High Mountain Park Preserve, Protected area in Wayne, New Jersey, United States.
High Mountain Park Preserve is a protected area in Wayne, New Jersey, made up of woodlands, wetlands, and rocky ridgeline terrain. A network of marked hiking trails crosses the land, connecting different sections from forested slopes to open rocky areas.
The land was home to the Lenape people long before European settlers arrived in the region. During the American Revolutionary War, the ridge served as a lookout point for soldiers tracking British movements in the area below.
The name of the preserve refers to the high ridge that runs through the area and gives it its character. Visitors walking the trails can move between rocky outcrops and low, wet areas within the same short walk.
The trails are marked and range from easy woodland paths to rockier sections along the ridge, so sturdy footwear is a good idea. The most common starting point is the parking area at the nearby William Paterson University.
The preserve contains more than nine distinct ecological communities within a relatively small area, which is unusual even for a protected natural space. Among these are rare plant species that are found in very few other spots across New Jersey.
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