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335:). Twelve other rare plants survive in forested uplands and the range's perched wetlands. Some of the rare plants are reasoned to take root in the range due to the calcareous secondary minerals in the range's trap rock which may serve to increase soil alkalinity relative to the surrounding acidic soils of the piedmont region.
246:. Mount Cecchino, the southernmost of the three and also the lowest, rises to 755 ft (230m). Immediately to the north, High Mountain reaches 879 ft (268m), becoming the highest peak of the Watchungs. Northwest of High Mountain, the second highest peak of the Watchungs, Beech Mountain, rises to 869 ft (265m).
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The
Preakness Range may be the most environmentally sensitive section of the Watchungs, hosting a variety of ecologically diverse areas of wilderness. The New Jersey National Heritage Program has given the Preakness Range a rating of B2, meaning it has priority as a site with very high biodiversity
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The
Preakness Range formed as molten rock extruded onto the surface 200 million years ago. At that time the range occupied the northern section of an active rift valley running through northern and central New Jersey and part of Pennsylvania. After the rift failed in the early Jurassic, the range
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An interesting trait of the
Preakness Range is its alternating north-south valleys. These valleys, which form two major divisions, are a result of three separate eruptive events which laid down three closely spaced basalt ridges which combine to form the main section of the Preakness Range on the
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acting as buffer to hold back development from encroaching northward across the main ridge of
Preakness Mountain. In the 1980s, when development began to threaten the remaining wilderness of the range, a push by local citizens to preserve the Preakness Range for the public interest was begun,
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northern end of Second
Watchung Mountain. These ridges decrease in height from east to west, which mirrors the order in which the ridges, really successive sheets of lava, were formed. Here, as in the rest of the Watchungs, the easternmost ridge was extruded first.
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Thomas
Francis Gordon. 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.
211:, offering miles of hiking trails with vistas overlooking New Jersey and New York City. The peaks of the Preakness Range, the highest of the Watchung Mountains, shelter endangered ecosystems, including perched wetlands and rare trap rock glade communities.
227:, historically known as Totoway Mountain, flanks the Preakness Range in the east and is usually not included in the range, but it is mentioned in association with it, being part of the northern extent of First Watchung Mountain.
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significance. Nine different ecological communities have been cited in the
Preakness Range, including globally imperiled trap rock glade communities and increasingly rare hickory-ash red cedar woodlands.
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For most of modern history the
Preakness Range remained a wilderness providing recreation to the inhabitants of surrounding towns. Only the southern section of the range was particularly built up, with
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The mountains of the
Preakness Range also provide significant habitat to wildlife. In particular, sixty species of birds are thought to breed in the range's various environs.
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Joseph Dowhan et al. Significant
Habitats and Habitat Complexes of the New York Bight Watershed. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1997.
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was elevated as erosion removed the sandstone and shale surrounding the basalt lava flows of Preakness Mountain and Packanack Mountain.
223:. Packanack Mountain, a section of Third Watchung Mountain west of Preakness Mountain, is sometimes included in the Preakness Range.
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Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey No. 67 – The Relations of the Traps of the Newark System in the New Jersey Region
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The Preakness Range generally refers to the peaks of Preakness Mountain, the section of Second Watchung Mountain north of the
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Seven state-listed endangered plant species call the Preakness Range home, including a globally endangered species, Torrey's
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The Indians of New Jersey: Their Origin and Development; Manners and Customs; Language, Religion, and Government
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242:. The three highest peaks of the Watchungs line the north-central part of Preakness Mountain in
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Note: Ethel Kauffman organized a group which blocked residential development on High Mountain.
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As with the majority of the Watchungs, the Preakness Range saw use as a lookout during the
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The Papers of George Washington: Revolutionary War Series volume 10, June – August 1777
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483:, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed November 14, 2015.
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can be seen across a valley from a ledge near the summit of High Mountain in
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Geological Survey of New Jersey - Bulletin 14 The Geology of New Jersey
258:. Today, this Native American heritage lives on in the range's name.
