road is part of a forty-mile loop that parallels the Pequest River through its upper reaches, featuring a spectrum of natural features and the region's heritage.
Ever wonder why a herd of cows seems so smug and satisfied while they munch on tender tendrils of fescue and rye? Go find yourself a green pasture, sit beside some still water and see what all the fuss is about.
Here's your essential guide to the adventures ahead. And keep our calendar close! It's filled with events that will help navigate this most gratifying of seasons.
Spring Fling
Historic Lusscroft Farm, once home to the finest purebred Guernsey herd in the region, holds its annual Spring Fling this Saturday.
Located in the northwest corner of Sussex County, Lusscroft Farm has a rich and diverse past, an early model of progressive dairy farming that later became one of the first farms devoted to dairy research in the United States, gaining national prominence as the site where artificial insemination of dairy cows was developed. The historic farm, including fields and pastures, ponds, woodland, various barnyards, buildings, barns and farm structures, is now part of High Point State Park.
Take the opportunity to visit this Saturday, June 7 at Lusscroft's Spring Fling! Guided bird walks, Manor House tours, avian wildlife lectures, a photography contest, plant sale, barn sale, cottage sale, vendors and more are all part of a promising day. The event is presented by The Heritage and Agriculture Association, Inc., in cooperation with the NJ DEP/Div. of Parks & Forestry. 10am - 4pm. $5 admission, under 18 free. 50 Neilson Road in Wantage. Click or call 973/940-8855.
The bovine heritage of Northwest New Jersey is alive and well at Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse, where they produce grass-fed beef and make artisanal cheeses and wood fired breads. You can get a good taste of Bobolink this Sunday, June 8, on the lawn of the farmhouse listening to Na'bodach - The Band, who “nabodicize” traditional Celtic tunes and songs by incorporating modern rhythms, styles, and instrumentation. And there will be good food as well including selections from Bobolink's delicious farm to fork picnic menu with culinary delights made from their own farm products! Family friendly, BYOB. No dogs please. Food service starts at 3pm, music 4-6:30pm, $15 per person. Reservations are essential!
Your Neighbor's Cow
Dairy workers at the Springhouse Creamery.
A gallon of milk from the supermarket is a combined effort of thousands of cows, raised on any number of farms who knows where. But single herd milk is just that: milk exclusively from the cows that reside on one dairy farm.
Northwest New Jersey is now home to a few dairy farmers who sell their milk directly to the consumer. It may not seem like much, but it is an important step forward in developing a more direct relationship between food and farm. Cream at the top!
Grass to the Glass
Debra Natyzak uses her dad’s old DeLaval bucket milker, the one he employed here at Valley Fall Farm in Frelinghuysen, where he and his wife arrived in 1930. Retired from a career as a chemist at M&M Mars, Inc., in Hackettstown, Debra and her late husband, Roman Oscada, kept Valley Fall productive.
Many states have adopted regulations to allow consumer access to carefully produced fresh, unprocessed whole milk. New Jersey is the only state with a complete prohibition against distribution of “raw” milk, according to the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Here's why choices matter...
Shear Delight
Bob Thompson
Jacobs are the sheep of choice at Jenny Jump Farm, where Joan Schneiber has raised them for more than thirty years. This rare, black-and-white horned breed is prized for its wool, mothering, and hardiness. While commercially worthless because of their natural color, their fleece is a favorite among hand-spinners. Joan spins and crafts with about half her annual fleece—creating hats, shawls, blankets, and more on looms and by hand—a long procession of things to work on, until its time to go outside and tend to the sheep. You can meet Joan and the Jacobs during this weekend's NJ Fibershed Barn Crawl, June 7-8, 10am-4pm. The farm is located at 668 County Road 519, Belvidere. Call (908) 319-0382 or email for more information.
A live music, original art, and crafts, celebration in conjunction with GreenFest and the Washington Borough Farmers Market kick off. Downtown Washington borough.
Celebrate Warren County’s 200th birthday with music, food, games, activities for all ages. The event features fun for all ages with free admission, parking, rides and games, while 11 bands – all with local connections – will play on two stages throughout the day. Craft and informational vendors will be on hand, with refreshments available for purchase from food trucks and a beverage garden featuring beer and wine from the breweries and wineries located within Warren County. Warren County Community College, 475 Rt. 57 West.
