New York–New Jersey Highlands
The New York – New Jersey Highlands is a geological formation composed primarily of Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rock running from the Delaware River near Musconetcong Mountain, northeast through the Skylands Region of New Jersey along the Bearfort Ridge and the Ramapo Mountains, Sterling Forest, Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks in New York, to the Hudson River at Storm King Mountain. The northern region is also known as the Hudson Highlands and the southern as the New Jersey Highlands. A broader definition would extend the region west to Reading, Pennsylvania, and east to the Housatonic River in Connecticut, encompassing the Reading Prong.
In New Jersey, the region's watershed is protected by the state's own Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act. In addition to preserving water resources, the act supports open space preservation and the creation of new recreational parks and hiking trails in America's most densely populated state.
External links
- USGS - The Highlands Province
- New Jersey Highlands Coalition
- New York/New Jersey Trail Conference - The Highlands Trail
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Habitats of the New York - New Jersey Highlands
Coordinates: 41°02′45″N 74°30′43″W / 41.045699°N 74.512024°W