The Kittatinny Mountains form the rugged, scenic backbone of northwestern New Jersey.

Running from the Delaware Water Gap in the southwest up to High Point near the New York state line, this long ridge defines the eastern edge of the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Province. It’s part of a much larger geologic system that continues southwest into Pennsylvania as Blue Mountain and north into New York as the Shawangunks.

Etymology: Lenape: Kitahtëne, meaning “endless hill” or “great mountain”.

The terrain was formed hundreds of millions of years ago by violent continental collisions, volcanic island arcs, and the folding of immense rock layers. The Kittatinny range is made mostly of incredibly hard quartz conglomerate, which makes it especially resistant to erosion. That’s one reason the ridge remains so prominent today. At its highest point—1,803 feet at High Point—it’s also the tallest mountain in New Jersey.

The landscape here has been shaped by more than just tectonics. Around 21,000 years ago, the Wisconsin Glacier covered this entire area. As it retreated, it left behind rock fields, glacial lakes, and distinctive U-shaped valleys. The cold tundra gave way slowly to taiga, and eventually to the rich deciduous forest that blankets the mountain now.

For more than 10,000 years, people have lived in and around these hills. Paleo-Indians once hunted big game on these slopes. Later, the Lenape used natural corridors like Culver’s Gap to travel, trade, and hunt across the range. Even today, you can find evidence of this long history, everything from ancient rock shelters and tool sites to the remains of 18th-century mining efforts like the Pahaquarry Copper Mine.

Much of the Kittatinny Ridge is now protected public land, including High Point State Park, Stokes State Forest, and the sprawling Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. These parks are home to a wide range of plants and wildlife—black bears, bobcats, hawks, trout, wild blueberries—and more than a dozen ponds and lakes nestled high along the ridge.

Mount Tammany, one of the range’s most popular and dramatic peaks, anchors the southern end of the ridge where it meets the Delaware River. Just across the gap is Mount Minsi in Pennsylvania. Together, these two mountains form the iconic V-shaped cut known as the Delaware Water Gap—a natural passage that’s drawn travelers, traders, and adventurers for centuries.

Today, hikers come for the cliffs, the views, the waterfalls, the history, and the feeling of standing on some of the oldest rock on the East Coast.

Kittatinny Mountains Major Peaks and Named High Points (South to North)

Mount Tammany (1,526 ft / 465 m)
– Southernmost peak in the range; overlooks the Delaware Water Gap.
Raccoon Ridge
– A scenic ridgeline with expansive views, located north of Sunfish Pond.
Catfish Mountain (1,560 ft / 475 m)
– A broad, forested summit near Catfish Pond; the Appalachian Trail crosses here.
Culver Ridge (1,546 ft / 471 m)
– Near Culver’s Gap; features open views and glacial terrain.
Sunrise Mountain (1,653 ft / 504 m)
– Second-highest peak in the range; part of Stokes State Forest with a stone pavilion and panoramic views.
Normanook Lookout
– An old CCC-built tower site (closed) with a scenic overlook in High Point State Park.
High Point (1,803 ft / 550 m)
– The highest point in New Jersey and the Kittatinny range; marked by a 220-foot obelisk monument.