May 28 - June 4
Walks of Life
The way to Tillman Ravine in Stokes State Forest begins on a narrow path through a dense stand of towering bare-trunked red and white pines. (Mary Jasch)
Make your spring complete by following any number of paths and trails in Northwest New Jersey. Stretch your legs, breath fresh air and stay strong! You got the action, you got the motion! Here's your essential guide to the adventures ahead. And keep our calendar close! It's filled with events that will help navigate this most gratifying of seasons.
Serious Steps
For a less formal visit to hallowed historical turf, journey down to the northwest corner of Bernardsville, to a road named Hardscrabble, and the field where the New Jersey Brigade arrived in December, 1779 to begin the Jockey Hollow Encampment. Trails crisscross wooded knolls, open meadows, and streams through, not only Morristown National Historical Park, but the neighboring Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, the historic Cross Estate, and mysterious hillsides full of legends. More...
Walking the Line
Cinder path on the Sussex Branch.
At one time, nearly every town in New Jersey was served by railroads, despite the great effort they took to construct. Countless people's lives focused on the railroad, relying on it for industry, food, employment, and transportation. Nearly all the railroads have, of course, been abandoned; tracks removed, buildings demolished. The remaining "scars" in the earth are level paths of black cinder dirt or ballast stone connecting towns and villages, factories and mines. Because railroad grades traverse such varied terrain, a walk along them can be just as rewarding as hiking on conventional trails.
Lush Life
Construction of the Delaware and Raritan (D&R) Canal began in 1830 to provide a swift and safe route from Philadelphia to New York City. The ensuing endeavor cut a large meandering letter "Y" through central New Jersey and the southern reaches of the Skylands region.
Today the canal's route provides a sixty-seven mile corridor of recreation and wildlife that invites your pleasure by foot, pedal or paddle. The tow path, along which mules drew loaded barges along the waterway, still exists for the most part uninterrupted, providing a natural surface of negligible incline easy on walkers and bikers.
Passages
What was left of Riegelsville Bridge after flood of 1903 was replaced by Roebling's Steel suspension bridge which still stands.
Although the New Jersey historical writer, Frank Dale, was nationally recognized for his book Delaware Diary and other work, he was always generous in assisting our efforts to characterize the personality of Northwest New Jersey. He provided sketches from a book he was preparing, called Bridges Over the Delaware, that described the many river crossings in Hunterdon County. The story still makes a wonderful travel guide to that section of the Delaware Valley. Here it is...
Enjoy guided bird walks, Manor House tours, avian wildlife lectures, photography contest, plant sale, barn sale, cottage sale, vendors and more. Presented by The Heritage and Agriculture Association, Inc., in cooperation with the NJ DEP/Div. of Parks & Forestry. 10am - 4pm. $5 admission, under 18 free. 50 Neilson Road,, Sussex NJ.
A colorful and spectacular festival with an array of crafters and vendors, food trucks, a car and truck show, live music and family entertainment. A daily mass balloon launch, tethered hot-air balloon rides and drone demonstrations will fill the air at Warren County Community College, 475 NJ-57, Washington.
May 21 - 28
Memorial Day
General Robert McAllister’s grave at Belvidere Cemetery
There are somewhere around 1,200 historical markers in New Jersey, 500 of them in the Northwest Skylands region. Many are monuments to war veterans from all eras, among them 58,000 New Jersey men who served in the Civil War. With reenlistments, the state would eventually receive credit for more than 80,000 terms of service. The legacies of General Robert McAllister, Charles Hopkins, Daniel Bailey, Henry Ryerson and other heroic figures from the Civil War are told by monuments, museums, and living history groups. Seek out their stories of triumph and tragedy.
This Memorial Day Weekend, take advantage of a calendar bursting with intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy.
Or choose among dozens of natural attractions or outdoor activities suggested on our website.
Art In The Park
Enjoy fine craft demonstrations and hands-on activities for both adults and children at Peters Valley.
Get your summer creative schedule in order with a visit to Art in the Park Daythis Saturday, May 24 (rain or shine) at Peters Valley School of Craft.
Visitors will be treated to artist demonstrations of the various crafts that are taught there such as: Blacksmithing, Ceramics, Fibers, Fine Metals, Printmaking, Weaving and Woodworking.
