page_title: Watchung Mountains
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Watchung Mountains / Geography
caption_attribution_description: English: The map above uses color shading to depict the various sub ranges and ridges of the Watchung Mountains.
context_page_description: The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 and 500 feet high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States. The Watchung Mountains are known for their numerous scenic vistas overlooking New York City, Newark and New Jersey skylines, as well as their isolated ecosystems containing rare plants, endangered wildlife, rich minerals, and globally imperiled trap rock glade communities. The ridges traditionally contained the westward spread of urbanization, forming a significant geologic barrier beyond the piedmont west of the Hudson River; the town of Newark, for example, once included lands from the Hudson to the base of the mountains. Later treaties moved the boundary to the top of the mountain, to include the springs. The Watchungs are basalt uplifts, geologically similar to the Palisades along the Hudson river. In many places, however, the mountains have become sinuous islands of natural landscape within the suburban sprawl covering much of contemporary northeastern New Jersey.
context_section_description: The two most prominent ridges, known as First Watchung Mountain (the southeastern ridge) and Second Watchung Mountain (the northwestern ridge), stretch for over forty  miles (64 km) from Somerville (in Somerset County) in the southwest through Morris County, Union County, Essex County, and Passaic County to Mahwah (in Bergen County) in the northeast.  The less prominent and discontinuous ridge formed by Long Hill, Riker Hill,  Hook Mountain, and Packanack Mountain is sometimes referred to as Third Watchung Mountain and lies on the northwestern side of Second Watchung Mountain.
  The entireties of First Watchung Mountain and Second Watchung Mountain are often erroneously referred to as Orange Mountain and Preakness Mountain.  Historically, the names ‘Orange’ and ‘Preakness’ have only been applied to specific sections of these ridges. The confusion appears to have arisen from the fact that First Watchung Mountain is said to be composed of Orange Mountain basalt, while Second Watchung Mountain is composed of Preakness Mountain basalt.  The names applied to the basalts are actually geologic type localities, that is to say, the type of rock found at Orange Mountain is exclusive to all of First Watchung Mountain, while the type of rock found at Preakness Mountain is exclusive to all of Second Watchung Mountain.  Like First and Second Watchung Mountain, Third Watchung Mountain is sometimes confused with its type locality, as its entire length is erroneously referred to as Hook Mountain on some occasions.
  In addition to the three main ridges of the Watchungs, a smaller fourth ridge exists south of Morristown and west of Third Watchung Mountain.  While attaining elevations over 400 ft (120 m)above sea level, the ridge lacks topographic prominence, only rising to about 100 ft (30 m) above the surrounding terrain.  Only one portion of the ridge is named, a southern section underlying Harding Township known as Lees Hill.
  All of the ridges lie to the east of the higher Appalachian Mountains, which in northern New Jersey are often referred to as the New York - New Jersey Highlands.  Together with the Appalachian Mountains to the west, the Watchungs pen in an area formerly occupied by the prehistoric Glacial Lake Passaic.  The Great Swamp, a large portion of which is designated as the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, is a remnant of this lake, presently retained by Third Watchung Mountain.
  Although the Watchungs commonly are described in terms of their east-west ridge arrangement (First, Second, and Third Watchung Mountain), they also are divided into smaller mountain ranges, as well as various named ridges.
  Following is a list describing the notable ranges and ridges of the Watchungs from north to south.
  Campgaw Mountain is the northernmost ridge of the Watchungs, formed by a combination of First and Second Watchung Mountain.  Its northern terminus is the Ramapo Mountains, near the New York border.  A shallow gap separates its southern end from Preakness Mountain and Goffle Hill.
  Preakness Mountain comprises part of the northern extent of Second Watchung Mountain between the Passaic River and Campgaw Mountain.  Along with Packanack Mountain (part of Third Watchung Mountain) to the west, Preakness Mountain forms the Preakness Range.  The three highest peaks of the Watchungs are located in this range.
  Goffle Hill (Totoway Mountain hist.), part of First Watchung Mountain, flanks the eastern side of Preakness Mountain. Its northern end is broken by a shallow gap separating it from Campgaw Mountain, while its southern end is divided from Garret Mountain by the Passaic River in Paterson.
  Third Watchung Mountain begins with Packanack Mountain, part of the Preakness Range. The Pompton River separates the south end of Pakanack from the beginning of Towakhow Mountain or Hook Mountain, which runs west-northwest and then turns south to form a curve encircling the Great Piece Meadows along the Passaic River, ending near Pine Brook. To the south, the Rockaway, Whippany, and Passaic Rivers flow east through a gap in the range, which resumes south
caption: Ranges and ridges of the Watchungs
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