Sterling Forest State Park
Encyclopedia
Sterling Forest State Park is a 17,953 acre (71.8 km2) park located in the Ramapo Mountains
in Orange County, New York
established in 1998; it is among the larger additions to the New York state park system in the last 50 years. Its forest habitat is important for the survival of several species, including black bear
and fox
, timber rattlesnake
s, a variety of raptor
s and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants. Hunting, fishing (including ice fishing), hiking
and snowshoe
ing opportunities are available. The Forest is embedded in a larger area of over 100000 acres (404.7 km²) of largely uninterrupted woodland that serves both as a wildlife corridor and as a watershed for nearby urban areas.
The parkland was originally owned by the Sterling Iron and Railway Company, which mined and shipped iron ore from a number of sites within the park. The last of the mines were closed in the 1920s.
In 2000 a 575 acres (2.3 km²) tract in the center of the forest came on the market. A developer planned to construct large, expensive houses on the tract. Local residents and concerned environmentalists rallied and were able to procure the tract for the State Park.
The park lies in the New York - New Jersey Highlands
, a one million-acre (4000 km2) stretch of natural habitat from the Hudson
to the Delaware River
that links the Abram S. Hewitt State Park in New Jersey
with Harriman State Park in New York. The park conserves a part of the Northeastern coastal forests
ecoregion
. It also protects the Appalachian Trail
corridor, which crosses the northern portion of Sterling Forest. The park is administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission
.
The Frank R. Lautenberg Visitor Center, which offers exhibits about the local environment, overlooks Sterling Lake.
A New York State Hunting License and a Sterling Forest State Park Hunting Permit are required to hunt in the Park. Hunting in Sterling Forest State Park is only permitted during deer and turkey season. Some areas are closed to hunting.
Ramapo Mountains
The Ramapo Mountains are a forested chain of the Appalachian mountains in northeastern New Jersey and southeastern New York in the United States...
in Orange County, New York
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
established in 1998; it is among the larger additions to the New York state park system in the last 50 years. Its forest habitat is important for the survival of several species, including black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
and fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, timber rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus
Crotalus horridus, the timber rattlesnake, is a species of venomous pitviper found in the eastern United States. This is the only rattlesnake species in most of the populous northeastern United States. No subspecies are currently recognized....
s, a variety of raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
s and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants. Hunting, fishing (including ice fishing), hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and snowshoe
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
ing opportunities are available. The Forest is embedded in a larger area of over 100000 acres (404.7 km²) of largely uninterrupted woodland that serves both as a wildlife corridor and as a watershed for nearby urban areas.
The parkland was originally owned by the Sterling Iron and Railway Company, which mined and shipped iron ore from a number of sites within the park. The last of the mines were closed in the 1920s.
In 2000 a 575 acres (2.3 km²) tract in the center of the forest came on the market. A developer planned to construct large, expensive houses on the tract. Local residents and concerned environmentalists rallied and were able to procure the tract for the State Park.
The park lies in the New York - New Jersey Highlands
New York - New Jersey Highlands
The New York – New Jersey Highlands is a geological formation composed primarily of precambrian igneous and metamorphic rock running from the Delaware River near Musconetcong Mountain, northeast through the Skylands Region of New Jersey along the Bearfort Ridge and the Ramapo Mountains, Sterling...
, a one million-acre (4000 km2) stretch of natural habitat from the Hudson
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...
to the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
that links the Abram S. Hewitt State Park in 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...
with Harriman State Park in New York. The park conserves a part of the Northeastern coastal forests
Northeastern coastal forests
The Northeastern coastal forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion of the northeastern United States. The ecoregion covers an area of 34,630 sq miles encompassing the Piedmont and coastal plain of seven states, extending from northern Maryland and Delaware through southeast...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
. It also protects the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
corridor, which crosses the northern portion of Sterling Forest. The park is administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Palisades Interstate Park and its creator, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, was formed in 1900 by governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster M. Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the destruction of the Palisades by quarry operators in the late 19th century...
.
The Frank R. Lautenberg Visitor Center, which offers exhibits about the local environment, overlooks Sterling Lake.
A New York State Hunting License and a Sterling Forest State Park Hunting Permit are required to hunt in the Park. Hunting in Sterling Forest State Park is only permitted during deer and turkey season. Some areas are closed to hunting.