Skylands
The "Skylands" is in the Northwest Region of New Jersey, in the Mountains.
Counties
Cities
- 1 Morristown — A city of traditions. Washington camped there during the American rebellion.
- 2 Madison — A mixture between a collegetown and a wealthy town.
- 3 Newton — the county seat of Sussex County.
- 4 Vernon — A popular destination with a ski resort in the winter and a water based theme park in the summer.
- 5 Phillipsburg — A large, urban town just across the river from Easton in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania.
- 6 Hackettstown — A small town, with a historic, but struggling, Main Street.
- 7 Flemington — Shopping in outlet stores is the thing to do here.
- 8 Netcong — a transit hub near the corner of Warren, Morris and Sussex counties, with a train station very close to Interstate 80, and Routes 46 and 206
Other destinations
- 1 Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area — beautiful park on the river for camping, hiking, tubing, canoeing, more
- 2 Lake Hopatcong
— the largest body of fresh water in New Jersey: fishing, boating, ice skating, more.
Understand
- American English is the main language of this part of New Jersey, but Spanish speakers can be found in shops and restaurants in many major towns. Communities of people who speak many major languages in the world can be found in pockets all over this region, as well.
Get in
By plane
Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE IATA, FAA LID: ABE) to the west is the closest airport with scheduled air service, about a 20-minute drive to the Delaware River.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR IATA, FAA LID: EWR) to the east is a major airport and can reach the nearest portions of the region within 30 minutes by car (rush hour traffic notwithstanding).
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL IATA, FAA LID: PHL) is also a major airport, but at least a 90-minute drive coming from the south.
By rail
Three New Jersey Transit lines originating from New York, Hoboken, and Newark reach into the region.
- The Montclair-Boonton Line first travels north into Passaic County before turning west into Morris County and terminating at Hackettstown.
- The Morristown Line enters Morris County from its southeast after Summit and runs through the eponymous town before joining the Montclair-Boonton Line at Denville and also terminating at Hackettstown; its Gladstone Branch stays south at Summit and instead runs through northern Somerset County, terminating at Gladstone.
- The Raritan Valley Line enters central Somerset County; most trains terminate at Raritan though some offer further service into Hunterdon County and terminate at High Bridge.
By car
Interstates 80 and 78 are the main east-west highways through the region; those will be your two main options coming from New York City (from the east) or Northeast Pennsylvania (from the west).
If you're coming from Westchester or Rockland Counties in New York, I-287 is likely a better bet in order to avoid the worst of New York City-related traffic, although do be cautious about large trucks parked on the side of the road, especially at night, as the highway can be somewhat winding here -- they're not supposed to be there but for the drivers anything to get that early delivery bonus. Coming from farther upstate New York or from New England, consider using I-84 westbound through the Hudson valley and entering Sussex County from the north via US-6 or US-209 (they quickly become US-206 right before crossing the state border).
From Philadelphia and its suburbs to the north and west, US-202 reaches directly into Hunterdon County. Suburbs to Philly's northeast, as well as those on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, will likely find using I-295 before switching to NJ-29 (along the River), NJ-31, or US-206 (through Princeton) to be the best paths (US-206 can be a hassle during rush hour owing to it being only two lanes for a good portion of its route, though).
From the Jersey Shore, the Garden State Parkway is the fastest way to get to I-287, from where you can travel into the region (US-9 or NJ-18 are your best bets if you're willing to trade tolls for traffic lights).
By bus
Get around
See
Itineraries
Do
- [formerly dead link] Waterloo Village (Park & Concert Fields), Stanhope, NJ (Route 80, exit 25 North, follow signs), waterloovillagecomments@dep.state.nj.us. closed, mostly. Former historic park where actors demonstrated activities from colonial and revolutionary American times. Later, a popular concert spot. Now closed only for special occasions, like the Dodge Poetry Festival [dead link], the future is uncertain for the Waterloo Village. Historic preservation is underway, see attached link for official word from the NJDEP.
- New Jersey State Fair (Sussex County Farm and Horse Show), 37 Plains Road, Augusta, NJ 07822 (Very close to both Routes 206 and 15 in northern Sussex County.), ☏ +1 973 948-5500, fax: +1 973 948-0147. Typical State Fair with exhibits, shows and food in a very large fairgrounds facilities for about 10 days every summer. Check website for exact dates, which change every year. Other events throughout the year, as well.
- Sussex County Miners, Skylands Park, 4 Championship Place, Augusta, NJ, ☏ +1 973 300-1000. A professional baseball team who was founded in 2015 as part of the independent (as in not affiliated with Major or Minor League Baseball) Can-Am League.
- Somerset Patriots, TD Bank Park, 860 East Main Street, Bridgewater, NJ, ☏ +1 908 252-0700. A professional baseball club who plays in the Atlantic League (another league independent of Major and Minor League Baseball).
- Mountain Creek Resort (Action Park — Diablo Freeride Park — Vernon Valley — Great Gorge), 200 McAfee Vernon Road, Vernon, NJ 07462”. Mountain Creek is famous for its skiing in the winter time and it's "water park" in the summertime. Basically, a big theme park. Definitely fun stuff. The bike park is new since I've been there and they have other events in the fall: Wine Tasting, Dog and Horse Shows, Farmers Market. Lots more. It's all on their web site above.
- 1 Land of Make Believe (Pirate's Cove), 354 Great Meadows Road — Rt. 611, Hope, NJ 07844 (2 miles south of Route 80, Exit 12), ☏ +1 908 459-9000. 10am-6pm throughout the summer season. Amusement Park "Specifically Designed for Parent Participation with Children"
Eat
- Pizzerias can be found around almost every corner. Most are good, some are better than others.
- Hot Dog Johnny's: an iconic road stop off of Route 46 in Buttzville, NJ where you can get fantastic hotdogs and fries and some tasty refreshing birch beer.
Drink
Stay safe
Emergency — Dial 911
- Morristown Memorial Hospital, 100 Madison Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07962. +1-800-247-9580. Regional Trauma Center
- Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, 651 Willow Grove Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840. +1 908 852-5100
- Warren Hospital, 185 Roseberry Street, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865. +1 908 859-6700
- St. Clare's Health System (4 Hospitals)
- Clare's Hospital/Boonton Township — 130 Powerville Road, Boonton, NJ 07005. General Information: +1 973-316-1800.
- Saint Clare's Hospital/Denville, 25 Pocono Road, Denville, NJ 07834. General Information: +1 973-625-6000.
- Saint Clare's Hospital/Dover, 400 West Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ 07801. General Information: +1 973-989-3000.
- Saint Clare's Hospital/Sussex, 20 Walnut Street, Sussex, NJ 07461. General Information: +1 973-702-2600.
- Newton Memorial Hospital, 175 High Street, Newton, NJ 07860. +1 973-383-2121.
- 24 Hour Pharmacy in Mt. Olive