New York–New Jersey Highlands
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The New York – New Jersey Highlands is a
geological formation A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics (lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock expo ...
composed primarily of
Precambrian The Precambrian ( ; or pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pC, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of t ...
igneous and metamorphic rock running from the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
near Musconetcong Mountain, northeast through the Skylands Region of
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
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 Reading ( ; ) is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fourth-most populous ...
, and east to the Housatonic River in
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
, encompassing the Reading Prong. The highlands are a subrange of the
Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...
. In New Jersey, the region's watershed is protected by the state's own Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act (2004). In addition to preserving water resources, the act created the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council (NJ Highlands Council) whose mission includes supporting open space preservation and the creation of new recreational parks and hiking trails in America's most densely populated state. These include the Highlands Trail, designated as a Millennium Trail by the White House Millennium Council and maintained by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. The New Jersey Highlands Coalition was formed in 1988 to protect the resources of the region. In November 2004, the federal Highlands Conservation Act was passed. The Highlands Conservation Act “recognizes the importance of the water, forest, agricultural, wildlife, recreational, and cultural resources of the Highlands region, and the national significance of the Highlands region to the United States.”


See also

* Franklin Marble * List of subranges of the Appalachian Mountains


References


External links


USGS - The Highlands Province

New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council

New Jersey Highlands Coalition

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference - Highlands Trail Guide


Geologic formations of New Jersey Geologic formations of New York (state) Palisades Interstate Park system Ramapos Regions of New Jersey {{NewYork-geologic-formation-stub