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September 20 - 27

eQuality!

Known to generations of local school kids as the Rock House, the Parsippany Rock Shelter is a collection of titanic glacial boulders that tumbled to form a rudimentary shelter.
As the sun heads south across the equator, Northwest New Jersey will prove itself a popular stage for arts, crafts, natural and historical celebrations all season, as autumn arrives on Saturday (Sept. 22, 9:54pm) with a schedule of colorful programs. Soft and mellow autumn days can be intoxicating. For now, at the equinox, day = night, but the balance begins to tip! So make sure to keep an eye on our calendar for this and coming autumn weekends. And pick from a multitude of daytrip itineraries!

Sweet sixteen

Disprove the idea that museums are musty and boring when you visit some of the sixteen Morris County museums and historic sites opening for visitors during this weekend's Pathways of History Museum Tour (Sept. 22-23). Native wildflowers blooming at the Tunis Ellicks House gardens in New Vernon and the Martin Berry House in Pompton Plains are featured venues. Other highlights include the Obediah LaTourette Grist Mill in Washington Township, the Bowlsby-DeGelleke House in Parsippany and L’Ecole Kinnelon Museum. Start at any location; see the complete list here. Free admission and refreshments make this an excellent idea for an early autumn outing. For more information, click or call 973/316-0976.

Come and listen to a story...

Waterloo in the canal heyday.
Prior to its career as one of New Jersey's most renown historic sites, Waterloo Village had all the components necessary to become a thriving canal town, approximately half-way along the Morris Canal's 102-mile journey across the state, from Phillipsburg to Jersey City. This Saturday's (Sept. 22) Waterloo Canal Day is the final installment of this year's series commemorating those times, presented by the Canal Society of New Jersey. Enjoy guided tours of the restored canal village, along with a wide range of programming, including narrated canal boat ride, trades demonstrated at the gristmill and blacksmith shops, period music and eight historic structures open for inspection. Waterloo Village is stuffed with stories -- and a new one has been added, about the recovery of a lost Morris Canal boat which is now on display! For more information click or call 973/292-2755.

Through the Farny Highlands

Split Rock from a kayak is a beautiful sight in autumn. Photo by Lee Sandstead.
A trio of Morris County reservoirs, each less than ten miles from the next, dot opposing sides of a triangle that frames sharply contrasting environments. Split Rock sits in one of Morris County’s most remote regions; Taylortown in Montville’s preserved mountains and woodlands, steps away from suburbia and Boonton near the busy intersection of Routes 287 and 80. An autumn visit to each or all promises ample leaf peeping vistas, woodland or urban hikes with water views and flashes of Revolutionary and Civil War history. Put this trip on your list this fall!

Wings and a prayer

MacKenzie Hall releases a young male Big Brown Bat on his maiden flight.
Photo by Bob Thompson.
Bats are a fascinating group of animals. They've been flapping through the skies for more than fifty million years and are still the only mammals on Earth that can truly fly. But they are largely misunderstood, and have had very hard times of late. In a big way, the White-nose plague swung the door wide open to understanding and appreciating bats. Even grade school kids now know that bats are important insect-eaters. And bats save crops from corn earworm moths, potato beetles, cucumber beetles, even stink bugs, reducing the need for chemical pesticides. Those are rather good reasons to want bats around. Read more!

Rooms With A View!

Camping doesn't have to end with the summer. In fact campgrounds make a perfect home base for most outdoor fall activities such as leaf peeping, bird and wildlife watching, hunting and fishing, simply because they've got "location, location, location."
  • Camp Taylor Campground
    Camp Taylor offers a wilderness atmosphere with the security and services that public areas often lack, with access to a swimming lake and trails that lead hikers through strikingly beautiful forest to mountain laurel atop a 1600 foot ridge. Seasonal Sites, Tenters, RV rental, Cabins near the Delaware Water Gap. Home of Lakota Wolf Preserve. 85 Mt. Pleasant Rd., Columbia, 908/496-4333
  • Harmony Ridge Campground
    Outstanding family facilities near Culver Lake and Stokes Forest. There are over 200 sites and many activities to choose from; a large pavilion, playground, game courts, swimming pool, paddle boats. The friends and memories you make here will last a lifetime. 23 Risdon Drive, Branchville, 973/948-4941
  • Triple Brook Family Camping Resort
    Park yourself on a 250 acre farm tucked away in the legendary Kittatinny Mountains. Spend the season steps away from an Olympic size pool, heated whirlpool spa, private lake, tennis courts, and fully stocked camp store. You'll have time to explore all the natural attractions in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation a few miles away, or the Pocono Mountains. There's also an open air pavilion available for weddings, picnics, retreats. 58 Honey Run Rd., Hope, 908/459-4079.
  • Kymer's Camping Resort
    Trailer and cabin rentals and trailer and tent campsites with water, electric and cable TV hookups on 200 scenic acres. 69 Kymer Rd., Branchville, 800/543-2056
  • Delaware River Family Campground
    Enjoy raft, canoe, kayak or tube trips, trailer and tent campsites as well as trailer and cabin rentals. 100 Route 46, Columbia, 800/543-2056
  • Panther Lake Camping Resort
    Camp on a private 45-acre lake on 160 scenic acres where you can enjoy swimming, boating, fishing or just relaxing on a sandy beach. 6 Panther Lake Rd., Andover, 800/543-2056

Plan Ahead!

       

Pick Your Own!

      

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Autumn is coming soon, and so is our fall issue. Sign up to receive your copy of the next Skylands Visitor magazine here.
While you wait for the mailman, tap our calendar for the best events for you and your family, or check our current stories. Stay tuned to our Day Trip Map for good ideas for a scenic drive! For the more aerobically inclined, the Outdoor Map shows the way to go, or choose among dozens of natural attractions or outdoor activities suggested on our website. Northwest New Jersey and destinations just beyond those borders, in Pennsylvania and New York, offer brilliant ways to get out and enjoy the pleasures of the season.
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