The Sourland Mountain region contains central New Jersey's largest and finest unbroken forest, as well as extensive wetlands and grasslands. It is home to an incredibly rich diversity of animal and plant species. It has a rich heritage as a rural refuge from the tamed suburban landscape, with many stories of outlaws, ghosts and rebels.
While the land to all sides of the Sourlands has largely been cleared and is increasingly overtaken by sprawl, the Mountain has been sparsely settled– protected by its stony soil, charismatic boulder fields, and the scarcity of groundwater.
The Sourlands are home to numerous neotropical migrant birds which inhabit only contiguous forests; to diabase boulders which harken back to Triassic-era magma intrusions; to numerous rare plant species including pawpaw trees, wild ginseng, and showy orchids; and to people who care enough to work to keep its unique natural and cultural character intact.
A unique ecosystem
Some 200 million years ago, a cataclysmic eruption of molten rock pushed through the softer shale that covered the region; it cooled and became the hard- rock spine of the Sourland Ridge. Today this ridge is central New Jersey’s largest remaining wilderness, and the historical Sourland Mountain region is a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts, offering incredible vistas and a wealth of recreational opportunities. Home to a fascinating array of rare wildlife and flora, the mountain is also the sole source of drinking water for tens of thousands of people.
The vast mixed-oak forest that stretches along the Sourland Ridge provides critical habitat for a rich diversity of animal species -- many rare or endangered. The Sourlands’ forest, grasslands, hedgerows and shrublands provide crucial nesting grounds for songbirds, as well as an essential stopover for birds migrating from Central and South America to their breeding grounds far to the north.
Visitors to the Sourland region can glimpse some of the rare native flora that once covered central New Jersey. Amid lichen-covered rocks scattered beneath majestic trees, one may see the most tender wildflowers reach for dappled sunlight.
Far beneath the mountain lies the source of drinking water for all who live in the Sourland region: a notoriously unreliable aquifer that trickles and pools amidst a maze of seams and cracks in the bedrock. On the surface, gurgling springs and wetlands perched upon the impermeable rock feed clear, free-running streams. In the spring, numerous temporary pools provide seasonal homes and breeding grounds for a dazzling assortment of frogs, toads and salamanders.
