Garret Mountain Reservation

{{Short description|Public park in Passaic County, New Jersey}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox protected area | name = Garret Mountain Reservation | iucn_category = V | image = Barbour Pond, Garret Mountain Reservation, NJ - panorama.jpg | image_caption = Barbour Pond | map = USA New Jersey Passaic County | map_caption = | location = Paterson and Woodland Park, New Jersey | nearest_city = | coordinates = {{coord|40|54|02|N|74|10|40|W|region:US|display=inline, title}} | area = {{convert|568|acre|km2}} | established = | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | governing_body = Passaic County, New Jersey | module = {{designation list | embed = yes | designation1 = NNL | designation1_date = 1967 }} }} '''Garret Mountain Reservation''' (also spelled Garrett) is a {{convert|568|acre|adj=on}} park located on First Watchung Mountain (Garret Mountain) in Paterson and Woodland Park (formerly West Paterson) in southern Passaic County, New Jersey.<ref name=park>{{cite web |title=Garret Mountain Reservation |url=https://www.passaiccountynj.org/passaic_county_park_system/parks/garret_mountain_reservation.php |publisher=Passaic County, New Jersey |access-date=2020-06-07 |archive-date=2020-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604220737/https://www.passaiccountynj.org/passaic_county_park_system/parks/garret_mountain_reservation.php |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=GNIS>{{cite gnis|876562|Garrett Mountain Reservation}}</ref> In 1967, it was designated a National Natural Landmark as part of the Great Falls of Paterson-Garret Mountain listing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Great Falls of Paterson-Garret Mountain |url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nnlandmarks/site.htm?Site=GRFA-NJ |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> The park extends into Clifton.<ref name=park/> Garret Mountain is Passaic County's major recreational area, providing the visitors with grass fields, several miles of walking/running trails, basketball courts, picnic areas, Barbour's Pond is state stocked with fish for anglers, as well as an Equestrian Center with horseback riding lessons.

The Passaic County Parks Department operates the park while the Passaic County Sheriff is responsible for law enforcement in the reservation. For the past several decades, the reservation has been the site of hundreds of high school and college cross country meets in the fall, including the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) High School State Sectional Championships at the end of every October.

==Etymology== There are two theories about the origin of the name Garret. One references the Garret Society, founded in Newark in 1810, which met in local garrets. In 1834, the group visited Paterson and met on what was then known as Weasel Mountain.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hamilton |first1=Alexander |author-link=Alexander Hamilton |title=From Alexander Hamilton to Colonel Timothy Pickering |url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-26-02-0002-0048 |publisher=Founders Online, National Archives |date=October 25, 1780 |page=Notes |quote="The Notch" is a cleft in Weasel Mountain, which lies between present-day Clifton, New Jersey, and Little Falls, New Jersey.}}</ref> In 1861, a local map named the mountain as Garret's Rock. The second references Garret Pier, who owned property here.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Lindy |last1=Washburn |title=Why do we call hill Garret Mountain?|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/494366244 |newspaper=The Record (North Jersey) |date=March 4, 1984 |page=P-11 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Hutchinson |first1=Viola L. |url=http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/356/nj_place_names_origin.pdf#page=14 |page=14 |title=The Origin of New Jersey Place Names |publisher=New Jersey Public Library Commission |date=May 1945 |quote=Garret Society}}</ref>

==History== Lambert Castle, located on the eastern slope of the First Watchung Mountain, just off Route 19, is a 19th-century castle which has been recently renovated and now hosts the Passaic County Museum (open to the public). It was built in 1892 by Catholina Lambert and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 for its significance in art, architecture, and industry.<ref>{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=76001180}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Belle Vista (Lambert Castle) |publisher=National Park Service|first1=D. Stanton |last1=Hammond |date=1974 }}</ref> Lambert Tower, on the crest of the mountain, overlooks the area.

The Morris Canal once passed {{convert|0.2|mi|m|sigfig=1}} east of the castle. Up until 1962, the right-of-way now occupied by I-80 and Route 19 around Garrett Mountain was part of the Boonton Line of the Lackawanna Railroad.

==Fauna== Since the park is an oasis of woodland surrounded by urbanity, Garret Mountain is a stopover point for migrating song birds, including 35 species of warblers, numerous vireos, orioles, sparrows and thrushes. Birdwatchers from the tri-state areas flock to this hotspot for great views of over 150 species per year along the easily accessible trails.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bacinski |first1=Pete |title=Seen in New Jersey: Warblers nesting in many spots |url=https://www.nj.com/inside-jersey/2015/05/seen_in_new_jersey_warblers_nesting_in_many_spots.html?adlt=strict&toWww=1&redig=515B0D4D92424245BFCB70490C245928 |website=nj.com |date=31 May 2015 |access-date=5 July 2022}}</ref>

==Gallery== <gallery heights=160px widths=240px mode="nolines"> File:Lambert Castle, Paterson, NJ - looking northwest.jpg|Lambert Castle File:Lambert Tower, Garret Mountain Reservation, NJ.jpg|Lambert Tower on basalt outcrop File:Watch Your Step (210242747).jpeg|Red-tailed hawk in nest File:Small Cormorant Big Fish (208099233).jpeg|Cormorant with fish File:View of NYC from Garret Mountain Reservation.jpg|View of NYC from trail on Garret Mountain </gallery>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{Commons category-inline}} * [https://www.passaiccountynj.org/passaic_county_park_system/parks/garret_mountain_reservation.php Garret Mountain Reservation page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604220737/https://www.passaiccountynj.org/passaic_county_park_system/parks/garret_mountain_reservation.php |date=2020-06-04 }} on Passaic County website * [https://www.nynjtc.org/sites/default/files/Garret%20Map%20%28edition%201.1%29_0.pdf 2009 map of Garret Mountain Reservation] * [http://www.rt23.com/maps/garret_mountain_reservation_map.shtml 1953 map of Garret Mountain Reservation] * [http://www.lambertcastle.org/ Lambert Castle - Passaic County Historical Society]

Category:Nature reserves in New Jersey Category:Parks in Passaic County, New Jersey Category:National Natural Landmarks in New Jersey Category:Geography of Paterson, New Jersey Category:Watchung Mountains Category:Woodland Park, New Jersey