Campgaw Mountain Reservation is a 1351-acre (5.5 km2) county park of
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Mahwah, but extends into the northeastern part of
Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
(southwest of Glen Gray Road), as well as the northwestern part of Franklin Lakes. The park includes a ski area and the peak of
Campgaw Mountain
Campgaw Mountain is the northernmost ridge of the volcanically formed Watchung Mountains, along the border of Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Mahwah in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. Located almost entirely within the bounds of Ca ...
at a elevation.
The ski area has two 2-person
chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. They ...
s and 3 magic carpet style lifts suitable for novice skiers. One of the chairlifts has a mid-mountain exit for skiers who do not want to go to the top of the mountain. The area also has opened up a section of the smaller hill for patrons to rent inner tubes and slide down to the bottom. There are two handle tow style lifts that drag the tube with the user in it to the starting area. The area also has a small lodge, cafeteria, snack bar, and equipment rental shop.Holste, Elizabeth. ''Skiing in New Jersey?'' (self-published) 2005. . See Page 65, Campgaw Mountain Limited preview available via Google Books /ref> The area is a hangout for local kids from the surrounding area. Many of the skiers are just beginning or are novices at the sport, and the mountain attracts people from the surrounding urban areas as well. It is the closest ski area to New York City. The mountain's highest trail features a vertical drop of over a distance of about . The steepest section of this trail is the first downhill of the summit. The remaining or so of trail is mostly flat with a smooth decline.
To the east of the park is Interstate 287. To the west of the park is
U.S. Highway 202
U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware to Maine, also traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Mass ...
New York Metropolitan Area
The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...
from
strategic bomber
A strategic bomber is a medium- to long-range penetration bomber aircraft designed to drop large amounts of air-to-ground weaponry onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating the enemy's capacity to wage war. Unlike tactical bombers, ...
s. In 1959, the site was upgraded to house
Nike-Hercules Missile
The Nike Hercules, initially designated SAM-A-25 and later MIM-14, was a surface-to-air missile (SAM) used by U.S. and NATO armed forces for medium- and high-altitude long-range air defense. It was normally armed with the W31 nuclear warhead, but ...
s with increased range, speed and payload characteristics. The missile site closed in June 1971.
See also
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Campgaw Mountain
Campgaw Mountain is the northernmost ridge of the volcanically formed Watchung Mountains, along the border of Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Mahwah in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. Located almost entirely within the bounds of Ca ...