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North Jersey Record Obituaries – Ethel Kauffman, open space activist.
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461:. The Press Printing and Publishing Company, Paterson, NJ, 1894.
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The Preakness Range was originally inhabited by the Munsee (Minsi)
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USGS Mineral Resources On-Line Spatial Data – Preakness Basalt
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U.S. Geological Survey - NYC Regional Geology, Mesozoic Basins
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Available via the US FWS National Conservation Training Center
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New York-New Jersey Trail Conference – High Mountain (NJ)
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New York-New Jersey Trail Conference - Watchungs Region
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Geology of the Newark Basin and Connecticut River Basin
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The Magazine of American history with Notes and Queries
270:. For a time, Dutch settlers referred to the range as
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Geographic Provinces: Piedmont - Watchung Mountains
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569:. Government Printing Office, Washington, 1890.
413:Joseph Volney Lewis & Henry Barnard Kümmel.
403:Mountain Zone – Mount Cecchino Summit, New Jersey
289:’s men were camped at the base of the mountain.
207:. A large portion of this range is included in
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123:11 mi (18 km) northwest–south
16:Mountain range in New Jersey, United States
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1067:Landforms of Bergen County, New Jersey
574:Watchung Traps – Succession of Sheets
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480:The Origin of New Jersey Place Names
350:, which borders the Preakness Range.
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262:appears to be a modernized form of
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1034:Eastern North America Rift Basins
285:. In October and November, 1780
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511:John Austin Stevens, et al.
230:Preakness Mountain begins in
195:is a range of the trap rock
635:Geology of the Newark Basin
502:, accessed October 18, 2006
300:High Mountain Park Preserve
295:William Paterson University
209:High Mountain Park Preserve
199:on the western edge of the
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578:Available via Google Books
521:Available via Google Books
467:Available via Google Books
426:Available via Google Books
392:Available via Google Books
283:American Revolutionary War
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99:40.9700722°N 74.1983556°W
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565:Nelson Horatio Darton.
137:United States of America
71:879 ft (268 m)
1087:Volcanism of New Jersey
287:General Arthur St Clair
104:40.9700722; -74.1983556
884:Hudson River Palisades
831:New Germantown/Oldwick
672:Orange Mountain Basalt
477:Hutchinson, Viola L.
1077:Ridges of New Jersey
692:Hook Mountain Basalt
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958:Buckingham Mountain
723:Lockatong Formation
677:Feltville Formation
333:Pycnanthemum torrei
240:Oakland, New Jersey
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1082:Watchung Mountains
1047:Geology portal
928:Cushetunk Mountain
899:Clausland Mountain
775:Watchung Mountains
718:Stockton Formation
498:2006-10-21 at the
457:Nelson, William.
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232:Totowa, New Jersey
197:Watchung Mountains
53:Highest point
28:Watchung Mountains
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87:40°58′12.26″N
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201:Newark Basin
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175:Type of rock
852:Jacksonwald
793:Goffle Hill
571:See Page 24
419:See Page 29
348:Goffle Hill
264:per-ukunees
225:Goffle Hill
159:Age of rock
102: /
77:Coordinates
41:Goffle Hill
1061:Categories
920:Intrusions
909:Snake Hill
845:Sand Brook
824:Union Hill
657:Supergroup
646:Formations
355:References
268:young buck
205:New Jersey
147:New Jersey
115:Dimensions
817:Ladentown
755:Traprock
644:Geologic
272:Harteberg
260:Preakness
215:Geography
184:trap rock
128:Geography
67:Elevation
889:High Tor
706:Triassic
665:Jurassic
496:Archived
440:Archived
417:. 1915.
342:See also
168:Jurassic
164:Triassic
867:Diabase
655:Newark
319:Ecology
306:Geology
250:History
153:Geology
133:Country
991:Faults
918:Other
766:Basalt
757:Ridges
256:Lenape
120:Length
143:State
191:The
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