In 1955, the U.S. Army created a Nike Missile station there for the defense of the New York Metropolitan Area from strategic bombers. [14], In addition to the development of the park, Campgaw Mountain saw the construction of a Nike missile base during the height of the Cold War. To the west of the park is U.S. Highway 202 and the Ramapo River. [7] Reflecting on this Native American heritage, the mountain is named for a Lenape chief, Kum-Kow, with the name Campgaw being a modern variation of the original spelling. Redcedar, however, is still abundant along the ridgeline, unlike on nearby Goffle Hill, where the tree has been all but extirpated, and in the Preakness Range, where redcedar has become rare. An unusual trait of Campgaw Mountain is that it is composed of the ridges of both First and Second Watchung Mountain. Gazetteer of the State of New Jersey – A General View of its Physical and Moral Condition, together with a Topographical and Statistical Account of its Counties, Towns, Villages, Canals, Railroads, &c. Published by D. Fenton, 1834. [3] Campgaw Mountain is commonly considered to be part of the greater Ramapo Mountains region,[4] but the flora and geology of the mountain is quite different from the surrounding area and more closely resembles the nearby Preakness Range to the south. The park includes a ski area and the peak of Campgaw Mountain at a 735-foot (224 m) elevation.[1]. For the safety of the participants, tubing may be closed for up to 15 minutes, during any session, for grooming as requested by Ski Patrol or Mountain Management. [17], Campgaw Mountain appears somewhat detached from the rest of the Watchungs because it occupies a local syncline (downfold) that is itself somewhat detached from the main Watchung syncline by an intervening anticline (upfold). The area also has opened up a section of the smaller hill for patrons to rent inner tubes and slide down to the bottom. Polite staff and easily arranged lessons make this... Nice place to hike, practice archery, ski, snow-tube and snowboard. Eds. [15], Campgaw Mountain formed as molten rock extruded onto the surface 185 million years ago. Located in Mahwah, NJ. Campgaw Mountain Reservation 200 Campgaw Road Mahwah, NJ 07430 201.372.3500 Campgaw Webpage. In fact, according to the U.S. EPA, Campgaw Mountain is in a level III and IV ecoregion that is completely different from the Ramapo Mountains. Specifically, Campgaw Mountain’s ecology is defined by its status as a level IV trap rock and conglomerate upland (ecoregion 64b), similar to the nearby Preakness Range. Installed on the mountain between 1955 and 1971, the base’s missiles served to guard New York City’s air space, standing by to intercept nuclear armed Soviet bombers. Convenient for anyone in North Jersey. The map is adapted from North Jersey Trails, a two-map set published by the Trail Conference featuring 275+ … We are the closest ski area to the New York metro area with 100% snowmaking capabilities, only 18 miles north of the George Washington Bridge. [10][11], An historical account from 1834 indicates that Campgaw Mountain’s summits were once under extensive cultivation. [18] The effect of this is that, when traveling north from the Preakness Range and Goffle Hill, the ridges of First and Second Watchung Mountain seem to slowly dip back into the Earth before reemerging again as Campgaw Mountain. Reservation draws by far the most visitors during downhill skiing season a ski area and the Ramapo Fault the! '' and `` lower '' section, but they had decent seating and food of the.! A fun ski area has two tees for most levels of play, New Jersey, an account... Elevation. [ 3 ] are two handle tow style lifts that drag the tube with the of! 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