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Blairstown Township, Warren County
382 Acres
Mallards and wood ducks erupt from the quite waters of the beaver
pond - a site worth seeing as they whirl past the standing dead
snags of trees bleached silver by the sun. Cool spring waters
emerge out of the limestone bedrock entering the pond. Here, longtail
salamanders, a state threatened species, hide beneath moss covered
rocks. The surrounding forest of northern oak, sugar maples and
Canadian hemlock supports a truly diverse understory of ferns,
wildflowers, shrubs and herbs. The “sweet” limestone
soil provides a rich and lush environment for many state endangered
and rare plants. The rocky ridges within the forest are traveled
by black bear and bobcat.
Once farms and rural homesites, the fields, abandoned long ago,
are identified only by the stone walls that marked them. Locals
tell the stories of the people and families that lived here and
enjoyed the beauty of the place. Nancy Castleman, Helen Winslow-
Roundtree, Eloise Lenhardt: it might be said these women homesteaded
here and later saw to it that land they owned would be protected
forever. The forgotten town of Kalarama, even then just a cluster
of two or three homes, is now only stone foundations. The Green
Acres Program is actively working to protect a large natural spring
at Kalarama and the old grist mill site on Belchers Creek.
Public Access and Uses:
The Paulinskill Valley Trail passes near the Limestone Ridge Marsh
Preserve. Visitors enjoy hikes along un-maintained woods roads
through the preserve. Best access is from Cedar Lake Road. Parking
is limited. The Trust allows registration
for deer hunting at this preserve. Please note that this preserve is limited
to 20 registrants. Once the limit is met, this preserve will no
longer be available to choose on the registration form.
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