Celebrating 60: Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook

In 1816, Dr. Samuel Latham Mitchill, a physician, scientist, educator and politician, measured the elevation of a point near the the New Jersey coast with a barometer. With an elevation of 266 feet, this point is recorded as the highest natural point along the North Atlantic Coast south of Maine, and was named Mount Mitchill.

The site has long been a popular viewing site with its gorgeous views of Raritan Bay, Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Sandy Hook. In the 1940s there was an effort to make it a state park. For many years a refreshment stand and picnic area occupied one of the lots, but the area remained unkempt and barren. The sedimentary rock forming the Highlands is prone to slumping on steep slopes, where large blocks of capstone and sand periodically slide down the cliff face, and the lack of controls allowed for considerable erosion.

In the early 1970s, a developer's proposal to building two high-rise towers on the site prompted many calls for the preservation of the land. Monmouth County attempted to purchase the property, but the developer's plans raised the cost, so a compromise enabled the developer to build one 15-story tower and allowed the county to preserve eight acres of land.

Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook was created in 1973 with parking and viewing areas, drainage, and oak and cedar plantings to help control erosion along the steep slopes. The site was upgraded in 1995 with redesigned parking, viewing areas, interpretive panels, and landscaping. In 1980, flagpoles and a plaque were installed to pay homage to the eight soldiers who died during the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in Iran.

After the horrific 9/11 tragedy, the Monmouth County 9/11 Memorial Committee chose Mount Mitchill as the location for a memorial tribute to the victims and heroes of the attacks on the World Trade Center. The Committee and the Friends of the Parks raised several hundred thousand dollars for the memorial, and Freehold sculptor Franco Minervini carved an eagle for it with a nine-foot wingspan ascending into flight while clutching a fragment of a steel beam from the World Trade Center. The granite base of the sculpture lists the names, ages and towns of the 147 Monmouth County natives and residents who lost their lives in the attacks, and the walkway to the memorial chronicles the timeline of the tragic event.

Mount Mitchill remains a site of beauty and reflection. Visitors are often found visiting the memorial, partaking in the majestic views, or spending time with their children at the playground.

For information about the site, visit our website.

Get a Taste of Local History in the Parks

"If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday." - Pearl Buck

If you frequent the Monmouth County Park System parks you surely have enjoyed the trails, playgrounds, nature, and programs we have to offer. But did you know how much history lies within our parks? Take some time to learn about local history by visiting the following sites:

Bayshore Waterfront Park, Port Monmouth: Located along the Sandy Hook Bay, many visitors come to stroll the beach, enjoy the free Summer Seining, or fish off the pier. But this picturesque location is also home to the Bayshore Waterfront Park Activity Center (aka Seabrook-Wilson House), which is the oldest standing house in the region. The building dates back to the early 1700s. The Activity Center has limited hours, but is scheduled to be open to the public on August 4 & August 18 from 11am-5pm for visitors to view exhibits about the ecology of the Sandy Hook Bay, the history of the house, and the connection between the two of them.

Hartshorne Woods Park, Highlands & Locust: This 787-acre site is popular to hikers, bicyclists, and nature enthusiasts due to over 14 miles of trails. But did you know that a large section of the sites was a military installation in the 1940s? During WWII, batteries for heavy artillery were built on the site to modernize coastal defense efforts. These concrete and earth encasements or bunkers protected both personnel and equipment. These structures can still be viewed at the site today in the Rocky Point section (1402 Portland Road, Highlands).

Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel: The sights, sounds, and smells of rural Monmouth County in the 1890s were recreated on this 9 acre living history site. Interpreters dress in period clothing and show both daily and seasonal agricultural and domestic activities that would have been done on a local farm in the 19th century (i.e., milking the cows, plowing the fields, blacksmithing, and more). The site is open daily, year round, from 10am-4pm (during the summer hours are extended to 9am-5pm). Upcoming demonstrations include: 19th Century Woodworking Demonstration on Saturday, August 4 from 1-3pm; Penny Rug Demonstration on Sunday, August 12 from 1-3pm; and Harvest Home Festival on Sunday, September 30 from 11am-5pm.

Tatum Park, Middletown: Many visitors to this 366-acre park come for the trails or for programs at one of its two activity centers. But a visit to the Red Hill Activity Center located off of Red Hill Road offers a bit of local history. The Heath Wing was built in 1981 to honor Mary and Clinton Heath. In 1885, Clinton Heath, a freed slave from North Carolina, became the first black farmer to settle in Middletown. The Heath Wing features a permanent display of memorabilia from the county's early black community.

Thompson Park, Lincroft: Known for being the location for Park System Headquarters, this park was established with a donation of 215 acres from the estate of Geraldine Thompson. Once the home of "Brookdale Farm", the site was a premier thoroughbred racing horse breeding/training facility. Today, the park remembers Mrs. Thompson's belief that "children have to feel the ground beneath them and go out into the woods and see the trees and birds." The Thompson family residence, a grand colonial revival mansion, had been used as the Visitor Center until it was destroyed by a fire in 2006. The Visitor Center has since been rebuilt and allows visitors to learn more about Mrs. Thompson and Brookdale Farm in an exhibit on the first floor which is open to the public Monday-Friday from 8am-4:30pm and Saturday-Sunday, 10am-4pm.

