{{Short description|Lake along the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox body of water | name = Sunfish Pond | image = 2014-08-26 16 09 06 View east-northeast across Sunfish Pond from the Appalachian Trail about 3.7 miles northeast of the Delaware Water Gap in Worthington State Forest, New Jersey.JPG | caption = | image_bathymetry = | caption_bathymetry= | location = [[Worthington State Forest]], [[Hardwick Township, New Jersey|Hardwick Township]], [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]], [[New Jersey]] | coords = {{coord|41|0|10|N|75|4|23|W|type:waterbody_region:US-NJ|display=inline,title}}<ref name=GNIS>{{cite gnis|880998|Sunfish Pond}}</ref> | type = [[Glacial lake|Glacial]] | inflow = | outflow = | catchment = | basin_countries = United States | length = | width = | area = {{convert|44|acre|ha|abbr=on}} | depth = | max-depth = | volume = | residence_time = | shore = | elevation = {{convert|1379|ft|m|abbr=on}} |extra = {{designation list |embed=yes |designation1=NNL |designation1_date=January 1970}} <!-- Map --> | pushpin_map = USA New Jersey Warren County#New Jersey#USA | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = <!-- Below --> | website = | reference = }} '''Sunfish Pond''' is a {{convert|44|acre|ha|adj=on}} [[glacial lake]] surrounded by a {{convert|258|acre|ha|adj=on}} hardwood forest located on the [[Kittatinny Ridge]] within [[Worthington State Forest]], adjacent to the [[Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area]] in [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]], [[New Jersey]]. The [[Appalachian Trail]] runs alongside the western and northern edges of the lake. It was created by the [[Wisconsin Glacier]] during the last ice age. The lake was declared a [[National Natural Landmark]] in January 1970.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/Registry/USA_Map/States/NewJersey/NNL/SP/index.cfm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007064006/http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/Registry/USA_Map/States/NewJersey/NNL/SP/index.cfm|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 7, 2006|title=National Natural Landmark Summary|date=Feb 5, 2004|publisher=[[National Park Service|NPS]]|accessdate=2009-03-19}}</ref>
==History== The land was purchased by [[Charles Campbell Worthington|Charles C. Worthington]] who used the forest as a deer hunting preserve; the lake supplied water to his mansion.<ref name=botany>{{cite web|url=http://nynjctbotany.org/njkttofc/sunfish.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030430235559/http://nynjctbotany.org/njkttofc/sunfish.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 30, 2003|title=Hiking Sunfish Pond|publisher=NYNJCTBotany.org|accessdate=2009-03-19}}</ref>
In 1965, there was [[Tocks Island Dam controversy|a plan to create a reservoir]] which would have covered the lake. Casey Kays, a local custodian, led 655 people on a hike to protest the plan. Further hikes and letter campaigns caused the power companies that owned the land to donate it to the state in 1966.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1233464812156720.xml&coll=3|title=Casey Kays, considered founder of environmental movement in New Jersey, is dead at 85|last=Brill|first=Douglas B.|date=February 1, 2009|publisher=lehighvalleylive.com|accessdate=2009-03-19}}</ref> [[Supreme Court Justice]] [[William O. Douglas]] mentioned the lake in his dissenting opinion in the ''[[Sierra Club v. Morton]]'' case.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/sierraclub.html|title=SIERRA CLUB v. MORTON 405 U.S. 727 (1972)|year=1972|publisher=[[Supreme Court of the United States]]|accessdate=2009-03-19}}</ref> On a hike in 1967, Douglas accompanied more than a thousand people to Sunfish Pond.<ref name="Douglas trail"/> He said: "It's a vital element in the need to save some of our wilderness from the encroachment of civilization."<ref>{{cite news |title=The Ecologist Plea: 'Save Sunfish Pond' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/05/14/archives/the-ecologist-plea-save-sunfish-pond.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 14, 1972}}</ref>
==Flora and fauna== The lake is surrounded by stands of [[Kalmia latifolia|mountain laurel]], [[sheep laurel]], and [[Cunila origanoides]]. Nearby are fields of [[Symphoricarpos orbiculatus]]. The lake itself also has [[Drosera rotundifolia]] growing near the edge.<ref name=botany/>
==Visiting== Sunfish pond is a popular hiking destination. Several trails reach the lake, including the [[Appalachian Trail]] which runs alongside the western and northern edges of the lake.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGN129-026|title=Appalachian Trail: Sunfish Pond & Mount Mohican|accessdate=2009-03-19}}</ref> It is the southernmost [[Tarn (lake)|glacial tarn]] along that trail.
The shortest distance to the lake is 1.2 miles from the Douglas trailhead on [[Old Mine Road]] via the Garvey Springs Trail. The Douglas Trail, named after Justice Douglas, can be taken to the Appalachian Trail and then Sunfish Pond.<ref name="Douglas trail">{{cite web |title=Douglas Trail |url=https://www.nps.gov/dewa/planyourvisit/douglas-trail.htm |publisher=[[National Park Service]]}}</ref> The trails are steep and rocky in places. There is no swimming in the lake. There is a [[Leave No Trace]] campground a quarter mile away, but proper food precautions must be followed since black bears are active in the area.
There is a collection of ad hoc primitive rock artworks ([[cairn]]s) along the northwestern shore.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webbox.lafayette.edu/~reiterc/hikes/sunfish/home/index.html|title=Sunfish pond|accessdate=2016-09-24}}</ref>
==Gallery== <gallery heights=150px widths=225px mode="nolines"> File:NNL plaque, Sunfish Pond, Worthington State Forest, NJ.jpg|[[National Natural Landmark]] plaque File:Douglas Trail plaque, Worthington State Forest, NJ.jpg|Douglas Trail plaque File:Cairn artwork, Sunfish Pond, Worthington State Forest, NJ.jpg|[[Cairn]] artwork along the shore </gallery>
==See also== * [[List of National Natural Landmarks in New Jersey]] * [[Tocks Island Dam controversy]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|Sunfish Pond (New Jersey)}} *[http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/worthington.html#sun New Jersey Worthington Forest] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071130173958/http://www.nps.gov/dewa/planyourvisit/hikes-at-sunfish-nj.htm Hiking the AT/Sunfish Pond in New Jersey] *{{cite web |last1=Koppenhaver |first1=Bob |title=Wonder Walks: Douglas Trail to Sunfish Pond |url=https://www.njskylands.com/odhikewarren#douglas |website=Skylands Visitor}}
{{National Natural Landmarks in New Jersey}} {{Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area}} {{authority control}}
[[Category:National Natural Landmarks in New Jersey]] [[Category:Bodies of water of Warren County, New Jersey]] [[Category:Delaware Water Gap]] [[Category:Glacial lakes of the United States]] [[Category:Lakes of New Jersey]] [[Category:Hardwick Township, New Jersey]] [[Category:Appalachian Trail]]