There will be hands-on activities for both adults and children!Enjoy Fine Craft Demonstrations. And don't miss the Peters Valley Exhibition & Retail Galleries featuring fine craft for sale by over 200 artisans. The outdoor event is free and open to the public. (Sorry, no dogs allowed.) 19 Kuhn Rd, Layton NJ, in the beautiful Delaware Water Gap NRA.
Visit The Wild Woods This Summer!
The Flatbrook-Roy
Got the secret desire to be an explorer? Envy Indiana Jones? Ever yearn for the excitement of bushwhacking through uncharted lands? Adventure is yours, right here in New Jersey. Discover over 305,000 acres of little known forests, meadows, streams, and lakes collectively called Wildlife Management Areas - all public property, all owned by the people of New Jersey. This land is your land!
Count the Ways!
Landscape artist St. Clair Sullivan climbs the Red Dot trail to the top of Mt. Tammany every morning that weather permits.
Warren County offers a wide range of recreational opportunities for all kinds of people. Outdoor lovers enjoy rigorous hikes, abundant wildlife and superb scenery. For those who favor history, the river valleys become avenues marked by eight thousand years of human endeavor from the initial Lenni Lenape habitation, through the days of Colonial settlement, to the heady times of the Morris Canal and the great railroads. Others come to savor classic architecture and country hospitality in the small villages. All agree that Warren County’s rural nature is the key to its allure. Here are fifty ways to see Warren!
Waterfall Hunting
Buttermilk Falls in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is bursting at the seams!
There are waterfalls scattered throughout the Skylands region, but nowhere so plentiful than in the Kittatinny Mountains, where streams find their way down steep slopes to the Delaware River. Within the Kittatinny range, which parallels a forty-mile stretch of the river in Warren and Sussex Counties, several waterfalls are only a short walk away from parking areas. Now's the time!
May 14 - 21
Land Grab
Game camera captures image of a late night fox and skunk land dispute.
Your backyard can be more than just an area you need to mow on Saturdays. Even on a small lot in a congested suburban area, you can grow enough food to put away dozens of quarts of delicious homegrown produce for consumption throughout the year. And it is fascinating to take note of the wide variety of wildlife with which you share your domain. You may even want to invite more!
When you're done planning,
take advantage of a calendar budding with intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or check our Day Trip Map for good ideas for a Sunday drive! For the more aerobically inclined can choose among dozens of natural attractions or outdoor activities suggested on our website.
How does your garden grow?
Shawna Bengivenni admires her organically grown garden in Wantage.
Local gardeners generally consider mid-May the frost-free line for our region -- the target time for getting vulnerable plants in the garden. Everyone can grow their own veggies in garden plots, raised beds, deck planters or any small space. Here are some great tips on how to grow your best garden in Mary Jasch's best (and easiest) veggie garden primer.
Hide and Seek
This spring, head for the woods on a special type of hunt. You won't find explicit directions, but if you log any appreciable trail time in the spring, you'll eventually come across a vernal pool. These distinctive wetlands are seasonal surprises, maybe something that you've never noticed before. The pools play hide and seek with woods walkers and the critters that inhabit them.
Passeriforme Passion
From late April through May our diversity of habitat brings dozens of types of warblers and vireos, scarlet tanagers, northern orioles, indigo buntings, thrushes and brown thrashers into our forests.
As the season progresses, the forests come alive above the leaf line with a growing chorus of migratory songbirds. Passeriformes, the largest bird order, includes over 5,000 species—mostly small perching birds, many of them songbirds, having evolved complex muscles to control their sound-producing organ called a syrinx, different from our vocal chords. The more you listen, the more you hear passerine calls in all their incredible beauty and complexity. The mix of ridges, valleys, and wetlands in our region creates a perfect stage for this seasonal symphony—best enjoyed from any trail, roadside, or even your window.
North of the tension line
Photo by Dan Balogh
Drive up Route 23 North, and after passing countless big box stores, fast food chains and traffic lights, the
landscape suddenly turns all green. And steep. This is wild West Milford, home
to over 100 miles of marked hiking trails and more 1,000-foot summits than
anyplace else in the Jersey Highlands. Bag some peaks!
Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse produces regenerative and sustainable foods that nourish people in harmony with nature. You'll find 100% grass-fed raw cow's milk cheese; pastured meats and charcuterie; wood-fired rustic breads. Visit their website to learn more about our farm store, farmer’s markets, classes, events, and shipping. And visit the farm and store at 369 Stamets Road, Milford NJ.
Visit lovely Gallery 23 at 23 Main St. in historic Blairstown, showcasing over 30 local artists. Gallery 23 offers a rich selection of handmade American Art, including but not limited to pottery, hand made jewelry, wall decor and fiber arts. Featured artists this month are photographers Andy Smith and Diane Pratt.
Don't forget to play the Mother's Day card this weekend. Express your affection with exuberance! The New Jersey Skylands can supply the perfect spot to remind your mom how much you care. Take advantage of a calendar budding with intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Here's your essential guide to the adventures ahead.
Say it with flowers!
The formal garden at the Cross Estate, part of Morristown National Historical Park. Photos by Mary Jasch
You can bring your mom flowers, or take her to them! Northwestern New Jersey is blessed with extraordinary public gardens where visitors can experience every spring-blooming plant that will grow in the region. Saturday May 10 is National Public Gardens Day! Or take her wildflower hunting. It's the Greatest Show In Earth!
Hacklebarney Heaven
Take mom to Hacklebarney State Park, 892 acres of glacial valley, with gorges carved by the Black River and two tributaries that feed it, the Rinehart and Trout Brooks. Explore the trails leading through these Robin Hood woods. Stand on outcrops jutting over the river and gaze in awe at the grass, moss and seedlings living in the rocks brought here long ago. Walk on...
A former railbed just north of the Delaware Water Gap provides a short but satisfying taste of days past in a beautiful setting.
This short route is also perfect for those who are not inclined to hike longer, more difficult trails. A perfect spring warm up!
Paddling Moms
Take mom on a self-propelled cruise! Quick and tricky or quiet and easy; canoe, kayak, raft or tube; the floating experience in Northwest New Jersey comes in many flavors. A vast river bottomland that collects water from the surrounding mountains in a network of creeks and wetlands in Sussex County's Vernon Township make for a classic canoeing adventure on Wawayanda and Pochuck Creeks.
Take mom camping at Kymer's Camping Resort! Choose from cabin and luxury tent rentals as well as trailer or tent campsites with water, electric and cable TV hookups on two-hundred scenic acres located at 69 Kymer Road in Branchville.Mothers' Day Weekend includes arts & crafts, special evening activities and a pancake breakfast on Sunday! For reservations or gift certificates, click or call 973-875-3167.
Art in the Park Day is an outdoor event that is free and open to the public on Saturday, May 24, rain or shine.
Enjoy Fine Craft Demonstrations. Visitors will be treated to artist demonstrations of the various crafts that are taught here at Peters Valley School of Craft such as: Blacksmithing, Ceramics, Fibers, Fine Metals, Printmaking, Weaving and Woodworking.
There will be hands-on activities for both adults and children! (Sorry, no dogs allowed.) 19 Kuhn Rd, Layton NJ, in the beautiful Delaware Water Gap NRA.
April 23 - 30
Boundless Imagination
Thirty-five years ago Ricky Boscarino bought a hunting cabin in the Sandyston woods and has been modifying it with a passion ever since, his home and studio, Luna Parc.
An artist's eye reminds us that the world is filled with infinite possibility. If only we could appreciate those simple gifts found just outside our door, we might be more willing to set aside our prejudices, less inclined to dredge up old grievances, make war.
Here's your essential guide to the adventures ahead. Keep our calendar close! It's filled with events that will help navigate this most gratifying of seasons. Take it to the limit!
Funky Town
Steampunk has remade a name for itself in the funky Warren County Borough of Washington with the annual Steampunk Music and Art Fair which takes place this Saturday, April 26 (10am - 5pm). This is a free-to-attend event! No tickets are required to come enjoy a full day of live music, artisan vendors, street performers, retro-futuristic costumes and general steampunk shenanigans. Live music will be provided by This Way to the Egress, Dust Bowl Faeries, Durty Rotten Parrots, A Halo Called Fred.Routes 31 & 57 in Warren County. Click or call 908/689-4800.
