| New Jersey Skylands Region |
| The Skylands Region refers to Northwest New Jersey and includes the counties of Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, Warren, and Sussex. The five-county region contains two national parks at its edges, 60,000 acres of state parkland, and a diverse and beautiful geography filled with lakes, rivers and picturesque hills dotted with farms. The region's rustic nature is perfectly complemented by many vigorous towns and villages that offer wonderful entertainment, shopping and dining opportunities, fine museums, theaters and accommodations that satisfy the most sophisticated traveler. |
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The Skylands Region of New Jersey makes a wonderful travel destination, for either a quick getaway or for an extended stay. With a multitude of highly diversified and easy to get to attractions, you can enjoy exciting destinations every season of the year.
The Skylands offers everything from remarkable historic sites to family-fun attractions and outdoor recreation to the finest specialty and outlet shopping. And a visit to the Skylands begins only one hour away from New York City or Philadelphia. Get familiar with the Skylands Region and visit soon!
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| Cross Estate Gardens |
The Cross Estate Gardens, a project of the New Jersey Historical Garden Foundation in cooperation with the National Park Service, are located on the Cross Estate, site of the New Jersey Brigade Unit of Morristown National Historical Park, on Old Jockey Hollow Road in Bernardsville, NJ.
The Gardens comprise formal and native gardens, a wisteria-covered pergola, and a mountain laurel allee. The Cross Estate is open from dawn to dusk. Parking is free, and there are no entry fees.
Every year there is a plant sale, and there are opportunities for garden tours. See our Events page for more information. |
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| Duke Farms |
Duke Farms, a 2,700-acre estate in Hillsborough, New Jersey, was developed by tobacco and hydropower magnate James Buchanan Duke beginning in 1893.
By the time he died in 1925, J.B. Duke had transformed more than 2,000 acres of farmland and woodlots into an extraordinary landscape. He excavated 9 lakes, constructed some 45 buildings, and built nearly 2 ½ miles of stone walls and more than 18 miles of roadway. He also installed approximately 35 fountains and populated his park with countless pieces of sculpture.
The Duke Farms Foundation was created in 1998 to own and operate the property. Today, the property is being transformed into a regional center for environmental stewardship.
Visitors to Duke Farms should book tours or register for classes and activities in advance, as public access to the property is by reservation only. If you are coming in a group of 20 or more, see the information for Tour Groups. |
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| Frelinghuysen Arboretum |
An arboretum is a collection of woody trees and shrubs cultivated and labeled for educational and scientific purposes. The beautiful 127-acre Frelinghuysen Arboretum more than satisfies that definition, offering visitors a serene place to relax as well as to learn more about plants well-suited to the soils and climate of Morris County. Surrounding a magnificent Colonial Revival mansion, the woodlands, meadows, beautiful gardens and distinctive collections of trees and shrubs of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum make the ideal setting for leisurely strolls. Self-guiding trail booklets are available at the reception desk to enrich one''s visit to this singular property. |
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| Hunterdon County Arboretum |
Once a commercial nursery, this 73 acre site of distinctive trees, shrubs, and native and exotic plants has been set aside as a fascinating place to observe and study natural science. The undeveloped Furnas Section, an additional 32 acres named after the former owner, J.C. Furnas, features a mixed hardwood community that serves as a haven for many species of birds and animal life. |
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| Leonard J. Buck Garden |
The Leonard J. Buck Garden is one of the premier rock gardens in the eastern United States. Begun in the late 1930''s, the garden has reached a breathtaking point of maturity. It consists of a series of alpine and woodland gardens situated in a 33-acre wooded stream valley. Named for Mr. Leonard J. Buck, who developed the garden as part of his estate, it was donated to the Somerset County Park Commission by Mrs. Helen Buck in 1976. |
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| Macculloch Hall Museum and Gardens |
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is the cornerstone of Morristown???s National Historic District. George Macculloch, a Scotsman born in Bombay, immigrated to America from London with his wife and two children in 1806. Settling in Morristown in 1810, Macculloch began building his Federal-style brick mansion on his new 26-acre gentleman???s farm. A businessman, scholar, and visionary, Macculloch is best known as the Father of the Morris Canal, an international engineering marvel.
