On a recent afternoon, WildNewJersey.tv's David Wheeler hiked through Worthington State Forest, arguably the most scenic wilderness area in the state.  Dunnfield Creek tumbles down a cascade of waterfalls, one after another, plummeting from the Kittatinny Ridge to the Delaware Water Gap.  Ancient hemlocks and mixed hardwoods tower above the ravine, and ferns and moss-covered boulders lend a primordial feel to the forest floor.  A pileated woodpecker flew from tree to tree high above Dunnfield Creek along the Appalachian Trail, and indigo buntings and countless warblers enjoyed the bounties of the forest. 

 

The scenic nearby Old Mine Road wildlife drive was crisscrossed by hundreds of large millipedes, and bustling with warblers, white-tailed deer, and wild turkey.  Of course, no mountain hike would be complete without a black bear encounter.  The hikers were lucky enough to find a massive bruin stopping by a stream in a wetland area near Crater Lake.  A host of other species share this wild land. 


                         
                                               Delaware Water Gap Hike.
                          
                                
                              Wild New Jersey's David Wheeler stands atop a waterfall on Dunnfield Creek.

                             
                                
                                                                          Crater Lake

                                

                                            
                                                       Like a visit to Tolkien's Middle Earth.