Marlboro Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Marlboro Mountains, sometimes Marlborough Mountains, are a group of hogbacked
mountains arranged in a 25 mile long ridge extending from Newburgh, New York
to just south of Kingston, New York
. Considered to be part of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians
, the mountains, which reach elevations over 1,100 feet, form an imposing geologic barrier just west of the Hudson River
. They subdivide the relatively flat Hudson River Valley (a section of the Great Appalachian Valley
) to create the Wallkill Valley further west. Rising abruptly on their eastern flanks, the Marlboro Mountains are known for their sweeping views of the region.
in the north. The southernmost 9 miles (14.5 km) of the ridge form Marlboro Mountain, the namesake mountain of the range. Just north of the Marlboro Mountain ridge is Bailey's Gap, which separates Marlboro Mountain from the 3+1/2 mi long Illinois Mountain. North of Illinois Mountain there is half mile wide break in the ridgeline before it slowly rises to a series of unnamed hilltops west of West Park, New York
. North of this section is Shaupeneak Mountain, which bends to the north-northwest before reaching an area known as The Hell, a gap in the ridge through which a creek flows. North of this gap is Hussey Hill, which stretches to an area west of Port Ewen, New York
, marking the northernmost limit of the Marlboro Mountains.
, for whom the town of Marlborough, New York
is named.
The names of the individual ridges of the Marlboro Mountains have both European and Native American roots:
Hussey Hill is named for Frederick Hussey, a Dutch colonial
settler who in 1685 had an interest in a 2,900 acre tract of land which included the hill.
Shaupeneak Mountain features a Native American name of Munsee Lenape
origin. The name is derived from a waterfall, Shaupeneak Falls, located on the mountain’s slope. The three syllables which comprise “shau-pe-neak” are thought to be defined as follows: shau (probably short for Asho-, as in Ashokan
), meaning forceful or hard current/rapids; pe, meaning water; and neak (likely ny-ak), meaning a prominent point of land. Taken together, the syllables in the name “Shaupeneak” probably mean something like ‘waterfall on the prominence’.
Illinois Mountain is named for the state of Illinois
. During the early 1800s, there was a westward migration of New Englanders to the area of the former Northwest Territory
, which included Illinois and Ohio. Some settlers, however, never reached their intended destination, being cut off by the swamps just west of the Marlboro Mountains. Setting up homesteads in the area, the settlers named local places and geographic features after the lands they never reached. Ohioville, New York is an example of another area with the same etymological lineage.
Structurally, the Marlboro Mountains constitute a geologic formation known as a dip slope
. The sedimentary layers comprising the bulk of the mountains dip towards the west, with a hard cap rock layer at the surface. The ridgeline of the mountains forms the edge of the cap rock layer, which is being eroded relatively slowly, protecting underlying geologic layers from being weathered. This setup leads to the hogback appearance of the mountains: gently sloping westward flanks and steeply graded eastern flanks.
The hard cap rock layer responsible for the mountains' topography is composed of rock of the Quassaic Group (named after Quassaic Creek
), a geologic group consisting of hard sandstone
and quartzite
. Quartzite, which consists of sandstone that has been recrystallized, is naturally resistant to erosion. This type of rocks is common to other ridges in the Appalachian Mountains.
Recreation areas, nature sanctuaries, and trails from north to south:
Recently, new land has been preserved on Illinois Mountain by the Scenic Hudson organization. Trail building on Illinois Mountain is currently ongoing, having started in June, 2011. It is proposed that hikers and cyclists will be able to reach the summit of Illinois Mountain from the Hudson Valley Rail Trail.
Hogback (geology)
A hogback is a homoclinal ridge, formed from a monocline, composed of steeply tilted strata of rock protruding from the surrounding area. The name comes from the ridge resembling the high, knobby spine between the shoulders of a hog. In most cases, the two strata that compose a hogback are...
mountains arranged in a 25 mile long ridge extending from Newburgh, New York
Newburgh (town), New York
Newburgh is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The 2010 census determined the population is 29,801. This is the first time ever that the population of the Town of Newburgh officially exceeded that of the adjacent but totally separate municipality known as the city of Newburgh...
to just south of Kingston, New York
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
. Considered to be part of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians
Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from southeastern New York through northwestern New...
, the mountains, which reach elevations over 1,100 feet, form an imposing geologic barrier just west of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. They subdivide the relatively flat Hudson River Valley (a section of the Great Appalachian Valley
Great Appalachian Valley
The Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough — a chain of valley lowlands — and the central feature of the Appalachian Mountain system...
) to create the Wallkill Valley further west. Rising abruptly on their eastern flanks, the Marlboro Mountains are known for their sweeping views of the region.
Geography
The Marlboro Mountains form a broken ridgeline running from the Ulster–Orange County border in the south to the mouth of Rondout CreekRondout Creek
Rondout Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River in Ulster and Sullivan counties, New York, USA. It rises on Rocky Mountain in the eastern Catskills, flows south into Rondout Reservoir, part of New York City's water supply network, then into the valley between the Catskills and the Shawangunk...
in the north. The southernmost 9 miles (14.5 km) of the ridge form Marlboro Mountain, the namesake mountain of the range. Just north of the Marlboro Mountain ridge is Bailey's Gap, which separates Marlboro Mountain from the 3+1/2 mi long Illinois Mountain. North of Illinois Mountain there is half mile wide break in the ridgeline before it slowly rises to a series of unnamed hilltops west of West Park, New York
West Park, New York
West Park is a hamlet on the west side of the Hudson River in the Town of Esopus, Ulster County, New York, United States.Holy Cross Monastery, an Anglican monastery of the Order of the Holy Cross, is located in West Park....