Treasures of the Swamp
The Great Swamp’s flooded forest floor in Spring. (George Aronson)
The Rockaway River begins its descent at Boonton Falls where the fall line generated water power and attracted industry through what is now Grace Lord Park. Follow the Boonton Greenway Trail through the park and along pathways and town streets, stopping at historic locations. Photo: Brian Kutner
A progression of relentless efforts to commemorate New Jersey’s abundant transportation heritage have found renewed focus at Boonton’s Grace Lord Park, where the mighty splendor of the Rockaway River gorge traces a forgotten industrial past.
My kayak has become my favorite mode for reaching wildness, taking me places otherwise inaccessible. I can paddle into spots that are only a few inches deep and explore those hard-to-get-to sections of a river or hidden cove on a lake. The nose of my kayak leads to experiences that are unique and special to me. It is my vessel to adventure and discovery.
Obadiah La Tourette
The building looms over the bustling Route 24, once called Chester Pike, just east of Long Valley center. At once, upon seeing it, you know that the mill holds a thousand stories and probably a thousand more secrets in its ancient timbers.
Flying Objects and Other Fun, May 3. Tech and aviation, including drone demonstrations by Warren Community College’s nationally acclaimed Drone/Robotics/AI program.
Sign up for the Warren County Wanderings newsletter, your guidepost of discovery and a nexus of community in a culturally rich and environmentally singular area.
April 17 - 24
This is not our fate!
Along the Watchtower: The fragility of Earth, conveyed by the Blue Marble images taken by the Apollo 17 crew on the way to the Moon in 1972, is apparently only a figment of "climate change religion."
Calling this spring a “season of renewal”, while the jokers and thieves in the White House eviscerate long-standing environmental protections, feels a bit like throwing a garden party at a coal mine. Earth Day has been abolished by executive order! Too much confusion? Get some relief from the miracles of your natural world. The hour is getting late!
Dig Your Earth
In the 1940s, when transportation shortages due to the war made it hard to move fruits and vegetables to market, twenty million Victory Gardens were planted in backyards, front yards, empty lots and rooftops. Now we're faced with uncertain prices and food quality. That $1.79 you'll pay for a pound of zucchini in the grocery store will buy enough seed to grow a whole summer's supply for your family. And if you find yourself with too much, maybe you can trade with your neighbor for some cucumbers.
Seeds of Passion
In the Ramapo Mountains of Ringwood lies one of New Jersey’s most exquisite gems, the New Jersey State Botanical Garden. Its ninety-six cultivated acres are a secret to many — for others, a joyous discovery waiting to happen. Celebrate Earth Day Weekend (April 18-20) with a visit, where you’ll find the beauty of nature and a soothing respite from this busy world, plus many special programs. Click or call 973/962-9534. 2 Morris Rd., Ringwood
The Greatest Show in Earth
Silver-dollar sized flowers of Mayapple hide below the foliage in the Musconetcong Gorge. (Rachel Mackow)
Enjoying flowers does not require knowing the first thing about them. The attraction of a flower is natural; seductive to people, much as to butterflies and bees, by a magical combination of hue, symmetry and fragrance. Wooded trails such as those at Musconetcong Gorge Reservation promise a great show of native wildflower displays.
A Tribute to Primal Growth
Hutcheson Memorial Forest, a 65-acre tract of old growth forest in Franklin Township, Somerset County, is a conundrum in time and purpose. It lays in limbo between a no-management policy mandated to preserve the forest's character, and influences brought by suburbia that force change. The forest is one of only three patches of virgin woods remaining in New Jersey, and one of the last uncut, unburned White Oak--American Beech forests in the country. It is listed in the National Park Service Registry of Natural landmarks. Check here for public tours and events.
Homegrown Home
The straw bale house at Genesis Farm.
Natural building considers a structure’s impact on the local environment and culture, the global ecology, the needs and well-being of the inhabitants, and the quality of the building itself. The straw bale house at Genesis Farm in Frelinghuysen demonstrates the use of locally available, time-tested renewable materials to construct an energy efficient, aesthetically pleasing home. Have a look!
Spring calves have joined the herd at Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse where they (the cows) live outside, eating grass and being milked seasonally, and not indoors, being fed grain, animal by-products and hormones, and being milked to death. Happy cows make delicious natural cheese, the artisanal cheeses that Bobolink is known for. Visit their website to learn more about our farm store, farmer’s markets, classes, events, and shipping. And visit the farm and store at 369 Stamets Road, Milford NJ.
