Wawayanda State Park

Three natural preserves in this wooded 34,350-acre park on the New York-New Jersey border protect rare and endangered plant and animal species.

The Bearfort Mountain Natural Area provides 1,325 acres of habitat for a number of threatened or endangered species, including the timber rattlesnake and red-shouldered hawk. Terrace Pond and a number of rocky scenic outlooks are among its attractions.

The 2,167-acre Wawayanda Swamp preserves a globally rare inland Atlantic white cedar swamp and its wildlife inhabitants. It is also home to many beavers.

The 501-acre Wawayanda Hemlock Ravine Natural Area supports endangered plant species and also affords a cool oasis for hikers on the nearby Appalachian Trail.

Nearly 26 miles of the Appalachian Trail run through the state park, which is about one-third of the trail's mileage in the state of New Jersey. There are about 60 miles of mixed-use trails.

In summer, swimmers flock to the white-sand beach at Wawayanda Lake. Gas motors are prohibited but electric motors are allowed. Sailors, canoeists, kayakers, and rowers enjoy the lake, and a variety of craft may be rented.

Wawayanda and other lakes at the park support a variety of game fish including bass, perch, pickerel and several types of trout. There is a wheelchair-accessible fishing dock.

Because of its elevation, the park often gets snow when other spots in the region receive winter rain. Cross-country skiing, ice-skating and fishing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling are all popular here.

History buffs gravitate to the ruins of Double Pond, an iron-smelting town on Wawayanda Lake. Today, only its blast furnace and some foundations remain.

The only accommodations at the park are shelters along the Appalachian Trail and three group campsites.

The park entrance is in Hewitt off the Warwick Turnpike.

Maps are available at park headquarters.

There is a fee for parking from Memorial Day to Labor Day.