Historic Walnford, Upper Freehold: This gorgeous park seems to be a hidden gem in the western most section of Monmouth County. Visitors can learn more about the Waln family and the evolution of Walnford over two centuries - from an 18th century industrial village and family farm to an elegant country estate. Take a leisurely stroll through the picturesque locale and view the large, elegant home built in 1774, the 19th century gristmill, and the farm buildings. The gristmill opens its doors on weekends April-November from 1-4pm as knowledgeable staff describe the workings of the mill. Weekend drop-in programs are also available; upcoming free programs include Ice Cream, Edible History on Sunday, August 5 from 3-4pm.

Don't miss out on all the Park System has to offer. There's something new to find each and every day!

Park System Trip Gives Rare Glimpse at Terracotta Warriors

This summer has become even more exciting with the Park System's August 11th trip to Discovery Times Square in New York City! What makes this trip different than those previous? This summer the museum has introduced the only East Coast exhibition of China's Terracotta Warriors. It is your chance to get up close and personal with an archaeological find that has been considered the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World. The warriors are a national treasure for China and have been under excavation since their inadvertent discovery in 1974. If you are not familiar with the story, let's bring you up to speed:

It began as these things usually do, with simple folk going about the business of everyday life, eking out a living to support their families. Foremost in their minds was the need to find water to support their village, never did they imagine that the basic act of digging a well would reveal the archaeological find of the century.

The excavation started out as any other dig, but the magnitude and scope of the project quickly became apparent as scientists found that the site extended approximately 16,000 meters. Thus, in 1975, the State Council authorized the building of a museum at the site, which is divided into three pits, encompassing over 7,000 pottery warriors, horses and chariots!

The army was created during the reign of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, who is famous for unifying China’s warring states, and for beginning construction of the Great Wall. The warriors were intended to guard his tomb and replicate his living army. It is estimated that it took over 700,000 people 37 years to complete all of the figures, which are life-sized and painstakingly, individually detailed, with no two exactly alike.

One of the dismaying aspects of the excavation was that the once bright paint that brought the warriors to life would flake off within hours of exposure to the air. It was not until recently that a team of German scientists created a substance to coat the warriors and preserve their unique colors. Apparently it was the lacquer layer underneath the paint that would dry up as the air hit it, taking the paint as well. It is now hoped that as the excavations continue, more the warriors will be preserved with their original colors.

The current exhibit at Discovery Times Square, in addition to several of the actual restored warriors, includes Han Dynasty Burial Chamber gates, cooking utensils, weapons, jewelry and ritual items in a collection of over 200 artifacts more than 2,000 years old. By this point we're sure we have aroused your curiosity about these amazing artifacts, and want to know all about when to go and how to get there. The Park System wants to make it easy for you to see this amazing exhibit! On Saturday, August 11, we will be leaving Thompson Park by bus and heading to New York City for the day. Fees include timed admission ticket, round trip transportation, and Park System leader. There will be free time for you to enjoy the city and have lunch on your own. Register now!

Staff Contributor: Ann Sage, Cultural Services Division

Note: The Park System has a wide variety of trips scheduled every year! Check out the Fall Directory (to be released on August 10) for trips that will include: Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum; The Best of the Bronx; Total Amish Experience; Grounds for Sculpture; Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour; Montreal, Quebec & Vermont Overnight and so much more!

What Lives in the Bay?

Northern Puffers, Lined Seahorses, juvenile Bluefish, or Bay Anchovies. Which of these fish do you think may be found in the water at Bayshore Waterfront Park, Port Monmouth? The answer is all of them!

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from June 25 through August 24, 11am–12:00noon, Park System Naturalists provide visitors with a free seining program at Bayshore Waterfront Park. Visitors have the opportunity to discover a variety of fish, crabs, and other remarkable creatures of the bay that live in shallow waters. This is one of the best ways to learn about the diversity of aquatic life in Sandy Hook Bay. Park System Naturalists pull a long net through the water to try to catch fish, crabs, and anything else that lives along the shallow edge of the bay.

Visitors who partake in our free seining not only have fun seeing what interesting life lives in the bay, but many have a good time holding different species of fish, such as snapper blues, croakers, flounders, Hermit Crabs, Pipefish, and more, before releasing them back into the water. Each haul of the seine net brings in something new to discover.   

This fun and exciting program takes place on the beach near the fishing pier. Closed-toe shoes are required. The program will not run during inclement weather. Open to ages 5 and up, families, with adult, the program is designed for individuals and families, not groups. (Groups can reserve a date by calling (732) 872-7369.)

It will be a fun time for everyone as we discover what lives in the bay this summer!

Family Fun While Discovering the Parks

If you’re a fan of Monmouth County Park System parks you and your family probably stick to a few favorite locations. But the Park System has over 30 locations for visitors to enjoy all year round. If you’re ready to discover some new locations in a family-friendly way, we have fun approach to get you started!  

Rockin’ the Trails is back for the third year in a row and will have you discovering park locations you may have never seen or new details about parks you already love. You and your family will be sent on a mission to visit eight specific Monmouth County parks and discover answers to our questions. Each answer will supply you with letters that will combine to reveal a special nature quote from John Burroughs. Participants may either mail their completed brochure in or bring it to the Huber Woods Environmental Center or Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center. You will then be entered in the Grand Prize Drawing that will take place at the year's end (last year's winners enjoyed a free family boat tour at the Manasquan Reservoir).

Don't miss out on this terrific family experience! You can find a PDF of the Rockin' the Trails brochure on our website or call (732) 842-4000, ext. 4312, to have one delivered by mail.