Schooley's Mountain
| Schooleys Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Schooleys Mountain near Long Valley, NJ | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,120+ feet (341+ m)[1] |
| Coordinates | 40°49′45″N 74°47′37″W / 40.8292660°N 74.7934986°W[2] |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Topo map | USGS Hackettstown |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Road |
Schooley's or, officially, Schooleys Mountain[2] is a mountain ridge in northern New Jersey that stretches from Lake Hopatcong in the north to Hampton in the south. It is centrally located within the southern Highlands, positioned almost equidistantly from the Kittatinny Valley in the west, and the piedmont plateau in the east.[3] Schooley's Mountain is also one of the largest ridges in a group of geologically similar and parallel mountains, which include Allamuchy Mountain, Pohatcong Mountain, Scotts Mountain, and Jenny Jump Mountain.
Geography
Schooley's Mountain is separated from Musconetcong Mountain by a gap and the valley of Spruce Run, which bifurcates the mountain itself higher in its course. The mountain ridge extends about 20 miles northeast, being separated by Budd Lake and the South Branch Raritan River from Mooney Mountain. The northeasternmost point looks out upon Waterloo and the Musconetcong River, the valley of which lies upon its northwestern side; on the southeastern side is German Valley, drained by the South Branch Raritan River.
Prominent subsidiary peaks include Mount Kipp (951 feet (290 m)), at the southeastern tip, and Point Mountain (935 feet (285 m)), overlooking Anderson in the Musconetcong Valley. The summit of the ridge proper lies in a wooded area behind private homes on Kim Lane, on the northeastern part of the ridge.
The community of Schooley's Mountain is on top and in the middle of the ridge, which rises about 400 to 800 feet (120 to 240 m) above the surrounding valley.
History
The mountain is named for the Schooley family, Quaker landowners in the area during the 1790s.
The mountain air and the chalybeate springs on the mountain once made it a fashionable summer destination. For similar reasons, a state tuberculosis sanatorium was once located around Mount Kipp.
Many small iron mines were worked on the mountain in the late 19th century; remains of some are still visible today. Granite was also quarried from the mountain.
The main crossing at the mountain is Schooley's Mountain Road, formerly Washington Turnpike. General George Washington noted in his diary that he considered the route from "Dutch Valley to Schooley's Mountain a hazardous and round about thoroughfare."
World Government: Among much historical importance, Long Valley in Schooley’s Mountain, New Jersey was a meeting place for many scholars from Europe, India and US. Nataraja Guru, a scholar and a disciple of Narayana Guru (Sivagiri-India) established the first Gurukulam in Schooley’s mountain in 1949 with the support and assistance of Mr. Hari Jacobson & Adris family. While staying in the newly built Asramam (home) Swami Nataraja Guru wrote two well-known books, “The Memorandum on World Government”, and “ The Word of the Guru”. These books became a hall mark of Nataraja Guru explaining the philosophies and teachings of Sri Narayana Guru to the western world. The Memorandum on world Government is about the relevance of a World Government for all irrespective of any nation and continents and it was established (1953) with support and resistance from many Governments. Mr. Garry Davis, the proponent of the idea spends rest of his life propagating the idea of World Government. The Home in Rock Road, where Nataraja Guru stayed and wrote the books (1949 – 1951) is still (Year 2014) remains in the woods(across Toy family land) where the guidelines and ideas of a World Government( World Government of World Citizens) formed by Nataraja Guru (1895-1973) and Garry Davis (1921-2013) took place.
Recreation
While much of the flatter terrain on the ridge has been cultivated or, more recently, developed for residential housing, much of Schooley's Mountain is still wooded. On the northwest side, Cataract Park, along Schooleys Mountain Road (Route 24), preserves a waterfall and an old mine opening on the steep side of the ridge. Schooley's Mountain County Park, the former YMCA Camp Washington, encloses the valley of Long Valley and small Lake George on the southeastern side of the mountain. Lake George has been drained and dredged but swimming is no longer permitted. The Electric Brook runs from Lake George over several waterfalls in the park before it reaches the south branch of the Raritan River. The park offers boat rental and numerous amenities above and beyond hiking. One of the completed segments of Patriots' Path runs through the park.
References
- ^ "Schooleys Mountain". ListsOfJohn.com. Retrieved 2013-01-26.
- ^ a b "Schooleys Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
- ^ Dalton, Richard (2003). "Physiographic Provinces of New Jersey" (PDF). New Jersey Geological Survey Information Circular. NJDEP.
- Christmas in Long Valley 2005 House Tour, Washington Township Historical Society.