. North of this section is Shaupeneak Mountain, which bends to the north-northwest before reaching an area known as The Hell, a gap in the ridge through which a creek flows. North of this gap is Hussey Hill, which stretches to an area west of Port Ewen, New York
Port Ewen, New York
Port Ewen is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 3,650 at the 2000 census.Port Ewen is in the Town of Esopus, south of Kingston, New York, along U.S...
, marking the northernmost limit of the Marlboro Mountains.
Etymology
The name “Marlboro” is a variant of the English “Marlborough”. In the case of the mountains, the name comes from the Duke of MarlboroughJohn Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
, for whom the town of Marlborough, New York
Marlborough, New York
Marlborough is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 8,263 at the 2000 census. The town was named after the Duke of Marlborough....
is named.
The names of the individual ridges of the Marlboro Mountains have both European and Native American roots:
Hussey Hill is named for Frederick Hussey, a Dutch colonial
Dutch colonization of the Americas
Dutch trading posts and plantations in the Americas precede the much wider known colonization activities of the Dutch in Asia. Whereas the first Dutch fort in Asia was built in 1600 , the first forts and settlements on the Essequibo river in Guyana and on the Amazon date from the 1590s...
settler who in 1685 had an interest in a 2,900 acre tract of land which included the hill.
Shaupeneak Mountain features a Native American name of Munsee Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
origin. The name is derived from a waterfall, Shaupeneak Falls, located on the mountain’s slope. The three syllables which comprise “shau-pe-neak” are thought to be defined as follows: shau (probably short for Asho-, as in Ashokan
Ashokan Reservoir
The Ashokan Reservoir is a reservoir in Ulster County, New York, USA. The reservoir is in the eastern end of the Catskill Park, and is one of several reservoirs created to provide the City of New York with water. However, it is one of only two reservoirs in the Catskill Watershed. It is also New...
), meaning forceful or hard current/rapids; pe, meaning water; and neak (likely ny-ak), meaning a prominent point of land. Taken together, the syllables in the name “Shaupeneak” probably mean something like ‘waterfall on the prominence’.
Illinois Mountain is named for the state of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. During the early 1800s, there was a westward migration of New Englanders to the area of the former Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
, which included Illinois and Ohio. Some settlers, however, never reached their intended destination, being cut off by the swamps just west of the Marlboro Mountains. Setting up homesteads in the area, the settlers named local places and geographic features after the lands they never reached. Ohioville, New York is an example of another area with the same etymological lineage.
Geology
The Marlboro Mountains are primarily formed of shallow marine/delta sediments deposited during the late Ordovician, approximately 450 million years ago. After millions of years, these sediments have been titled and uplifted. Weathering has removed more easily eroded material surrounding the mountains, producing their modern topographic relief.Structurally, the Marlboro Mountains constitute a geologic formation known as a dip slope
Dip slope
A dip slope is a geological formation often created by erosion of tilted strata. Dip slopes are found on homoclinal ridges with one side that is steep and irregular and another side, the dip slope, that is generally planar with a dip parallel to the bedding...
. The sedimentary layers comprising the bulk of the mountains dip towards the west, with a hard cap rock layer at the surface. The ridgeline of the mountains forms the edge of the cap rock layer, which is being eroded relatively slowly, protecting underlying geologic layers from being weathered. This setup leads to the hogback appearance of the mountains: gently sloping westward flanks and steeply graded eastern flanks.
The hard cap rock layer responsible for the mountains' topography is composed of rock of the Quassaic Group (named after Quassaic Creek
Quassaick Creek
Quassaick Creek is an tributary of the Hudson River in Orange and Ulster counties in the U.S. state of New York. It rises in the glacial ridges west of the river, near the boundary between the towns of Plattekill and Marlborough...
), a geologic group consisting of hard sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
. Quartzite, which consists of sandstone that has been recrystallized, is naturally resistant to erosion. This type of rocks is common to other ridges in the Appalachian Mountains.
Recreation
The Marlboro Mountains provide numerous outdoor activities to the Mid Hudson Valley, including hiking, cross country skiing, and fishing.Recreation areas, nature sanctuaries, and trails from north to south:
- Shaupeneak Ridge Cooperative Recreation AreaShaupeneak Ridge Cooperative Recreation AreaShaupeneak Ridge Cooperative Recreation Area is a 690 acre recreational and protected area in the U.S. state of New York. It is located in the town of Esopus in eastern Ulster County...
- John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary at SlabsidesSlabsidesSlabsides is the log cabin built by naturalist John Burroughs and his son on a nine-acre wooded and hilly tract in 1895 one mile east of Riverby, his home in West Park, New York...
- Hudson Valley Rail TrailHudson Valley Rail TrailThe Hudson Valley Rail Trail is a paved east–west rail trail in the town of Lloyd in Ulster County, New York, stretching from the Poughkeepsie Bridge through the hamlet of Highland. The trail was originally part of the Poughkeepsie Bridge Route, a rail corridor that crossed the Hudson River via...
- Hemlock Ridge Multiple Use AreaHemlock Ridge Multiple Use AreaHemlock Ridge Multiple Use Area is an 80 acre state forest in New York, USA. It is located in the town of Plattekill in southern Ulster County...
Recently, new land has been preserved on Illinois Mountain by the Scenic Hudson organization. Trail building on Illinois Mountain is currently ongoing, having started in June, 2011. It is proposed that hikers and cyclists will be able to reach the summit of Illinois Mountain from the Hudson Valley Rail Trail.