Kittatinny Valley State Park
Encyclopedia
Kittatinny Valley State Park is located near Andover
, New Jersey
. Glacial lake
s, limestone outcroppings, former railroads, and a small airport are just some of the features of the park. Lake Aeroflex and Gardner's Pond form part of the headwaters of the Pequest River
and are excellent for fishing and boating. The park is home to a variety of wildlife such as whitetail deer, wild turkeys, a variety of songbirds, beavers, muskrats, and squirrels. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
.
).
, owned and managed by the State Forest Fire Service, is located within the park. It is both a general aviation airport and a base for aerial forest fire suppression.
This 20 miles (32.2 km) trail passes through swamps, lakes, fields and several communities. Many features from its previous existence as a railroad can be exhibited. Among those features are graded fill areas, cuts through bedrock, underpasses that allowed the passage of farm equipment and dairy cattle from one side of the tracks to the other, and bridges crossing the Pequest River
or Paulins Kill
. The flat cinder base of the trail permits multiple uses including hiking, horseback riding, biking, cross-country skiing and dog sledding. The trail provides access for fishing and for wheelchairs in certain areas. The Sussex Branch Trail also crosses through Allamuchy Mountain State Park
.
Andover, New Jersey
Andover is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 606.Andover was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 25, 1904, from portions of Andover Township.-Geography:Andover is located at ...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Glacial lake
Glacial lake
A glacial lake is a lake with origins in a melted glacier. Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. A retreating glacier often left behind large deposits of ice in hollows between drumlins or hills. As the ice age ended, these melted to create...
s, limestone outcroppings, former railroads, and a small airport are just some of the features of the park. Lake Aeroflex and Gardner's Pond form part of the headwaters of the Pequest River
Pequest River
The Pequest River is a tributary of the Delaware River in the Skylands Region in northwestern New Jersey in the United States.The Pequest, Native American for "open land", drains an area of across Sussex and Warren counties, consisting of ten municipalities....
and are excellent for fishing and boating. The park is home to a variety of wildlife such as whitetail deer, wild turkeys, a variety of songbirds, beavers, muskrats, and squirrels. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
The New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry is responsible for the management and operation of New Jersey's 42 parks, 11 forests and 3 recreation areas, as well as for the more than 50 historic sites and districts...
.
Spring/summer
The park offers many different programs for children and adults. Nature hikes, mountain bike rides and talks are conducted by the park staff/volunteers and are scheduled for each weekend.Fall/winter
The park conducts the same programs as stated above but with less frequency. The calendar of events can be located at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/kittatinny_calendar.htmLake Aeroflex
A 119 acre (0.48157634 km²) lake, Lake Aeroflex is accessible by shoreline and via the boat launch ramp. The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife stocks Lake Aeroflex annually with brown and rainbow trout. Small boats may be carried by hand or small cart and launched from the shore. There is no motor vehicle access. The lake is designated a “holdover trout lake.” During the winter months, Lake Aeroflex is open for ice-fishing (conditions permitting).Gardner’s Pond
Gardner’s Pond is a 39 acres (157,827.5 m²) pond that can be accessed through the small plane parking area of the Aeroflex-Andover Airport. Small boats may be carried by hand or small cart and launched from the shore. There is no motor vehicle access. During the winter months, Gardner's Pond is open for ice-fishing (conditions permitting).Twin Lakes
Twin Lakes is a 29 acres (117,358.9 m²) lake located off of Goodale Road in Andover Township. Fishermen can access the lake using the car-top boat launch or from the shoreline. During the winter months, Twin Lakes is open for ice-fishing (conditions permitting).White's Pond
White's Pond is accessible from the Sussex Branch Trail or from Goodale Road and is open for shoreline fishing only. During the winter months, White's Pond is open for ice-fishing (conditions permitting).Hunting
Hunting is permitted in specific areas within the park. There is no hunting allowed on or from the trails. Areas of the park to the west of Goodale Road and to the east of Limecrest Road are open for all hunting seasons. (Subject to rules and regulations of the New Jersey Department of Environmental ProtectionNew Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution...
).
Picnicking
A limited number of picnic tables and grills are available near the parking area on Limecrest Road. Other picnic tables are scattered through the park.Mountain biking
There are over eight miles (13 km) of rugged mountain bike trails available. Volunteers from the Bulldog Mountain Bike Team regularly maintain trails in preparation for mountain bike races held in the park each year. The terrain is varied enough to be challenging to both novice and expert riders.- All trail ratings and descriptions are made by the New Jersey Department of Environmental ProtectionNew Jersey Department of Environmental ProtectionThe New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution...
which oversees the State Park system.
Transportation
Aeroflex-Andover AirportAeroflex-Andover Airport
Aeroflex-Andover Airport is a public-use airport located two nautical miles north of Andover within Kittatinny Valley State Park in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. The airport is publicly owned by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and used as a base for aerial wildfire...
, owned and managed by the State Forest Fire Service, is located within the park. It is both a general aviation airport and a base for aerial forest fire suppression.
Trails
Sussex Branch TrailThis 20 miles (32.2 km) trail passes through swamps, lakes, fields and several communities. Many features from its previous existence as a railroad can be exhibited. Among those features are graded fill areas, cuts through bedrock, underpasses that allowed the passage of farm equipment and dairy cattle from one side of the tracks to the other, and bridges crossing the Pequest River
Pequest River
The Pequest River is a tributary of the Delaware River in the Skylands Region in northwestern New Jersey in the United States.The Pequest, Native American for "open land", drains an area of across Sussex and Warren counties, consisting of ten municipalities....
or Paulins Kill
Paulins Kill
The Paulins Kill is a tributary of the Delaware River in northwestern New Jersey in the United States...
. The flat cinder base of the trail permits multiple uses including hiking, horseback riding, biking, cross-country skiing and dog sledding. The trail provides access for fishing and for wheelchairs in certain areas. The Sussex Branch Trail also crosses through Allamuchy Mountain State Park
Allamuchy Mountain State Park
Allamuchy Mountain State Park is located in Byram Township, New Jersey, United States. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry. There are more than of unmarked trails in the northern section of Allamuchy, and of marked multi-use trails.The park is in...
.