Community Corner
335 Acres Added to Sourland Reservation
With 4,700 acres of land, Sourland is the largest park area in Somerset County's park system.
The Somerset County Board of Freeholders has preserved another 355 acres in the Sourland Mountain Preserve, giving the preserve over 4,700 acres of land and making it the largest park area in Somerset County’s 12,220-acre park system.
Somerset County began the preservation of the Sourland Mountain in Hillsborough and Montgomery Townships in the early 1970s with the donation of over 700 acres of land from the 3M Company. Today, with a total of 728 acres of quarry property acquired from Constructural Dynamics and the former 3M Company, the Preserve exceeds 4,700 acres. The land is used for passive recreation such as hiking and bird watching.
The most recent 355-acre acquisition from Constructural Dynamics includes the Roaring Rocks area. Roaring Rocks is a distinctive geological formation of large boulders overlaying Roaring Brook that “roars” during heavy rain, as the water flows under the boulders. This land acquisition ensures the preservation of this significant feature and allows for open public access for its appreciation and enjoyment by Somerset County residents.
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The Sourland Mountain is an area of intact natural and agricultural land located within three largely developed central New Jersey counties. It spans from the central part of Hillsborough Township, Somerset County, southwest to the Delaware River in West Amwell Township, Hunterdon County, and Hopewell Township, Mercer County.
The Sourlands contain over 20,000 contiguous forested acres that protect the water supply to headwaters to several significant streams running to the D&R Canal, Millstone, Raritan and Delaware rivers. The Sourlands environment supports many rare plant and animal species, and also provides nesting and a migratory stopover habitat for over 100 species of birds.