Originally, the Macculloch Family owned 26 acres of land surrounding their house, much of it used as farmland and orchards. Wisteria planted along the porch arbor was brought to Macculloch Hall circa 1857 by Commodore Matthew Perry as a gift to Sen. and Mrs. Miller. Perry opened China and Japan to American trading in the mid-1850s.
Among the sixty-five varieties of roses, many considered ???heirloom??? or pre-1920s, are two bushes that have defied identification and have been named ???Old Macculloch Hall Roses.??? It is possible that these roses have survived from the earliest period of the Macculloch???s residency and were brought from England. |
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| Rockingham State Historic Site Gardens |
While the Continental Congress met in Princeton, Rockingham Historic Site served as General George Washington''s final Revolutionary War headquarters for almost three months in 1783. In November 1783 Washington received the long awaited news - the Treaty of Paris had been signed, and the thirteen colonies were indeed independent of Great Britain.
For eight years Washington had served his country in the American Revolution, and as one of his last official acts, at Rockingham wrote the Farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States, delivered to Newburgh, New York.
Also known as the Berrien Mansion, the original two rooms of the farmhouse were built between 1702 and1710. Enlarged into a grander home in the 1760''s by Judge John Berrien, the house and grounds are preserved and interpreted as the temporary residence of George and Martha Washington. Physically relocated three times since 1896, Rockingham Historic Site maintains a fine collection of 18th century furnishings, Children''s Museum and Colonial kitchen garden.
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| Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden |
The Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden is one acre in size and contains more than 3,000 roses of 325 varieties. As an accredited All-America Rose Selections (AARS) display garden, it is entitled to display AARS award-winning roses one year before their release to the public. The garden was named in honor of Rudolf W. van der Goot, the first horticulturist with the Somerset County Park Commission, as a tribute to his efforts in designing and developing the garden. |
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| Somerset Environmental Education Center |
The Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center is located within Lord Stirling Park, in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, and is nestled within 425 acres of the western portion of the Great Swamp Basin of the Passaic River. The variety of habitats of floodplains, swamps, rivers, intermittent streams, marshes, meadows, and natural and man-made ponds, fields, and forests provide homes for diverse plant and animal populations in this environmentally sensitive park. All are within walking distances of the multi-faceted building. The Great Swamp Exhibit, a swamp vivarium, and an environmentally based library are located within the Center itself. |
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| Wagner Farm Arboretum |
The Wagner Farm Arboretum will include diverse trees, shrubs, flowers and other plant life in a beautiful natural setting. It will include formal gardens, leased garden spaces, a greenhouse, handicapped accessible gardens, a butterfly garden, walking trails and other related gardening activities.
We collaborated with The Gardeners of Watchung Hills to complete the Community Garden on schedule, and opened the Garden in the Spring of 2007.
The Children''s Garden broke ground in the fall of 2008. |
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| Well-Sweep Herb Farm |
Our farm, a family endeavor, is located in the picturesque mountains of Warren County and is home to one of the largest collections of herbs and perennials in the country. Germinating from the seed of handed down tradition and hobby - to a business that has flourished, 2009 proclaims our 40th year.
From around the globe, with a breadth of Acanthus to Zatar, our selection spans from the familiar and unusual to the rare and exotic. This season we are introducing 46 intriguing new plants to our collection which now tops 1,864 varieties. Whether you???re a collector, designer, dabbler, or windowsill gardener ... we hope to arouse the curiosity of all. |
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| Willowood Arnouretum |
Willowwood Arboretum, 130 acres of rolling farm land, has about 3,500 kinds of native and exotic plants, many of them rare. Both wild and cultivated plantings can be seen on self-guiding tours. In addition to undisturbed forest, historic collections include oak, maple, willow, magnolia, lilac, cherry, fir, pine, a superb specimen of Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) now more than 98 feet tall, masses of ferns and handsome stands of field and forest wild flowers. |
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